Veloz-Attack: Upcoming Band Has Eyes on Their Own Creation

Look out "new metal!" The melodic droning guitars, supersonic range vocals, and thought provoking lyrics of classic heavy metal is back with a double "mullich" -- that means, "too heavy for words" for all those metal-speak illiterates out there. Veloz-Attack, a true triumph of metal through the ages, has grabbed Philadelphia by the balls. Now, they're ready to take on the nation one region at a time.

"Veloz-Attack is the new school of old metal," says drummer Damian, as the band retains facets of its metal forefathers, but presents those facets in a new way -- avoiding mainstream sounds, yet appealing to the masses at the same time. The group manages to marry the technical aspects of early British metal with a modern level of sound and cultural changes. However, the flavor of Veloz-Attack's music is the result of pioneer inspiration, not evolution.

"We see ourselves inspired by those pioneers -- as our foundation -- but the end result [of them]? Nah -- just one of the many beginnings," says Veloz-Attack's sexy front woman, Dacia Nichol. "We're not recycling what's already been done. . .we want to maintain the integrity of the more technical end of everything but still have an appeal to the 'masses,' per se. To achieve a certain level of success you have to compromise a little -- it is possible to have accessible music without becoming a whore."

Eyes of Creation, one of the band's two recorded tracks, exemplifies Veloz-Attack's sound goals with its intoxicating metaphoric lyrics and guitar riffs that smack the listener with a Judas Priest-like fervor. Dacia Nichol's vocals in the track are comparable to Iron Maiden's most beloved front man, Bruce Dickerson. With her crisp tonality and explosive range, the singer, who's known as "Nikki" to her band mates, has a surprisingly small frame -- it's a wonder how such a big sound comes out of such a tiny woman.

What's even more amazing is the plethora of genres that have not only influenced each individual member, but were the roots of their musical careers. Rich, Veloz-Attack's lead guitarist, shamelessly admits his non-metal love of music branches out to jazz and classical music, particularly Bach: "Johann Sebastian Bach is the greatest composer -- ever," says Rich, who met Veloz-Attack's rhythm guitarist Dave through early career jam sessions.

Bassist Josh enjoys artists like Pat Metheny, Al Dimeola, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and Stanly Clarke -- who he refers to as "real jazz." Saxophonist Kenny G., however, he finds horribly "disturbing." Aside from personal taste, Josh's musical career has been a hodgepodge of genres, which are unfathomable when comparing them to the style he plays with Veloz-Attack.

In the past, Josh had performed in the acoustic jam group, Glory Front, and hip-hop collaboration, Invisible. Later on in his career, he joined Alabama-based, black metal band, Quintaessentia. "

Dacia Nichol, who was in a band called Fith with Damian before joining Veloz-Attack, is a 22-year old with a 40-year old rocker's love of the 80's metal revolution. Classic Skid Row, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth course through her veins, singing style, and most currently, her CD player. "I should have been this age in 1985," she says, pre-interview.

"I definitely knew what I wanted for vocals," says Dave, "We went through a lot of singers. We wanted aggressive vocals, which proved difficult to find -- at least without constant screaming. . .a happy medium, if you will."

The overall Veloz-Attack experience is the audible image the members create through sound, so intensely executed that there's little need to use for a visual aid to emphasize that experience -- the band has no need for the leather costuming and outrageous make up ala Marilyn Manson, or anyone else of the like. The listener's ears act like a natural LSD agent, causing a full pictorial image through sound. That is the only necessary image, according to the band.

Devils, Veloz-Attack's other recorded track, touches on the negative aspects of organized religion without crossing the line of becoming ultra-controversial. The lyrics, penned by Dacia Nichol about her experiences with religion that led up to her Wiccan beliefs, ask about the motives behind God's eternal punishment. The band combines a chest-pulsing beat that's hard not to head bang to with an almost danceable melody, not contrary to the final product of the ingredients that make up Veloz-Attack music.

Though Eyes of Creation and Devils both seem thematically similar, Veloz-Attack isn't just about religious undertones. Currently on deck is a song about a female assassin and how her life unfolds -- which the band foretells as the possible beginning of a future concept album. Fans also anticipate the recording of Josh's composition, Attrition, a newly polished track.

As recording wraps up, the band prepares for the coming summer with demo tracks and new merchandise. A tour is planned through Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. "Philly is rumored to have the craziest metalheads," says Dave.

"Places like New York have more exposure to metal, but Philly isn't so gifted. It leads to rabid, psychotic behavior," agrees Josh and Rich.

Veloz-Attack also has been requested from the West Coast to as far away as Japan. Its members haven't made their long term travel arrangements just yet, but all have a glowing image of the future of their music.

Though Veloz-Attack promises fans no disappointments down the road, as lesser bands who have little value in music integrity are the ones with "sell out" stamped in their destinies, the band has all the reason in the world to predict far away future success: "[In ten years,] we'll be five albums in with various European tours under out belt," fanaticizes Rich, who looks forward to quitting his day job as an insurance underwriter. "It's a crappy desk job, like in [the movie] Office Space." But truth be known, the members of Veloz-Attack have every chance at making their rock 'n' roll dreams come true.

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