With a new lineup and a different sound, Awaken the Ancients aims to blend the best of the past and present.
Formerly known as Discidium, the band enlisted the help of newcomers Logan Alexander and Chad Ivanich late last year.
Alexander, formerly of A City Burning, became the band's drummer in September, while Ivanich, formerly of Knife Down Danger and Head of a Poet, has served as lead vocalist and frontman since November.
The new lineup includes guitarists James Evans and Michael Buvoltz, keyboardist Brandon Hawley, and bassist Ryan Wilde. Evans and Buvoltz have known each other since grade school. They met Hawley through mutual friends and previously shared the stage with Wilde, Alexander and Ivanich. Most of the band's members grew up in the Jamestown area. Wilde is from Dunkirk, and Ivanich is from Pennsylvania.
With a different sound and two new members, the band felt the need for a name change.
"The new name is simply a variation of name ideas presented by band members," Hawley said. "The name, Awaken the Ancients, has a deep, powerful feel to it - qualities we feel can also be used to describe our music."
Awaken the Ancients is the band's fourth name overall. Nihilist and Post Mortum preceded Discidium.
"Discidium had (a) far more old-school influence," Hawley said. "It was heavy but didn't quite grasp the sound of bands today. Awaken the Ancients has managed to imbibe its music with influences from bands currently leading the industry while staying true to its originality. Essentially, it's brutal, but it's still us."
The band is working on a two-song demo with Kevin Dougherty of Cosmic Audio Productions. The demo will be completed prior to Awaken the Ancients' Sunday, April 22, show at Peabody's in Cleveland. The band will serve as the opening act for the This Is Where It Ends tour, which features All Shall Perish, Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse and The Contortionist. Tickets are $15. Contact the band at facebook.com/awakentheancients for more information. The band also plans to play at the upcoming Summer Fest in Jamestown.
Ultimately, Awaken the Ancients hopes to find success in the music industry. The band feels success would come from playing music in front of people who enjoy it and making enough money for that to happen.
Presently, the band has a lot to feel good about.
"Opening for the This Is Where It Ends tour will surely be one of Awaken the Ancients' first shows to bring substantial pride," Hawley said. "It will definitely be a great experience. But with this lineup and name change still so fresh, we have much yet to do. Surely though, our greatest point of pride so far would be the almost unanimous approval we have received for the changes. The strongly positive reviews for our new sound, lineup and even the name change have us rather excited for the future."
"Backstage Pass'' is a feature of The Post-Journal showcasing local artists, their music and their accomplishments. Send recommendations for future "Backstage Pass'' subjects to Scott Shelters at sshelters@post-journal.com or call 487-1111, ext. 253.