Metal With the Voice of an Angel

Seattle-based metal band Temperedcast will warm up the early crowds at The Venue on Tuesday, setting a friendly vibe for a full evening of music.

Temperedcast’s rich vocals are just a taste of what this night offers. Also on the bill is New Jersey band Ashes Divide, Nashville’s Red (and their Grammy-nominated album “End of Silence”), and Kansas City (now based in LA) band Puddle of Mudd.
All of these bands are heavy on lyrics and each of their vocalists are exceptional. Usually with a lot of heavier rock, lyrics get lost in the guttural deliveries of metal singers. That is clearly not the case here.

Calvin Muma, Temperedcast’s vocalist, says he works very hard to make sure the lyrics are understandable. He knows that a song can often help someone get through the day, more than just an up tune that makes the listener happy.

“We had a song on our last album, “The Way,” that helped someone get through an abusive situation,” he says. And their new album, “Reach,” is equally rich in memorable material. “There are a lot of different experiences and emotions on this new album that have the ability to influence and connect with everybody on some level. We wanted to make sure that our message was coming across that much stronger this time around.”

Even drummer Kelly Murphy echoes Muma’s sentiment. “We’re very excited about the new music we’ve created. It captures the melody, brutality, energy, and beauty we’ve always wanted in an album,” he says. “We’re very guitar riff driven. We tried to make every song live on its own.”

And, there is always the hope that the songs will be singable for audiences. In fact, one song, their first single, “Coming Down,” was an unnamed, new piece that they tried out on an audience. Fans soon caught on to the chorus and began singing along. Fans started coming up to the band and asking when they would be playing “Coming Down.” Thus, the song was named.

Together for five years, Temperedcast produces a high energy show, bouncing and jumping all over the stage. Therefore, one of the things they ask routinely when they come into the venue is whether the stage is reinforced!

They also are one of the friendliest metal rock bands out there. “We’re not the kind of guys who hang out backstage by any means,” Murphy. “We have fun meeting everybody we possibly can. The more people we talk to and get to know, it’s that much more fun for us.”

The band has even gone outside the venue and talked to fans waiting in line to get in. They pass out business cards, sign autographs, and just meet people. Then, after their sets, they’ll mingle with folks in the club, sell their CDs and other merchandise, and sit and listen to the other bands.

“We encourage people to come early and say hi and introduce themselves. It’s tough to shake everybody’s hand, but we try,” Murphy says.

Temperedcast has been touring with Puddle of Mudd for the past several months. This is their first national tour with them, though they opened for the band for three shows in the Northwest leg of a previous Puddle of Mudd tour. They gave the band one of their CDs and Puddle of Mudd got their agent to call Temperedcast’s management company and they were booked on this tour.

Tuesday will be a rock night to remember. Catch Temperedcast and the great line of other bands at the Venue on November 25.

But look for Temperedcast to make a swing back here next year. “We’re really hoping to come back to these same areas because we’ve had such a good response,” Murphy says. Until then, see you at the Venue.

If You Go

What: Temperedcast, Ashes Divide, Red, and Puddle of Mudd
Where: The Venue @ The Hub
When: Tuesday, November 25, 7:30 pm
Who: All ages
How Much: $25 in advance, $28 at the door.
Info: 701.232.6767