Members of Alaska band 1Enemy3 are, back row from left, Forrest Jackson and Eddie Philemonof; middle row, Eric Graham and Jacques Hess; and front row, Tory Endresen and Pat Murtagh. The veterans of the heavy-rock scene are releasing a CD and are moving to Los Angeles to build on their growing popularity.
Enemy within
Every second counting in hard-rock band's fight for more fans
Published: January 26, 2006
Last Modified: February 13, 2006 at 04:11 AM
The clock is ticking. The time is now. The windows, doors and gates are closing.
And the members of 1Enemy3 certainly aren't getting any younger.
The six-man crew of Anchorage's 1Enemy3 realizes it's rocking on borrowed time. Each member is in his 30s, a few sitting closer to 40. The band also grasps that its progressive, guitar-fueled rock sound (1Enemy3 has three guitarists) is red hot right now, as bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance and System of a Down have made technical guitar riffs and licks cool again.
Faced with outrunning its heavy-metal mortality and the fickle nature of popular music fans, 1Enemy3 is acting like a band of hungry teenagers. First, releasing its long-awaited debut CD, a self-titled, six-song EP. Next, recording another CD. Then, packing up the gear and staging a make-it-or-break-it move to Los Angeles this fall.
"It's very exciting," said drummer Eric Graham last week, "and pretty scary."
That pretty much sums up 1Enemy3's rise since forming in April 2004.
The band locked itself away for most of its first year together, writing, recording, bonding and searching for a bass player. Band members, each a veteran of the Anchorage rock scene, took a been-there, done-that outlook on live performing, trading stage time and exposure for quality rehearsing.
When 1Enemy3 did emerge from Graham's garage this June, it was the tightest rock band in town that no one had heard of. Quickly, it became one of the town's hottest draws, playing regularly from Club O to Chilkoot Charlie's to Bitoz Pizzeria, and even touring around the state to places like Cantwell.
"But that's a whole 'nother story," singer Jacques Hess joked of the Interior roadie.
The band initially passed out free demo CDs to introduce itself to new fans and spread its music. But as its popularity and ambition grew, so did demand for a real CD. Instead of brushing up its promo, the group chose patience and recorded its EP over the course of five months in Graham's basement (the sessions were sent to the East Coast for mastering).
"It took quite a bit of time," Graham said, "but we wanted to make sure all the parts were right."
The band added its own key piece when it landed bassist Forrest Jackson. Jackson, who joined in the middle of the CD-recording process, provided more than a deep bottom. He's also a well-traveled musician who provided backup vocals and meshed instantly with the group dynamic.
"We're very lucky -- we looked for about six, eight months," Graham said, laughing. "He fit right in. And he is a real motivator."
And the band is amped to rock now that its new CD is in-hand. The crew officially releases "1Enemy3" Saturday night at The O. The free, 21-and-up show begins at 10 p.m. Modern rock upstarts Dirty Little Monkey and Devil Don't Care open. 1Enemy3 will then bring its sound and CDs to Chilkoot Charlie's on Thursday, with a release party scheduled for 9 p.m. Dekcuf will open. Usual Koot's door charges apply.
"We look at every show as a big thing," Graham said. "Every time we get out there, we love doing it."
1Enemy3 can't wait to record again (another album coming this summer) and rock new stages in the Lower 48. The band is already something of a rock phenomenon Outside, reaching the musical masses via MySpace, the online social gathering and music appreciation spot. The band's MySpace page is nearing the 10,000 "friend" mark and its song posts recently surpassed 20,000 listens.
"But most of the fans on there, people who want to hear us live, are in Illinois, California, Texas and Australia ... but very few Alaskans," Hess said. "It's very frustrating. That's why we think we have to get out there."
• Got music? Want Alaska to hear about it? Get your CDs, press kits and gig announcements to Daily News reporter Josh Niva. He can be reached at 257-4328, jniva@adn.com or via his local music blog Push Play (www.adn.com/play/pushplay).
1Enemy3 CD release parties
When, where: 10 p.m. Saturday at The O, with Dirty Little Monkey and Devil Don't Care; 10 p.m. Thursday at Chilkoot Charlie's, with Dekcuf and Devil Don't Care. Both shows are 21-and-up events.
How much: No cover at The O. Cover charges apply at Koot's. Copies of "1Enemy3" will be $6 at both shows.
Web: www.1enemy3.com, www.myspace.com/1enemy3, www.myspace.com/aktheo, www.dlmband.com, www. myspace.com/devildontcare, www.myspace.com/dekcuf49
