WOE, IS ME

When somebody stabs you in the back, don’t turnaround and do the same thing. Go directly for the face. Confront your enemies, stand up for yourself and fight through adversity: literally, figuratively and every way in between. When it comes to creating art, don’t hold back. Put it all out on the table. That’s the message of Woe, Is Me, whose personal story of triumph through shared struggle blazes a shining pathway for their fans to follow. And it’s a point-of-view delivered through an engaging live show where crowd-participation is a must. In Woe, Is Me, the sludgy, aggressive bottom end of vintage nu-metal collides with modern breakdowns and electronics-enhanced atmosphere, alongside the melodic sing-a-long anthem style of A Day To Remember and the arresting emotional ferocity of screamo standard-bearers like The Used and My Chemical Romance; all with a powerful new twist. When a fan asked the band on Twitter to describe their jaw-dropping and brutal yet deliciously poppy and inspiring album Genesi[s] in just five words, their reply was simply this: “Really f*cking catchy and heavy.” After a lineup shakeup that would have decimated lesser bands, the Atlanta-bred six-piece has risen like a phoenix from the ashes with their sophomore-slump-killing new album, Genesi[s]. Woe, Is Me’s second offering is truly a rebirth. It’s the beginning of something new, something of vital importance to the modern music scene that carries with it a message of consequence. The band silences all doubters with these words, from “A Story to Tell”: “You don’t have the backbone that everyone believes you do/ so talk your shit / I’ll give you a reason to.” Genesi[s] tracks like “Nothing Left to Lose,” “I Told You Once” and “Family First” have taken the blueprint laid down with 2010’s Number[s], blown it to pieces and rebuilt it stronger than before, ushering in an even bolder, in-your-face sound filled with musical confidence and bravado. Woe, Is Me features two incredible singers whose versatility and power add dynamic dimensions. “This is exactly where I’m meant to be,” Hance Alligood declares in “Call it Like I See It,” decisively speaking for the entire band. “There’s not a chance in hell that you can take this from me.” The fans first got a taste of Alligood when “Vengeance” hit iTunes in the fall of 2011. He has a melodic croon that could melt radio dials just as assuredly as co-voalist Doriano Magliano’s growl gives death metal’s finest a run for their money. The pair joins Woe, Is Me founding members Kevin Hanson (guitar) and Austin Thornton (drums) as part of a reconfigured lineup that is primed and ready for battle against the forces of mediocrity and repetition overcrowding the scene. Brian Medley (bass), Andew Paiano (guitars) and the rest of the band honed their craft on the road, analyzing and emphasizing their strongest elements together. “Our music is what it sounds like to kick someone’s ass but to have fun while you’re doing it,” Thornton says proudly. “We’ve been through a lot of crap and we’re trying to show kids that you can triumph if you persevere.” The band recognized the basic components of songs from bands like New Found Glory and grabbed a hold of what made them smile. “There’s a reason why you turn on certain music in your car and when you’re hanging out with your friends,” notes the drummer. “That’s something our music lacked a little bit. We were tired of that. So our new music is heavy as hell, the heaviest we’ve written, but also the most catchy and melodic.” More than ever, Woe, Is Me is focused on the big picture. They are aware of the power of insightful lyrics delivered with catchy melodies, the way that music can shape and take hold of someone’s experiences in a positive or sometimes negative way. “What we say can truly affect someone’s life,” Alligood notes with humility. Part of that impact on their listeners lives involves empowering them with forceful words of strength. “There were songs that would help me through anything from a breakup to something with my parents,” the singer adds. Woe, Is Me works hard to craft the type of songs that will connect with people in deep and meaningful ways; the type of songs found all over Genesi[s]. When the band looks out in the crowd and sees people screaming the words back at them, they know they’ve accomplished something bigger than themselves.