Palisades to Perform at Park Rock Fest

Palisades To Perform at Park Rock Fest

Posted by Fred.Heather On 08/28/2017

Coming to headline the Park Rock Fest 2017 is the band Palisades. The band was formed in 2011 as a 6-member band out of Iselin, New Jersey. Presently the band members are: • Louis Miceli – lead vocals (2011–present) • Xavier Adames – lead guitar, backing vocals (2011–present) • Matthew Marshall – rhythm guitar (2011–present) • Graves – turntables, keyboards (2016–present) • Brandon Elgar – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–present) • Aaron Rosa – drums, percussion (2011–present)

They call their music post hardcore; which is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. They truly have pushed the limits of a greater degree of creative expression with the 3 albums they have released and the songs they perform live. Their sound is innovative and heavy, with their third record: their songs are now appealing to a broader audience, and not only to fans of classic alternative rock. Palisades describe their sound as a mixture of hip hop, EDM and rock and strive for shows that resemble “an electric high energy party”. Influenced by new member Graves, the band combines heavy bass and guitar lines with a wide electronic range and excellent vocals performed by Louis Miceli.

The band’s first self-released their first EP, The Rise. The EP, and its singles - "Immortal", "Bury It", and "Disclosure" were enough to gain the attention of Rise Records, who signed the band to the record label in late 2011. Rise Records chose to re-release the EP under the new title, I'm Not Dying Today, while the band began work on the full-length debut album. After touring and working on the album throughout 2012, the band released their debut album Outcasts in May 2013. To promote the album, they released and the single "Outcasts", and toured with Capture The Crown, Heartist, and Famous Last Words. “Outcasts” debuted at #181 on the Billboard top 200 lists. The band continued to release songs into 2014, including their cover of Beyoncé's hit single "Drunk in Love".

Palisades released their self-titled studio album on January 20, 2017, via Rise Records. They have been touring since in 2017 with American hard rock band Letters from the Fire

In an interview with Upset Magazine , Drummer Aaron Rosa explains that “culturally, we try to spread positivity, hope and self-empowerment. Tomorrow can be better on individual and collective levels if every human does the right thing by other human beings and the world we live in. We talk about real things that in the world. Musically we have been pushed outside of our comfort zone and the result is an album that tested our musicianship as well as our songwriting. I honestly feel like we created a really strong and well-written album that people will enjoy ten years from now.”

He goes on to say that “With this last record we dug deep. We asked ourselves what in the world needed to be said. What are people too afraid to talk about? ‘Aggression’ is a song about the Orlando Club Pulse shooting, as well as the state of our world. Our singer Lou [Miceli Jr.], would go off from time to time and soul search. He wrote down what he liked about himself, as well as what he did not like and then proceeded to write about how to deal with those negatives. There’s a lot of battling demons on this album.”

When he was asked how the band had matured and how is that reflected within their music he replied: “Within each record, there are stories and messages that we try to communicate. In comparison to our last album, ‘Mind Games’, the music has just come together on a stronger level while the lyrics have become more self-aware and selfless at the same time. Personal experiences have impacted the writing and our approach to it as a band. If anything our approach has grown as we grow. The more we play and write, the further we will push ourselves to do more than the last time. For this last album, we really took a step back from the electronic elements of the band and focused on the band side of things.”

Invicta Magazine reports the “Lead single and opener of the album is the song ‘Agression’ and the title describes its sound perfectly. It reminds the listener of a typical aggressive post-hardcore song which can also be found on former releases of the band. Along with the single, they also released a music video for ‘Aggressive‘ which you can check out down below. Tracks like ‘Cold Heart (Warm Blood)’ and ‘Better Chemicals’ include genre-typical alternative elements which yet again reminds the listener of Palisades‘ former releases but are also clearly influenced by R&B and take their sound to a new level.

Furthermore, the band decided to go into a very different direction with ‘Let Down’ and ‘Dark’, two new songs that feature heavy electronic beats and show how versatile Palisades’ songwriting and composing really is.

Although the band is keen on mixing different styles to create a unique new sound they never lose connection to their roots. The last song on their self-titled record called ‘Personal’ is a perfect example for that as it includes typical alternative and hard-rock elements again.

Palisades took a risk in mixing so many different styles and sounds together but their third album still is a solid release. Although the raw sound the band used to be known for on their former albums is gone now, their self-titled record shows their musical ability and personal growth as a band. They created a well composed, mature record which shows the world what they are capable of. Although they had to face line-up changes (departure of former members Brandon Reese and Earl Halasan) and other challenges, Palisades did not give up, it only pushed them to work harder.”

Park Rock Fest 2017 will be held Saturday, September 2nd, at the Saint Mary's County Fairgrounds. 42455 Fairgrounds Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Come celebrate the 15th annual Park Rock Fest produced by the Power Jam Music Alliance Inc. and sponsored by Maryland State Arts Council, St. Mary's County Arts Council and St. Marys County. There will be more than 21 artists performing on one of three concurrent music stages; for non-stop music! The fest features Pop, Punk, Emo, Screamo, Hard Rock, Alternative, Independent, Acoustic, Hardcore, and Metal.

The Palisades is the headliner for 2017. The featured band Convictions a Christian metal band from Ohio. Back for a third year is the third stage with acoustic acts featuring a special acoustic set by the metal band Silvertung that goes with the release of their new all acoustic album. New for 2107 is an Electronic Dance Music (EMD) venue we call “Cuantm Flx” featuring +10 major EDM DJ’s from Baltimore to Southern Maryland.

Page 1 The Park Rock Fest also features commercial vendors and community group vendors and band merch tents. The gates open at 11:00 AM and close at 10 PM. All ages are welcome. Park Rock Fest is drug-free, alcohol-free, and an obscenity free event. For further information, go to www.PARKROCK.com or call 240-925-8659.

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