In the past 5 years, there has become a resurgence of thrash metal breeding its way across the land. During this time, numerous bands have jumped the bandwagon claiming to be thrash, while their legitimacy remains in question. After sifting through these bands and hearing their testimonies I find that, these bands have failed to produce anything even close. Then there is this band Apathy from Clifton New Jersey who also claims to be thrash, so I had to hear it for myself. Not that I am THE most expert in what is thrash but I do have a pretty damn good understanding of what thrash metal sounds like and these guys are 100% pure absolute thrash. "A Decade of Violence" is abundant with rapid-fire riffs and wartime violent drum patterns. This album follows the blueprint of traditional thrash metal and delivers with style and class. -  Helter of Thrashzone

In the summer of 2009, Apathy released their debut album “A Decade of Violence”. Produced by Chris Gibson (CIV; Glassjaw; Agnostic Front), it is the first studio release featuring front man Pete Wells, along with Bill Jameson, Manuel Cordova and Bill Valverde. The bands lyrics and album art cover a variety of topics including warfare and violent behavior – issues that serve to complement the bands infamously chaotic guitar solos and chops that depict a sort of dystopian illustration of humanity’s imminent demise.  In July, the album aired exclusively on KWSS 106.7 FM in Phoenix, Arizona – catapulting the album’s sales – which saw “A Decade of Violence” sell over a hundred copies worldwide from the band’s website, apathy-nj.com. Songs like “Born into Pain” and “Machine Gun Rain” topped the heavy metal charts and  garnered itself more than five stars – an apex position on “Number One Music”.” Thrash Till Death”, an online heavy metal music station broadcasting out of Germany, debut “Machine Gun Rain” at number eight, followed by Slayer’s “World Painted Blood” in October 2009.

As the year came to a close, “A Decade of Violence” won “Best Thrash Metal Album of 2009” on the web site silencesoloud.com, an online magazine dedicated solely to heavy metal music.  “A Decade of Violence” is now available on iTunes, and individual songs can now be heard on Jango, Live 365 Madrid, Braingell.com, WRIF-FM, Metal Assault Online Radio and WSOU- FM in heavy rotation.

Apathy is a thrash metal band from Clifton, New Jersey, founded by front man/guitarist Pete Wells, who formed the band in 2000. Since their inception,   Apathy has hosted a variety of musicians: in 2006, the band recorded a three-song demo, “Shadows Burned”, which features another lead vocalist. On the strength of that three-song demo, Apathy generated even more notoriety after playing a Sunday Metal Matinee hosted by Mistress Juliya-Fuse TV at Fast Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey. However after merely covering a handful of live performances, seeing their popularity skyrocket in the metal scene and building a solid reputation on the New Jersey metal circuit, the band dissolved.  Drummer Bill Jameson and guitarist Pete Wells suddenly found themselves without a singer or a bassist. After unsuccessfully searching for a vocalist for nearly six months, Wells took it upon himself to handle both rhythm guitar and lead vocals.

Apathy finally resurfaced with a new cast of musicians, this time featuring Pete working guitar/vocals, Bill on drums – whilst adding Manuel Cordova as their guitar lead and John Titkamason on bass. With Apathy back intact, their first show was at The Pussycat Lounge in New York City where, along with Ten Feet from Murder, they were asked time after time for an encore. Emboldened with their newfound confidence, Apathy became an unstoppable machine of maximum heavy metal –  performing wherever and whenever they could. They solidified their reputation in 2008 with the release of their self-titled album “Apathy”.  Recorded at Lynx Studio with soundman Mike Santana, the sound employs earlier versions of Violent Nature, Era of Terror and Final Threat that saw them create their most successful demo to date.  It debuted the night of February 23 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, where they opened for death metal band Suffocation.

Apathy left hundreds of people in the audience stunned with their hallmark vicious intensity and proficient musicianship that quickly attracted more fans, news and notoriety. Violent Nature and Final Threat aired on WSOU-FM in the New York metropolitan area; during their airing, local press East Coast Rocker covered Apathy in a column in the publication North Jersey Notes, calling Apathy “a breath of fresh air to metal heads”. Such comments on Apathy’s MySpace page included props like “Bring back the thrash!”; “Apathy is the new Slayer!” and “You guys were the best band besides Suffocation!” The success of their line-up soon had to be augmented when bassist John Tikamason was called overseas for military service duties, and has now been replaced with bassist Bill Valverde.

Now one of the biggest names on the New York Tri-State metal music scene, Apathy is now branching out and exploring both national and overseas endeavors with dates in Arizona, and abroad in Great Britain, Germany and Denmark. With promoters eager to sign them to distribution deals and enticements to produce even more records, Apathy ended the past eighteen months with concert dates confirmed for Virginia, the Ace of Clubs in New York City.  And as is the tradition to conclude  matters in thrash metal style, Apathy opened for Nuclear Assault’s infamous John Connelly’s new band “Blood Method”.

“A Decade of Violence” – with its war-torn riffs and Pete Wells' unmistakable vocals  contains all the hallmarks that any thrash metal connoisseur listen for in a song.  The music’s raw hostility is akin to the sound of early Eighties thrash, with the talent of Wells and his band bringing an updated creativity that unquestionably warrants further review. Apathy undoubtedly carries the torch for today’s thrash metal music scene, and with every show and every song sets the future standard for their contemporaries to follow. 

 

Liner Notes:

March 2009 : Manuel Cordova quit the band shortly after the recording of the album

May 2009: Warren Conditi formerly of Whiplash & Skull Sessions joins the band replacing Cordova

June 2009: A Decade of Violence is released

January 2010: A Decade of Violence becomes available on  iTunes & Warren Conditi quits the band

February 2010: Cordova returns the band & Apathy wins “Best Thrash Metal Album of 2009” on Silenced So Loud

April 2010: A Decade of Violence is among one of the top Thrash Metal albums of 2009 on Thrash Unlimited