Like a Storm: Chemical Infatuation

Click here to listen to "Chemical Infatuation" by Like a Storm

• Band:
• Chris Brooks (vocals/guitar/programming/didgeridoo)
• Matt Brooks (vocals/guitar/programming)
• Kent Brooks (bass/vocals/programming)
• Thomas Karanasos (drums)

On their debut album The End of the Beginning, Like a Storm stir up a torrent of infectious hard rock. The Vancouver-based quartet's first full-length is an avalanche of captivating choruses and hard-hitting grooves, as exemplified by the first radio single “Chemical Infatuation.” Electronic textures and string flourishes cascade into a wall of distortion as vocal melodies hypnotize. Brothers Chris (Vocals/Guitar/Programming/ Didgeridoo), Matt (Vocals/Guitar/Programming) and Kent Brooks (Bass/Vocals/ Programming) conjure a dynamic rock sound that's simultaneously ethereal and edgy.

Like a Storm's journey began in 2005. After rehearsing once in their native New Zealand, Matt, Chris and Kent decided to move to North America and pursue the rock n' roll dream.

"New Zealand is such an awesome place to grow up," says Chris. "It's a really inspiring place--so beautiful and isolated. But the first time we jammed, we had this amazing chemistry, and we knew we had to take our sound to the world. We left our family and friends and set up in Canada. There are so many different experiences from that time, and the songs on the record are about them."

Upon moving to Canada, it only took one show for Like a Storm to build a buzz. Kai Marcus (Methods of Mayhem/Noise Therapy) saw the band and was instantly blown away. He struck up a friendship with the guys and introduced them to multi-platinum producer Mike Plotnikoff (Three Days Grace/My Chemical Romance/Buckcherry) in early 2006. Plotnikoff and the boys immediately began trading ideas for what would become The End of the Beginning.

The band began officially recording with Plotnikoff in Calabasas, CA, in early 2007. Virtuoso musician and former Yes keyboardist Igor Khoroshev joined the production process, bringing his progressive and classical influences to the record. After over 16 months of writing, recording and experimenting, the band emerged with The End of the Beginning.

Matt continues, "The End of the Beginning is really the start of the next stage. We spent two years making the record, and we really lost ourselves in the recording process. We seriously evolved as artists and as writers. For us, it's a snapshot of two years of our lives and all that we went through. Musically and lyrically, it's our story."

Like a Storm packages that story in the powerful hard rock of fist-pumping anthems like "Lie to Me" and "Just Save Me." The band strikes a balance between warm electronics and massive hard rock. Matt describes their style comprehensively. "It's a big rock sound with a lot of different textures. Every time you listen to it, you'll hear something new. It's a combination of all of our favorite sounds - from heavy rock to electronic music."

"Chemical Infatuation," hits radio in August 2009, and it's the perfect introduction to the band. Not only is it dark, but it's also undeniable. Chris explains, "The first riff comes in like a sledgehammer right into your skull. The riff sets the tone for this dark place of addiction and obsession. It captures all the elements of Like a Storm. It's a heavy and ambient journey."

The video conveys that journey in disturbing but strangely sexy fashion. Its dark narrative is memorable all around. "The video is about a guy who becomes obsessed with these girls,” says Chris. “He seduces them, kills them and then turns them into a drug that he can take. Every time he takes it, he hallucinates that he's making love to them."

On the other end of the spectrum, Like a Storm penned a heartfelt and epic eulogy for their grandmother entitled "Galaxy (Rest In Peace)." Matt goes on, "She was a huge part of our lives, and she passed away while we were making the record. Because we were in L.A., we couldn't be there for the funeral. So that song was our tribute, and we wrote it for the funeral. We had two days to write the track, and the idea came right away. It was probably the easiest song we've ever written. It meant so much to all of us. We wanted to do something special and immortalize her." They did by creating one of their most touching and vibrant songs. Chris adds, "That experience brought us even closer together."

Like a Storm has grown into an extremely tight unit with Thomas Karanasos rounding out the lineup behind the kit. Thomas adds a pummeling presence that heightens the drama inherent in Like a Storm's sound. It began with the live show, and the Like a Storm concert experience is still crucial. Chris elaborates, "The live show is a huge part of what Like a Storm is. We love being on stage and blowing people away. It's an energetic explosive rock show."

In the end, for Like a Storm, artistic integrity is paramount to their path. Matt offers, "The album’s sound is epic, surreal and ominous. That's the kind of art we want to make. I want the music to transport people away from their every day lives and into this world we've created. We feel lucky we got to make a really ambitious record for our first album."

Chris concludes, "We didn't have any rules making this record. We pushed ourselves, and it was such a creative, chaotic experience. Out of that came a lot of honesty.”

myspace.com/likeastorm