User:Smartie66/Blinddryve

Blinddryve (Band) Blinddryve is a rock band from Albuquerque, NM, formed after two of the current members won their categories in a 104.7 The Edge Ultimate band Contest. Their debut album, World Insane, was released in June 13, 2009 by Mysteria Records. The band's diverse backgrounds provides for a variety of sounds on the album. Influences of Native America, the Catholic religion, and New Mexico's culture milieu are discernible on World Insane.

Band Members
Vocals -- Chris "Morphine" Sandoval Bass -- Daniel Gonzales Guitar -- Jimmy J. Medina Drums -- Kirk Kappel

DISCOGRAPHY
Studio Albums 2009 World Insane - First Studio Album - Released Jun 13, 2009 - Mysteria Records

World Insame
The debut album by Albuquerque based Blinddryve released June 13, 2009, on Mysteria Records.

Genre: Nu Metal

SOURCES

http://www.myspace.com/blinddryve

http://mysteriarecordsusa.com/fr_blinddryve.cfm

"Blinddryve making its mark on music scene," 1 Jul 2009, Valencia County News-Bulletin http://www.news-bulletin.com/nb/index.php Jeana Lucero jlucero@news-bulletin.com

Albuquerque Back in 2006, an Albuquerque radio station hosted an Ultimate Band contest. Judges chose people that they thought were best in the categories of singer, drummer, guitar and bass.

On this day, Blinddryve was born.

That was more than three years ago, and Blinddryve is still going strong with two of those original members Chris Sandoval and Daniel Gonzales both competed in the contest and won best in their category, which was singing and bass player respectively. The band has made a name for itself in the local music scene holding together and striving to reach their goal of becoming a well-known touring band.

Blinddryve will be starting their summer tour soon with stops in Colorado, Texas and California before coming back home to play once again for the fans that know and love them.

Lead vocalist Chris Sandoval, who was born and raised in Albuquerque and has been active in the music since he was in high school, is taking up guitar. Well known singers such as Elvis, Steve Perry, Geoff Tate, and above all, Ronnie James Dio, influenced him to take up singing, which has given him a strong and powerful singing voice.

Chris attributes his enthusiasm to singing in shows to the audience. If the audience is active and enjoying the music, then he is able to perform on a higher level, pushing the audience to feel his music and what he feels when singing.

Over time, the fan base for Blinddryve has grown, making his long term dream to "See a crowd of thousands singing right along with him." He writes about 75 percent of the lyrics for the band.

Producing songs such as "Walk Away," "Day of the Dead" and newly written "Broken," there is not one song that he can say is his favorite. He likes all the songs he sings, and from show to show, each one comes out better than the last.

Chris expressed that "Broken" was written in anger towards the recently past presidential administration for what he says are broken families caused by sending troops to fight in the war and "causing unnecessary deaths and sadness for the families here at home."

Daniel Gonzales on bass, originally from Roswell, grew up listening to the heavy metal of the 80s, bands such as Slayer, Megadeath and Metalica. These bands inspired him to follow his dream of being a musician. He came to Albuquerque and played bass for "Desolate." He unknowingly was entered in the Ultimate Band contest, in which he won best bass player.

Regardless if the band stays local, or goes on to be a national touring band, Gonzales says, "I will be happy knowing that I have entertained and brought a smile to the audiencess faces; seeing them happy tells me know I am doing something right, and that makes me happy."

Guitarist Jimmy J. Medina of Albuquerque, joined the band in 2007. With the knowledge of other instruments, such as the piano, drums and saxophone, he's not limited to just one instrument.

"I almost ended up just playing the oboe!" Medina said.

He previously played with a band, "These Black Days," until his father gave him Sandoval's phone number for an audition with Blinddryve.

"You call him if you really want to do this, don't wait for him to call you," his father told him. The call and the audition paid off, and he landed the guitar playing postition in the band. With impeccable guitar skills, one gets caught up watching and listening to him as he woos the audience with his talent. Jimmy as earned his place in the band and is striving to make his goals a reality.

After the band's original drummer left for personal reasons, the remaining members desperately searched for a replacement to complete the band, sending mass texts to everyone they could think of and posting bulletins on MySpace.

Born in San Bernadino, Calif., Kirk N. Kapple made Albuquerque his home 15 years ago, playing in the high school band. His dream of becoming a drummer was formed way back when he was a child, banging on the pots and pans.

When asked what his ultimate goal for his future was, he said, "To be an influence to the younger people pondering being a musician."

Kapple says he wants to make a difference and teach them to follow their dreams. This young man has phenomenal drum playing skills and never misses a beat.

These four men are easy to get along with and make up an excellent band. They recently released their CD entitled "World Insane," having a release party for the 21 and over crowd at the Launchpad in downtown Albuquerque with Under the Blood, Tried by 12 and When Darkness Falls opening the show. They followed their first concert with a second show two weeks later at The Compound, an all ages venue with extremely different musical genres other than just metal, including Burst Into Flames, Shoot My Cupid and Tetelestai warming up the audience.

With an instrumental starting out the CD to power ballads, slow meaningful songs to hard core thrashing metal, Blinddryve is definitely not sticking with one type of music. The songs convey things such as real true to life trials and tribulations, in which everyone can relate to something that has happened to them in their lives.

They describe their music as illuminating, different — the old school feel with the modern sound.

The age difference, with two in their 20s and two in their 30s, making up the band brings each memeber is their own musical styles. There is a song for everyone on this CD.