An All Axecess Pass!

     Do you ever wish that the golden age of thrash metal could be revitalized? Torontonian/North York native band, Axecess, is the band that has the power to put a unique twist on old school thrash metal. Nowadays, this genre is seldom seen, as newer genres of music are emerging, such as dupstep and deathcore, but there is no reason to do away with thrash. Yet, with Corey McMaster on drums, Ivan Silva on bass, Doug Gonzalves on lead guitar, and Richie Mohammed on vocals and guitar, and their high energy, dedication, and talent, this band will go far. They are like the refreshing breeze to the music industry on a hot summers day

Above: Axecess performing at the Rockpile on July 8th, 2012

     Axecess's musical muses clearly shine through their performances, "We are inspired by bands such as Megadeth, Children of Bodom, and Pantera. But as a drummer, I am inspired by musicians such as Dave Navarro, Igor Cavalera (Sepultura) and more! I can go on and on about my inspirations - there are so many," says Corey. 


                        Right: Megadeth; one of the many inspirations of Axecess


     How does the magic all happen, you may ask? "We work from the ground up. Doug writes the guitar riffs, and this is how we start to write songs," Richie states. However, from Richie's previous band, he saved some of the songs he had written; some are even 10, 15, and 20 years old! With all this experience, it is no surprise that the band has already recorded some demos. "They haven't been mastered yet, but some people still think they sound good. We're working on finishing them. We even have enough material for two discs, plus we're still making more music," enthuses Richie.


     Axecess's creation story all began with Richie and Corey meeting through their wives. "We would always jam together to 'Seek and Destroy' by Metallica," laughs Corey as he fondly reminisces. They were previously part of another band, which eventually broke up.  Fortunately, this is how Axecess started. Richie and Corey found guitarist, Doug, through a Kijiji add. Now Axecess was almost complete - except for a bassist. "I'm the new guy," Ivan pipes up. He is the current bassist in the band, who replaced a previous bassist, found by a friend of Axecess. Thus, the band's lineup was complete.

Above: Bassist, Ivan Silva, performing

     Since the time the band was formed in June 2010, they have made many memories, including a bittersweet one at the 460 Club in Toronto, where they performed. Corey spoke of the band's bizarre experience, "The 460 Club was in Chinatown and the only people there pretty much were the paid staff and ourselves. But that's okay because it's about the music and fun; not the money!" 


     The entire band agrees with this philosophy because after all, they play for the love of it. "We play as many gigs as possible - paid of not. We'll play for people whether it's 10 or 10,000," says Richie, smiling.


     Axecess will be playing at Hakuna Matata African Sports Bar on Sunday August 5th, 2012, and it will be their first show there! Come out to see their performance.

Left to right: Richie Mohammed, (Alexia Kapralos), Cory McMaster, Doug Gonzalves, Ivan Silva

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https://www.facebook.com/AXECESS