By JOHN DALY
Saint Blasphemer is a relative newcomer to performing Rock N Roll, but the Santa Ana band has the chops for the long haul.
Saint Blasphemer has been playing since last February and has a 5-song EP called Simon Templar they’ve just released.
It’s metal-style music with a message. Saint Blasphemer wastes no time in getting to the point as their positive words are presented in a rockin’ delivery system.
Check out Saint Blasphemer on Bandcamp.
The band features Thomas Monroe on vocals, John Castellon on guitar, Steve Shell on bass guitar and Steve Ybarra on drums. And while the group may bring to mind similarities to Tool and Jane’s Addiction, the music of Saint Blasphemer adds an element of putting out a positive and uplifting message.
Check out Saint Blasphemer on Facebook.
It’s no surprise Monroe’s lyrics are solid, he’s head of the Orange County Poetry Club. Many of his songs tell of the feeling of friends and family members dealing with drug addiction. And they were written in response to the heroin problem that has affected families across all demographics and even in the band’s home town of Santa Ana.
“Remember when you were a kid, how a song could make you feel like you weren’t the only one going through something? Our goal is to make music that can do that for other people,” the band believes.
The Saint Blasphemer sound varies from big and full metal, as in the song “Nullify” and title track “Simon Templar,” to upbeat and rockin’ as on “Breaking Just to Bend.”
In the metal genre, Simon Templar is one for the collection.
