Who is Escape from Earth? The 700+ fans that regularly cram into Chicago's Metro and House of Blues know. Those that listen to WZZN and WKQX (Q101) have heard them. The millions of viewers that tuned into the Miss USA 2002 Competition saw Escape from Earth perform the opening number. For those that still don't know the band, they are Chris Sernel on vocals and guitar, Christopher Castelli on guitar, Andy Ahn on bass and Paul Castelli on drums. The style is hard rock with a little metal attitude and just pure energy. Escape from Earth is a band that is ready to step up to the plate and take a swing in the big leagues.
Escape from Earth wanted the best EP they could put out, so they enlisted the help of legendary producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Jane's Addiction) and producer Rae DiLeo (Filter). Production expertise combined with driving force guitar rhythms, high energy melodic vocals and "universal emotions" laced throughout have been fused together on Escape from Earth's new EP Three Seconds East. The five tracks listed in order are "Yesterday," "Beautiful," "One Thing or Another," "Never Hear," and "Without".
Three Seconds East jumps right into the heavy riffs and raw emotion on "Yesterday". Hints of bands like Helmet and Filter can be heard in the rhythm of the guitars and the thundering vocals. "Beautiful" opens in a melodic fashion, but gradually builds to an emotion filled plateau; gaining energy from the chorus:
Somedays I am beautiful
Oh so beautiful to me
Somedays I am pitiful
Oh so pitiful to me
I feel angry, I feel silent
I feel so far away
I feel beautiful
Just not today
"One Thing or Another" gets a little more creative on the vocals and adds some exciting hooks to the guitar rhythms. "Never Hear" poses the challenge to:
Get up and move
Get back in the groove
Get up and fight
Get up and ignite
"Without" could claim to be the best song on the cd, not to mention being a finalist in the 2003 International Songwriting Competition. "Without" combines a dark heavy edge with melodic vocals.
Though Three Seconds East is only five tracks long, it has everything. Hope, emotion and darkness is what can be found laced throughout each track. A growing fan base and radio play has Escape from Earth and their latest EP Three Seconds East poised to become something great.
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