Gang Forward, OMFG These Guys Rock!!

Jenn Cohen | July 1, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Charlie Sullivan

Wow, talk about an up-and-coming local act with an in-your-face sonic assault! Gang Forward will reel you in with their alternative-progressive rock creations, riff heavy, with fixating grooves. The moment the crew hits the stage you sense something unique about their presence; they show up with the tools of the trade, and they’re ready to rock your world. There’s no hidden agenda with these lads, they just crank up the decibel level and bring it to you.

Starting out as a three-piece power trio in 2010, Aaron Cooley (guitars), and Tyson Williams (drums), have stayed the course and teamed up with Greg Furuya (bass), and Randy Stindt (vocals, percussion). “The addition of Randy and Greg has taken our music to another level,” says Cooley. “It’s helped us expand our sound and mature as musicians.”

This is a talented outfit that knows how to showcase their wares live. In my opinion, Cooley will soon be crowned a local “Guitar God.” The lad can outright shred a guitar, moving to the front of the stage, and letting loose with ferocious guitar solos, ala’ “The Blues-Rock Warrior” Warren Haynes or “The Extremist” Omar Rodriguez-Lopez.

The crew wants to follow up their August 2011 nine-song freshman release, Secret Wars, which had the stellar songs “Synesthesia” and “Paragon” (check out the video Williams put together on YouTube) with a new album, and get the two new members on some tracks. “We have a new album worth of material already compiled,” relays Cooley. “I think we’re ready to move it into the studio.”

Cooley has been handling most of the song writing duties with Stindt and Furuya stepping up to the plate recently with their contributions. The band laid down their first record at Coupe Studios in Boulder, and is currently in the process of deciding where to lay down the new material with the help of the crew’s manager, Ryan Clarke.

If you’ve been to any recent shows, you’re already hip to “Lazarus,” “Insidious,” and “Epiphany,” a few of their new smoking pieces. The new material is definitely moving in a more progressive direction, has some great soaring harmonies, and gives more latitude to Cooley to let loose with some searing guitar solos (he blew me away at recent CMB magazine release party at Herman’s when he let loose in the middle of a song and tore into a solo that had everyone on their feet).

The band will be playing at Herman’s July 7, promises more electric shows in Denver, more acoustic shows in Boulder, and is also on the ticket at The Higher Ground Music Festival the last weekend of August. You want to put the three-day festival on your radar; in the words of our own editor, Jenn Cohen, “This is going to be SICK!” For more info on the band check out www.gangforward.net and for more info on the festival go to www.highergroundmusicfestival.com