BLACK WATER RISING: Video Interview Posted Online

Nadine Swiger of Musician Photo Journal recently conducted an interview with BLACK WATER RISING, the New York-based band featuring former members of STEREOMUD, BOILER ROOM and DUST TO DUST. Watch the nine-minute chat below.

BLACK WATER RISING will release its self-titled debut album on April 7. The CD is described as a collection of soul-baring, angst-ridden, riff-heavy material that is proudly anchored in the foundations of traditional hard rock songwriting. Its giant, guitar-driven monster riffs are served up on a bed of crushing grooves with soaring melodic vocals and big hooks. Basically, no-frills riff rock! Lyrically, the message is socially and politically driven by the dark times we live in. With darkness seemingly growing by the day, BLACK WATER RISING is a name that fits this band like a glove.

BLACK WATER RISING has been nominated in the "Best Rock/Alternative Artist" category at the 2009 High Times Doobie Awards. They will be performing live at the event, which is being held this Saturday, March 21 at the SXSW festival. The seventh annual Doobie Awards goes from high noon 'till sundown at the Red 7 (611 East 7th Street) club in Austin, Texas. Also scheduled to perform are PRIESTESS, WINO, YEAR LONG DISASTER and more.

After releasing two self-produced albums nationwide with a band called DUST TO DUST, singer songwriter Rob Traynor locked himself away for two years in his Brooklyn, New York recording studio, later emerging with a collection of songs that would become the seeds of BLACK WATER RISING.

Traynor is joined by former BOILER ROOM drummer Mike Meselsohn, former STEREOMUD guitarist Johnny Fattoruso and bassist Oddie McLaughlin.

"After Rob's last project, he sat down and started writing songs," says Fattoruso. "Mike was in BOILER ROOM, which had gone belly-up. Rob called him up and said, 'Hey, I've got some new stuff, let's record these songs. They needed another guitar player, and found me via MySpace. I heard two riffs and said, 'I'm in!' Oddie and I were in our first band together back in high school. I had gotten back in touch with him, he was still playing. I brought him down to the studio, introduced him to the other guys. I brought him back three times, but the other guys loved him from the start. We wanted to give him a little test, ha!"

BLACK WATER RISING's 11-song, self-titled debut has received major play (power rotation) on Sirius Satellite Radio's Octane channel (commercial station) for the song "Brother Go On" and was the #6 album in the Top 20 for October (the only unsigned band on the chart!),#2 most requested phones and in the Top 20 weekly chart many times. The single has grown legs and is still receiving spins and requests 40 weeks later.

"It's got that raw sound," says Fattoruso. "It's in your face, no gimmicks, straight-on hard rock/heavy metal, done the classic way. We wanted to get away from the cookie-cutter bands, back to where music was fun again."

"I'm very proud of this album, because I think I have finally captured the sound and style I have heard in my head for years and always wanted to get out," adds Traynor. "I believe BWR will appeal to the rock and metal spectrum. This is the type of band that can share a stage with bands like BUCKCHERRY and DISTURBED, then play with a PANTERA or SLAYER. If you like rock and metal, new or old school, I believe we have you covered. Our fan base demonstrates this. We have the balls, the riffs and the melody to bring it."

The band worked with director Noah Shulman (SOIL, THE AUTUMN OFFERING) on an MTV-quality music video for their song "Brother Go On" which has been getting stellar reviews on YouTube, MySpace and other media sites.