Signal 99

FARMINGTON — For as long as he can remember, music — specifically heavy metal music — has provided Chuck Haven with a means of dealing with the despair and anger that too often seemed to go hand in hand with growing up on the Navajo reservation.

Metal music, he said, represents a healthy outlet, a calculated response to the challenges of growing up in an environment where alcoholism, poverty, and physical and mental abuse are common.

"How do you react to that? Naturally, it's with a lot of anger," he said. "But metal music is not violent. It's a way to express yourself without being violent."

Over the past two years, Haven found himself retreating into his music for solace more than ever. In June 2013, his older brother Alonzo died of health complications related to alcoholism. A little more than a year later, in October 2014, Haven's younger brother Hank succumbed to multiple sclerosis.

The deep grief he felt over the passing of his brothers easily could have caused his life to go off the rails, Haven acknowledged. Instead, it served as the impetus for him to explore new territory in his songwriting, prompting him to tap into feelings that may have been painful but needed to come spilling out. It was a catharsis that allowed Haven to begin moving forward again, even as he continues to hold the memories of his brothers close.

"When I look back at our other music, I see that a lot of it is angry, that I was writing about situations in life most people can relate to — relationships, work," the soft-spoken Signal 99 frontman and guitarist said last week as the release of his band's long-anticipated new album approached. "But this time, I was writing from a very personal place, and I'm not sure how people are going to react to that."

The trepidation Haven feels is tempered by considerable excitement — despite the two tragedies Haven has lived through, his band, which has been around for almost a decade and is the heavyweight champion of the highly competitive Four Corners metal scene, is breaking new ground and may very well reach new heights of popularity over the next several months, depending on how the new disc is received. So Haven understands he's taking a bit of a risk by laying such a heavy trip on the band's loyal fans.

It's a risk he's prepared to take.

"I feel obligated to put it out there — not only for me, but for my brothers," he said.

That as-yet untitled new album — Haven said he's kicking around some ideas, but isn't prepared to reveal them — is targeted for a Sept. 1 release. It would have been out sooner, but the band has been busy negotiating with an independent record label, and Haven said that has drawn his focus. He plans to make a decision about whether to accept the deal quickly, perhaps as soon as this week, and then turn his attention back to the new recording.

Sonically, Haven said the disc is likely to remind listeners of much of the band's earlier music, which was heavily influenced by such acts as Korn and Cold Chamber, so it will have somewhat of a retro feel.

But Haven, who wrote each of the nine songs on the disc and who is producing the recording, views it very much as a step forward for the band, explaining that it will showcase all the things he's learned about being a musician. Most of all, it will help him open up, in a very public way, about the loss of his brothers.

Their legacy haunts Signal 99's sound, Haven believes. Hank Haven was the group's original bassist, and Chuck said he can still hear his brother's thumping bass line in all the new songs. And it was Alonzo Haven who taught Chuck to play the guitar when he was a 16-year-old neophyte trying to find his way up and down the frets.

"I couldn't play at all," Chuck Haven said, laughing at the memory. "I was very intimidated trying to play in front of him. I was self-taught the first year, then my older brother sat down with me and said, 'Chuck, you're doing it all wrong.' He was classically trained; he took all the lessons. But he really sat down and worked with me that first couple of years."

In retrospect, Haven would come to regard that as a special time in his life. He was blessed and honored, he said, to have a musically gifted older brother with the patience and time to teach him the guitar, and Haven tried to repay the favor by introducing Alonzo to the joys of playing metal — something he later passed down to younger brother Hank, as well.

Haven would eventually go off to the University of Arizona in Tucson and earn his bachelor's degree while continuing to sharpen his musical chops. But when he returned home in 2000, unable to find a job and broke, he found himself drinking more and feeling tempted to give in to the anger that always seemed to be percolating just beneath the surface.

Haven recognized the path he was on, having seen it many times before. He mustered the wherewithal to get off it, plugging away in a determined fashion at the job market and venting his anger and disappointment through music. His efforts eventually paid off — Haven would find work as a human relations staffer at a local health care facility, and by 2006, he had decided to put together a metal trio. Its name, Signal 99, is emergency responder-speak, code for a subject in respiratory distress — a moniker Haven found symbolic of so much of what he saw on the rez. It also reflects why the band chooses to perform while wearing gas masks.

Signal 99 has had its ups and downs over the years, Haven noted, occasionally sharing the stage with some of metal's biggest names, earning two Native American Music Award nominations and building a solid following across the Southwest, but also hitting those plateaus that are inevitable among any group that remains together for so long. If they last long enough, those plateaus decay into long, slow declines or outright endings — a hazard that bands of all musical genres come to face at some point.

Haven worried that's where Signal 99 was by 2012 when Hank's health problems forced him to quit the band. By the time he died in late 2014, that malaise had almost become institutionalized — the group hadn't put out a new recording in two years and Haven felt only desolation in his heart. It was probably the lowest point in the band's history, maybe the lowest point in Haven's life.

So, as he had so many other times, he turned back to music. What else could he do?

With drummer Brandon Tsosie and new bass player Brandon Curley at Haven's side, the trio got back to work, later adding another guitarist, former roadie Gabe Peters, and becoming a quartet for the first time in its history. Haven penned nine new songs, and Signal 99 juggled visits to the studio with an increasingly busy tour schedule that included a headlining gig at the inaugural first Navajo Nation Metal Fest in April and three showcases at the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, in March.

While playing one of those SXSW gigs, the Heart of Texas Rockfest, the band's biggest gig since Hank's death, Haven realized he had managed to regain his bearings. The support he and his band drew from the event's organizers made him realize that metal is as much a community as it is a musical genre, he said, and Haven realized he was doing exactly what he was meant to do.

"Talking to the organizers of the event we were on, they knew my brother, and they reached out to me and the band to express their condolences," he said, explaining that that degree of personal interaction with a promoter is highly unusual, especially for a relatively unknown Four Corners band performing in the shadow of the biggest musical gathering in the world. "It really touched me. I realized we're not just a band that had been given a slot to play in ... They knew it was a personal visit for me, too. They didn't have to be there for the whole event, but they were, and they offered a lot of advice and support. It was important for me, but I think it was important for the band to hear it, too."

Soon enough, Signal 99 was on an upward trajectory again. Its song "Zombie Star" was chosen for inclusion in a project billed as "the world's first e-novel with music," a book called "How an Atomic Fart Changed the World" that features the work of noted illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz, whose work has been associated with such characters as Batman, Aquaman, the Green Lantern, Superman, the X-Men, the Hulk and Captain America.

Haven described the experience as nothing short of a career highlight.

"To be part of a project where I have some of his comic books in my collection, that somebody of that stature would have our music in his collection is mind boggling," he said excitedly.

Haven said Signal 99 has drawn a great deal of positive reaction from its involvement in the project, including a recent feature on the band that aired on KOB-TV in Albuquerque. He said, as of last week, "Atomic Fart" was approaching the 1 million mark in downloads, drawing unprecedented attention to Signal 99's music.

Then, after a recent gig in Durango, Colo., the band was approached by representatives of that aforementioned indie record label. Haven said the group has fielded such offers before, so that kind of attention is nothing new, and he said he's learned a lot from those experiences. Haven said he once signed a deal he shouldn't have, and later passed on a deal that, in retrospect, he should have signed. He declined to discuss the specifics of the current offer and said he was still trying to determine whether it was in the band's best interest, given the fact that technological advances in recent years have made a label affiliation much less important for bands than it used to be.

Haven does most, if not all, of the band's heavy lifting, including songwriting, arranging, producing, publicity, marketing and distribution, publishing, management and booking, so having a little support is very attractive, on one hand.

On the other, he said, the members of that tight-knit metal community are used to doing things for themselves, and each other — a trait he said they share with the hip hop community, though not the popular music community as a whole. In many cases, booking a show in a town that Signal 99 has never played before is as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to one of the dozens of bands across the country that Haven has built a friendship with over the last nine years. Why pay a booking agent when you can easily handle that yourself, he asked rhetorically.

Haven hopes to parlay all that recent momentum and the anticipated buzz over the new album into a breakout tour to the West Coast in the months ahead, a foray that will include stops in such major markets as San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"It'll be our first time to play there," he said. "We do get a lot of requests to play out that way, and this seems like a good time to do that. It seems like we always go east from here."

Haven said he's always excited to get back on the road, and with new cities to play and a new disc to promote, he's feeling good about things again, maybe for the first time in a long time. He thinks his brothers would be proud of the new work, and he recalled how, even as he was dying, Hank made a point of encouraging him to continue playing and performing.

The spirit of his departed brothers remains an almost palpable presence in Haven's life, it seems.

"The funny thing is, my older brother, even though he was not in the band, he told me one time he wanted to be," Haven said, his voice growing soft again as he struggled with his emotions. "This is my way of honoring his wish."

Mike Easterling is the A&E editor for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4610 and measterling@daily-times.com. Follow him@measterlingfdt on Twitter - USA Today

FARMINGTON — For as long as he can remember, music — specifically heavy metal music — has provided Chuck Haven with a means of dealing with the despair and anger that too often seemed to go hand in hand with growing up on the Navajo reservation.

Metal music, he said, represents a healthy outlet, a calculated response to the challenges of growing up in an environment where alcoholism, poverty, and physical and mental abuse are common.

"How do you react to that? Naturally, it's with a lot of anger," he said. "But metal music is not violent. It's a way to express yourself without being violent."

Over the past two years, Haven found himself retreating into his music for solace more than ever. In June 2013, his older brother Alonzo died of health complications related to alcoholism. A little more than a year later, in October 2014, Haven's younger brother Hank succumbed to multiple sclerosis.

The deep grief he felt over the passing of his brothers easily could have caused his life to go off the rails, Haven acknowledged. Instead, it served as the impetus for him to explore new territory in his songwriting, prompting him to tap into feelings that may have been painful but needed to come spilling out. It was a catharsis that allowed Haven to begin moving forward again, even as he continues to hold the memories of his brothers close.

"When I look back at our other music, I see that a lot of it is angry, that I was writing about situations in life most people can relate to — relationships, work," the soft-spoken Signal 99 frontman and guitarist said last week as the release of his band's long-anticipated new album approached. "But this time, I was writing from a very personal place, and I'm not sure how people are going to react to that."

Chuck Haven looks over at drummer Brandon Tsosie on Feb. 28 during Signal 99 rehearsal at Studio 18 in Farmington.
Chuck Haven looks over at drummer Brandon Tsosie on Feb. 28 during Signal 99 rehearsal at Studio 18 in Farmington. (Daily Times file photo)
The trepidation Haven feels is tempered by considerable excitement — despite the two tragedies Haven has lived through, his band, which has been around for almost a decade and is the heavyweight champion of the highly competitive Four Corners metal scene, is breaking new ground and may very well reach new heights of popularity over the next several months, depending on how the new disc is received. So Haven understands he's taking a bit of a risk by laying such a heavy trip on the band's loyal fans.

It's a risk he's prepared to take.

"I feel obligated to put it out there — not only for me, but for my brothers," he said.

That as-yet untitled new album — Haven said he's kicking around some ideas, but isn't prepared to reveal them — is targeted for a Sept. 1 release. It would have been out sooner, but the band has been busy negotiating with an independent record label, and Haven said that has drawn his focus. He plans to make a decision about whether to accept the deal quickly, perhaps as soon as this week, and then turn his attention back to the new recording.

Sonically, Haven said the disc is likely to remind listeners of much of the band's earlier music, which was heavily influenced by such acts as Korn and Cold Chamber, so it will have somewhat of a retro feel.

Signal 99 is pictured playing at the Heart of Texas Rockfest in Austin, Texas, in March during the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference.
Signal 99 is pictured playing at the Heart of Texas Rockfest in Austin, Texas, in March during the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. (Courtesy of Azrael Designs)
But Haven, who wrote each of the nine songs on the disc and who is producing the recording, views it very much as a step forward for the band, explaining that it will showcase all the things he's learned about being a musician. Most of all, it will help him open up, in a very public way, about the loss of his brothers.

Their legacy haunts Signal 99's sound, Haven believes. Hank Haven was the group's original bassist, and Chuck said he can still hear his brother's thumping bass line in all the new songs. And it was Alonzo Haven who taught Chuck to play the guitar when he was a 16-year-old neophyte trying to find his way up and down the frets.

"I couldn't play at all," Chuck Haven said, laughing at the memory. "I was very intimidated trying to play in front of him. I was self-taught the first year, then my older brother sat down with me and said, 'Chuck, you're doing it all wrong.' He was classically trained; he took all the lessons. But he really sat down and worked with me that first couple of years."

In retrospect, Haven would come to regard that as a special time in his life. He was blessed and honored, he said, to have a musically gifted older brother with the patience and time to teach him the guitar, and Haven tried to repay the favor by introducing Alonzo to the joys of playing metal — something he later passed down to younger brother Hank, as well.

Haven would eventually go off to the University of Arizona in Tucson and earn his bachelor's degree while continuing to sharpen his musical chops. But when he returned home in 2000, unable to find a job and broke, he found himself drinking more and feeling tempted to give in to the anger that always seemed to be percolating just beneath the surface.

Haven recognized the path he was on, having seen it many times before. He mustered the wherewithal to get off it, plugging away in a determined fashion at the job market and venting his anger and disappointment through music. His efforts eventually paid off — Haven would find work as a human relations staffer at a local health care facility, and by 2006, he had decided to put together a metal trio. Its name, Signal 99, is emergency responder-speak, code for a subject in respiratory distress — a moniker Haven found symbolic of so much of what he saw on the rez. It also reflects why the band chooses to perform while wearing gas masks.

Signal 99 has had its ups and downs over the years, Haven noted, occasionally sharing the stage with some of metal's biggest names, earning two Native American Music Award nominations and building a solid following across the Southwest, but also hitting those plateaus that are inevitable among any group that remains together for so long. If they last long enough, those plateaus decay into long, slow declines or outright endings — a hazard that bands of all musical genres come to face at some point.

Haven worried that's where Signal 99 was by 2012 when Hank's health problems forced him to quit the band. By the time he died in late 2014, that malaise had almost become institutionalized — the group hadn't put out a new recording in two years and Haven felt only desolation in his heart. It was probably the lowest point in the band's history, maybe the lowest point in Haven's life.

So, as he had so many other times, he turned back to music. What else could he do?

With drummer Brandon Tsosie and new bass player Brandon Curley at Haven's side, the trio got back to work, later adding another guitarist, former roadie Gabe Peters, and becoming a quartet for the first time in its history. Haven penned nine new songs, and Signal 99 juggled visits to the studio with an increasingly busy tour schedule that included a headlining gig at the inaugural first Navajo Nation Metal Fest in April and three showcases at the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas, in March.

While playing one of those SXSW gigs, the Heart of Texas Rockfest, the band's biggest gig since Hank's death, Haven realized he had managed to regain his bearings. The support he and his band drew from the event's organizers made him realize that metal is as much a community as it is a musical genre, he said, and Haven realized he was doing exactly what he was meant to do.

"Talking to the organizers of the event we were on, they knew my brother, and they reached out to me and the band to express their condolences," he said, explaining that that degree of personal interaction with a promoter is highly unusual, especially for a relatively unknown Four Corners band performing in the shadow of the biggest musical gathering in the world. "It really touched me. I realized we're not just a band that had been given a slot to play in ... They knew it was a personal visit for me, too. They didn't have to be there for the whole event, but they were, and they offered a lot of advice and support. It was important for me, but I think it was important for the band to hear it, too."

Soon enough, Signal 99 was on an upward trajectory again. Its song "Zombie Star" was chosen for inclusion in a project billed as "the world's first e-novel with music," a book called "How an Atomic Fart Changed the World" that features the work of noted illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz, whose work has been associated with such characters as Batman, Aquaman, the Green Lantern, Superman, the X-Men, the Hulk and Captain America.

Haven described the experience as nothing short of a career highlight.

"To be part of a project where I have some of his comic books in my collection, that somebody of that stature would have our music in his collection is mind boggling," he said excitedly.

Haven said Signal 99 has drawn a great deal of positive reaction from its involvement in the project, including a recent feature on the band that aired on KOB-TV in Albuquerque. He said, as of last week, "Atomic Fart" was approaching the 1 million mark in downloads, drawing unprecedented attention to Signal 99's music.

Then, after a recent gig in Durango, Colo., the band was approached by representatives of that aforementioned indie record label. Haven said the group has fielded such offers before, so that kind of attention is nothing new, and he said he's learned a lot from those experiences. Haven said he once signed a deal he shouldn't have, and later passed on a deal that, in retrospect, he should have signed. He declined to discuss the specifics of the current offer and said he was still trying to determine whether it was in the band's best interest, given the fact that technological advances in recent years have made a label affiliation much less important for bands than it used to be.

Haven does most, if not all, of the band's heavy lifting, including songwriting, arranging, producing, publicity, marketing and distribution, publishing, management and booking, so having a little support is very attractive, on one hand.

On the other, he said, the members of that tight-knit metal community are used to doing things for themselves, and each other — a trait he said they share with the hip hop community, though not the popular music community as a whole. In many cases, booking a show in a town that Signal 99 has never played before is as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to one of the dozens of bands across the country that Haven has built a friendship with over the last nine years. Why pay a booking agent when you can easily handle that yourself, he asked rhetorically.

Haven hopes to parlay all that recent momentum and the anticipated buzz over the new album into a breakout tour to the West Coast in the months ahead, a foray that will include stops in such major markets as San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"It'll be our first time to play there," he said. "We do get a lot of requests to play out that way, and this seems like a good time to do that. It seems like we always go east from here."

Haven said he's always excited to get back on the road, and with new cities to play and a new disc to promote, he's feeling good about things again, maybe for the first time in a long time. He thinks his brothers would be proud of the new work, and he recalled how, even as he was dying, Hank made a point of encouraging him to continue playing and performing.

The spirit of his departed brothers remains an almost palpable presence in Haven's life, it seems.

"The funny thing is, my older brother, even though he was not in the band, he told me one time he wanted to be," Haven said, his voice growing soft again as he struggled with his emotions. "This is my way of honoring his wish."

Mike Easterling is the A&E editor for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4610 and measterling@daily-times.com. Follow him@measterlingfdt on Twitter. - Daily Times

FARMINGTON, NM -- Imagine this: a book with its own soundtrack that plays music while you read. Well imagine no longer, the future is now. And one of the bands featured in the e-book is from the Four Corners.
"First of its kind, it’s amazing how they incorporated literature, music and art all in an e-book," said Chuck Haven, of the band Signal 99.
It's a strange idea -- adding music to a book. But with almost 800,000 digital downloads so far, it is a formula that seems to work.
And right now it is free.
"H8 Society: How an Atomic Fart Saved the World" is set in a post-apocalyptic world in what is described as a reboot of "West Side Story."
"Two rival gangs are at war and they push the idea of love verses hate and they throw music into the thing. Music going to save everyone's soul in the end," explained Haven.
His song, "Zombie Star," was picked out of more than 4,000 entries from around the world.
"Being in music and all of a sudden being thrown into the literature world, I was never expecting something like that," he said.
So how exactly does a book have a soundtrack? Well as you read, there is a play button in the text to play music as you continue to read.
"They strategically placed them where a character is introduced, in scenes and they cue in the music," said Haven.
The book also features artwork by illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz of DC and Marvel comic fame, like Batman, Superman and X-Men.
"It's a first of its kind. I downloaded it; I was happy to be part of the project," Haven said. - KOB TV - Devin Neeley

With their unmistakable sound, look and stage presence, the heavy metal rockers from Farmington, NM known as Signal 99 have left their mark on the Navajo Nation, the South by Southwest festival, and the American southwest in general. Now, the quartet of Chuck Haven, Gabriel Peters, Brandon Curley and Brandon Tsosie seeks to expand into other genres. They've been recently featured in the e-book H8 Society: How an Atomic Fart Saved the World. The darkly comedic multimedia experience features words by a pair known as "2Dans," illustrations by Bill Sienkiewicz and 26 musical numbers (chosen from over 4,000 submissions) by performers from nine countries. It made its global debut on BitTorrent Bundle on May 7, and has racked up more than 700,000 downloads. "It's a really interesting project," says Haven, the groups' founder. "They claim music will cure your inner screams. Will music be the one to save everyone on this love vs. hate global scale? We got it through a submission opportunity through ReverbNation. I completely forgot that I submitted it. Then, I got an email from 2Dans telling me they really liked our song. We did an interview over the phone, and they said 'we really like you, just count yourself in for the book.'"

Here's the full video promo for the book, including a few words from Chuck Haven at about the 1:25 mark:

The band's name comes from an old fireman's term. "It's still use in New York City," Haven explains. "It's code for a patient in respiratory distress. I thought it was a cool tie-in to a Native element where we're constantly putting out this distress call. I thought it fit well with what we're trying to do." Signal 99 have a unique stage appearance in that they perform while wearing fireman-type gas masks. "Masks are something you find in all Native cultures. One way or another, we all wear masks. We keep certain things hidden from the next person...if that makes sense. And, that's how I did it. Especially if you're a Native, you're living in a dual society. You have your Native background. And, then you have your American culture. And, you have to put on different masks every time we do something. And, you feel comfortable, after a while, wearing certain types of masks."

Many people might not see a natural connection between Native musicians and the metal scene—but for Haven, it's been there all the time. "I grew up on metal," he explains. "As a kid, I listened to Metallica and everything. When you're growing up in the Native community, there's a lot of tough things we have to deal with—alcoholism, mental and physical abuse. You have all this anger. I was getting to the point where I was losing control. I was trying to find some way to vent, and keep me from going down a road I shouldn't go. Once I started playing and writing music, it was coming out aggressive. So, it was starting to go towards metal. It helped relieve a lot of that stress and anger. That's something the younger generation is starting to relate to. That's why we can start bridging gaps with today's youth. It's OK to express yourself. You just have to do it in a way that's respectful, and turn that anger into something more productive.

Signal 99 has enjoyed good success over their career, which stretches back to 2006. They have been regular performers at SxSW since 2009, with each visit earning better and better time/showcase slots. They have also won the Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Rock Star Energy Drink. "That was a national contest," Haven explains. "We were hand-picked, that year. We were picked out of hundreds of bands." They are in the midst of recording their third album, for release this fall. Haven describes the band's progression. "I was really aggressive, when I first started," he says. "I was really angry. The second album was more calm, but showed that I'd grown a little bit. It was more mature. This next album has been in the works for about one and a half years. It's one of those ones where life's lessons really took a toll on me. Two years ago, I lost my older brother to alcoholism. Last year, my younger brother (and former band member) passed away from multiple sclerosis. So, there was a point where I just wanted to give up. It was too hard to play music knowing that my brother was no longer going to be there. I did scrap a lot of music that I'm re-writing. There will be a mixture of some anger and learning how to deal with life's lessons. And, being strong through them. That's kinda where my writing is, right now. Even I'm curious how everything is gonna tie back together."

The band is eyeing a west coast tour, playing off the popularity of the e-book. They are also in the running for a spot on the Vans Warped Tour. Signal 99's music can found at sig99band.com, and all the major music outlets. - Indian Country Today - by J. Edwards

Hailing from Farmington, Signal 99 play modern metal inspired by bands such as Coal Chamber and Korn. The band’s CD, The Gospel, was nominated in two categories for the 2011 Native American Music Awards: Best Music Video and Best Debut Artist. Signal 99 also won this year’s Ernie Ball “Battle of the Bands,” earning them the honor of playing the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival in Albuquerque. Take Five caught up with guitarist/vocalist Chuck Haven, who serves as a key beacon for the outfit that is Signal 99.

Tell me about your band. How would you describe your musical approach?

Chuck Haven: “I started Signal 99 in late 2005 as a solo project. After winning some awards on Garage Band for ‘Armed and Dangerous’ and several requests to play live, the band was formed in 2006. Signal 99 is me on guitar/vocals, singer/songwriter Hank ‘Krave’ Haven on bass, and Mark Curley on drums. Signal 99’s main influences come from the 90s and early 2000s era of music. You can hear hints of Coal Chamber and Korn in the music. We know we are not the fastest or heaviest band out there, but we do it for the love of music. We all need an outlet to vent our frustrations, temptations, and failures, so playing music to express ourselves was the best thing we could do. We never thought a few years later we would be sharing the stage with some of our idols, winning Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands, being nominated for the Native American Music Awards, and reaching out to literally thousands of people with our music.”


Video: Signal 99 "Banner of Corpses"
Tell me about your CD, The Gospel. What can fans expect to experience?

Chuck Haven: “We were sitting in the studio trying to come up with a name for the album. Our Producer, Tony Crank, helped us brainstorm for a title. ‘What are you trying to say?’ he would ask us. We would tell him things like, ‘We are a voice, and trying to get the word out of being frustrated with today’s problems, and to let people know, we are here, and not going anywhere soon. We are not going to change the style, nor change the way we write music just to fit in.’ ‘It’s like your preaching . . . like the gospel,’ Tony said. From then on, that’s what we named the album, The Gospel. So fans can expect to hear our frustrations of being ‘new’ to the scene, the hate mails/comments we use to get because we were different, the idea of having ‘free will’ and being able to make a choice in our life, and the frustrations of religion trying to impose their ideology in our lives.”

Tell me about the track “Banner of Corpses.” What inspired the lyrics? And what can you say about the video for this track?

Chuck Haven: “‘Banner of Corpses’ was a joint effort with Colorado psychic, The Great Loudini. She wrote the lyrics for the song. It’s about the Jewish Holocaust. When we got together to do the project, we took it a step further and tied in the Native American Genocide. Not too many people know that Hitler was a student of history and studied early American history and the roundup of Native Americans onto reservations. Hitler then modeled that practice into his own roundup of the Jewish population.

“The video was then talked about and made possible by Tom Lord, who helped fund the project along with Hank Haven. The video was directed and filmed by me. The animation in the video was shot on a mini set in Hank’s garage. The video shows the correlation of the Jewish Holocaust and the Native American Genocide, and then ties into the recent branding of a Swastika on a mentally challenged Native American man from Farmington, NM. It’s an interesting and informative video that brings to light the atrocities of mankind, and that history does and will repeat itself. We should take from the past and learn not to make those same mistakes and be tolerant with each other’s differences, whether it’s race, religion, music, or ideas.”

Would you say living in New Mexico (specifically Farmington) has influenced your musical approach?

Chuck Haven: “Yes, it definitely has. When I first started writing music, it was out of frustration and anger. After living in Tucson, then moving back to Farmington, the people, jobs, the music scene, and the environment was way different. Here in Farmington, everything was about race. When I started the band, we got labeled a rez band, even though we were not from the reservation. When we play outside of Farmington, we are just a band. Some of the lyrics of the songs reflect that frustration of being ‘different.’ When in reality, we are all the same, human beings. That’s what I love about music: it’s universal. Music brings everyone together, and everyone can relate. So when I write music, I don’t write about being a Native American, I write about being a fellow human being with frustrations that everyone can relate too in this crazy world.

The band has really hit the road, playing as part of Fuse Music TV’s “Slave to the Metal” tour, SXSW’s MusicGorilla Showcase, and the Heart of T - Examiner.com

Band Finds Place in Metal Music
By Journal Staff on Fri, Jan 14, 2011


Chuck Haven has always been drawn to metal music. From the intense sound to the spitfire lyrics, it’s a music he relates to.

“There’s a drive behind the music that just moves me,” he said.

Haven is the lead singer of Signal 99, a New Mexico metal band that is making a name for itself regionally.

“We’ve been touring all over the Southwest,” he said. “And it’s starting to take off.”

Haven started Signal 99 in late 2005 as a solo project. It wasn’t until April 2006 that he actually sought out members.

“I got an award from Garageband and people were asking about the music,” he said. “People were interested in what I was putting out there.”

Garageband.com is a website where independent musicians can post music.

Signal 99 consists of Haven, his brother Henry “Krave” Haven on bass and Bryan Becenti on drums.

The band was recently featured on Fuse TV’s “Slave to the Metal” tour and will return to Austin for the South By Southwest Festival this spring.

“Our popularity grows every year,” he said. “We’re excited about the music growing.”

Haven said he never saw himself doing music for a living but he’s glad he has the chance.

“It’s amazing to have an impact in people’s lives,” he said. “I get e-mails about how my words help others.”

Signal 99 is currently touring in support of its second album “The Gospel.”

Haven said he did the majority of the writing for the album.

“We’re starting to collaborate more,” he said. “We’ve let some other songwriters in and it’s all turned out well.”

Haven said the band’s Internet presence has grown over the past year. He said the band’s MySpace site has nearly 50,000 fans.

“It’s sometimes very overwhelming,” he said of the band’s growing fanbase. “It’s something that we’ve always wanted and it’s happening so fast. We are just taking everything in stride.” - ABQ Journal

Signal 99 is tearing up the New Mexico music scene with their original rock style.
The band has shown that they have more than what it takes to make their musical dreams come true.

They have gone from two Native American Music Awards nominations to opening for the major rock group Avenged Sevenfold at the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival Friday, Oct. 7, in Albuquerque.

Signal 99 was nominated for two Nammys for Best Debut Group and Best Video.

The video they submitted was "Banner of Corpses" from their recently released album "The Gospel."

Chuck Haven, front man for Signal 99, said he wants to be recognized not only for the music but the message they are trying to send.

"The anti-hate and pro-culture (message) because we live in a very multi-cultural area and there is a lot of stereotypes that go on," he said. "Music is a universal medium for all cultures."

Voting for the Nammys was done online by the general public and Signal 99 did not make it into the finals.

But Haven said that voting was strong and thanks everyone who took the time to vote and support Signal 99 in this year's nominations.

Not making the final group of nominees didn't slow down Signal 99 because drummer Mark Curley entered them in a battle of the bands with the prize being a gig to open for the Uproar Festival.

Sept. 30 was a normal day until Signal 99 received word that they were winners of the Best Buy Music Gear Battle of the Bands sponsored by Ernie Ball.

"It was quite a shock because we were in the top 20 and for them to go on to pick us is shocking," Haven said. "We're honored to represent the state of New Mexico.

"I wanna thank everyone out there who has been supporting Signal 99," Haven said.

On Friday, Signal 99 will hit the stage at 2:15 p.m. with a 20-minute set inside the Hard Rock Pavilion in Albuquerque.

"We're going to set the tone for the festival," Haven said. "It's a little nerve-wracking but we're honored to open up the festival. I grew up listening to these bands and here we are sharing the stage with them."

Haven started the band in 2005 in Farmington as a solo project that evolved into Signal 99.

The band includes Chuck Haven on vocals/guitar, Krave on bass and Mark Curley on drums.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," Haven said to all inspiring Native bands. "Don't give up." - Navajo Times

Growing up, local rocker Chuck Haven listened to famed metal band Powerman 5000, never knowing he would one day sit down with the band members to eat posole and fry bread.

“We’ve played with them a couple of times,” he said.“The cool thing is that they remembered us the second time coming through. We had an after-show dinner with them, and actually spending time with them and having dinner with them was a trip.”

A former Cortez resident, Haven is now the front man for the Farmington-based metal group Signal 99 — a band recently nominated for two Native American Music Awards.

“We’ve been putting a lot of work, time and effort into the music project,” Haven said.“Going from it just being a hobby to something with a message behind it — it’s a big deal for us.”

Nominations include best debut artist for their 2010 album, “The Gospel” and best music video for Banner of Corpses.

Produced on a shoestring budget using a hand-held camcorder, the “Banner of Corpses” video features dramatic images referencing the historic genocides of Native Americans after the landing of Christopher Columbus and Jewish people during World War II.

“A lot of people don’t realize Hitler studied a lot of early American history and modeled his book, “Mein Kampf,” after it,” Haven said. “A lot of his policy in the extermination the Jews was drawn from American history.”

The video also references a 2010 incident, in which a Navajo man was branded with a swastika by white supremacists in Farmington.

“The music video we did brings an anti-hate message,” Haven said. “Basically it’s just saying that history repeats itself.”

Nominees for the awards will be narrowed down by popular votes gathered on the website www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com through Sept. 7. The 2011 winners will be decided Oct. 7 in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

In the meantime, Haven hopes the group can work on recording new material and playing for upcoming shows, the first of which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Top Deck, 515 E. Main St., Farmington. Signal 99 will play with all-female metal band Kittie, and tickets are available from the Copper Penny at 505-325-1563.

Haven advocates for the support of local bands.

“I’m glad that the support’s there,” he said. “I like the area. I grew up in the Four Corners area. It’s one of those things where you have to stick together as a community and get the word out, support each other.” - Cortez Journal

FARMINGTON- Signal 99, a local metal band, will play in Alamogordo, N.M., at the Shooters club on July 18th to help raise money for a blind students' school music program, according to a press release from the group.

The money is being raised for New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Donations will be collected during the 12 hour benefit concert.

The money will be used to buy musical instruments for the students.

Chuck Haven, the band's front man, said, "We are honored to help those in need with what we do best."

The band has also performed at an anti-meth show in Shiprock on Sept 20, 2008, and many free shows for the community in the Four Corners area.

Signal 99 includes, singer/songwriter/lead guitarist chuck haven, Henry Haven III aka Krave on bass guitar; Mark Cornelison, aka Maul, and Mark Curley on drums.

They headlined the Music Gorilla Stage in Austin, Texas, on March 21 during the SXSW, the nations largest indie music showcase.

"Just three years ago, I was a fan in the crowd, now I'm sharing the stage with some of my favorite bands!" said Chuck Haven. "Now I can help those in need, or help get a message across with the music. Music saved my life, and now if I can help just one person, it's worth every effort we put in the music."

The benefit concert starts at 1 p.m. on July 18 and ends at 1 a.m. Bands from Texas and New Mexico will be featured.

Band Burning Sunday is the organizer of the event was inspired by a blind student named Devin who plays the drums.

Information: www.myspace.com/signal99 - Navajo Times, Thursday, July 16th, 2009

"Signal 99 brings to the table a hard dose of in your face rock n roll, like it oughta' be. They've been invited two years running to play in our Label showcases and have rocked the house both times. In terms of their off stage presence and demeanor, one could not ask for a more responsible band to deal with; punctual, ready and respectful."
- Lawrence Co-Founder MusicGorilla.com, MusicGorilla.com (Mar 26, 2010) - Music Gorilla

"“Signal 99 ripped my face off at SXSW which is a good thing because I’m ugly. This is a band that delivers it from the gut and from the heart on all fronts.”" - Jimmy Landry - Producer/Songwriter/Engineer/Artist Relations, Cakewalk.com (Mar 30, 2010) - Cakewalk.com

By: Dan Rondinelli

http://www.northeastintune.com/index.php?bd=reg&sb=land&article=110618

Signal 99 is made up of Metal kids rocking some aggressive riffs, and lyrics to express their voice and views. Their up tempo heavy metal is controlled enough to distinguish their sound from other Metal. They play with some strong aggression and vocal deepness that is enough to intimidate any misfit. With their first album labeled “Hate Me Now?” they are simply asking you to accept it or hate this stuff, they don’t care either way. The music is solid metal, stays heavy throughout and makes you hate the person standing next to you…sorry dad. They use this medium for expression, expressing the hate, the pain, the sorrow and what can be done for tomorrow. With their MySpace supporters praising Signal 99’s live performance full of high energy and mad metal, this band is creating a new type of music that has yet to be heard.

Let’s review some music.
“Armed and Dangerous” is a song with good lyrics and some intense rhythm and bass. It lacks changes in the music and it seems too basic. It has the metal sound and tone that give it a strong sound but continues to lack the complexity of a strong metal band. Some more changes and louder vocals can make this song solid.

“9lives” has a similar sound as armed and dangerous, but once again the lyrics are strong and make the song work. Recorded on an 8 track recorder may also sway my opinion of the music but for what its worth they maintain the metal sound and have a Korn like sound to them. I’d like them to mix up the pace with some intense yelling and strong bass.

“Took” is a song that has an excellent lead off into the music. It grows intense and gives the heart a pounding like no other. Once again tough to hear the lyrics but give them a studio and I’m sure that improves. Music is tough but needs to distinguish different sounds in order to change the similarity of the songs.

Signal 99 can play and make some noise. Check them out at www.sig99.com for tour dates and album information. With the strong vocals and intense sound, they have an opportunity to influence a different sound of metal to the metal scene. - Metal Horizon Magazine, Nov-Dec 2006

Signal 99 originally started as a solo project by Chuck Haven back in 2005, but now consists of a four peice live band, Hailing from the Four Corners area in a small town called, Farmington, New Mexico, Signal 99 are bringing a new type of metal to the scene and created enough stir to be noticed in the region. Hate, lies, pain, and deception is what drives the music to the next level. With local and regional supports, along with local radio staion playing the music daily, Signal 99 is building a solid foundation in the Southwest music scene. The band is revolutionizing the music scene with it's music and shocking visual performances. - No Cover Magazine, Febuary 2007

Local band plays famed Hollywood rock club

Mike Easterling, measterling@daily-times.com 1 p.m. MST March 9, 2016

FARMINGTON — Normally, Chuck Haven of the local metal group Signal 99 likes for his band’s manager to keep him informed about all of the places she tries to get the group booked.

But when the band was working on lining up a string of dates through Southern California for the summer, she decided not to tell Haven she had submitted a proposal to the world-famous Whisky a Go Go, the Sunset Strip nightclub where an outfit called the Doors once served as the house band and where such acts as Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin made regular stops back in the day.

So Haven was more than a little surprised when she called him one day in late January and told him Signal 99 had been offered a gig at the iconic rock club in late February, opening for the Hollywood band Vampires Everywhere.

“At first, I thought she was just kidding,” the soft-spoken Haven said last week. “I didn’t believe her until she sent me a screenshot of the offer from the club.”

Haven was disciplined enough to contain his excitement and resist the urge to tell everyone he knew about the offer until the deal had been finalized, which took several days. And once the gig was confirmed on Jan. 27, Haven and his bandmates still had a month to agonize before they headed west for the Feb. 28 show.

“I’ve always heard about the place,” he said. “I know the Doors and Motley Crüe played there, and I’ve been to L.A. a few times, although I’ve never spent much time in Hollywood. It was quite an experience for me.”

Signal 99 left home the day before the gig, and Haven laughed as he recalled how jittery everyone became as the reality of the show set in.

“The closer we got to Hollywood, the more we got nervous,” he said a few days after Signal 99 had returned from the show. “We don’t really see ourselves as that kind of stature. It was a totally new environment for us … but I guess it finally hits you when you get to the venue and see your band’s name on the marquee.”

The experience itself was everything Haven hoped it would be. Signal 99 was the first band to take the stage on a four-band bill, and the club was only half full at that point, which wasn’t surprising, since it was a Sunday night. But the 150 or so people in the audience quickly warmed to the band, and Haven said the 30 minutes his group spent performing seemed like only a fraction of that.

“I’ve always been told it’s a tough crowd (there),” Haven said. “But people started coming up to the stage right away, and a lot of people were offering to buy us drinks afterward. It was a really good environment. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Haven said the band was treated very well from the moment it arrived at the club and had the chance to meet the other groups during the load-in that afternoon. To his surprise, Signal 99 got its own dressing room, and Haven had the chance to wander around backstage and check out the signatures of many of the luminaries who have performed at the Whisky over the years.

Signal 99 managed to squeeze in nine songs during its 30-minute set, and Haven said the show was the first one with the band for its new drummer, Fred Brown. With that in mind, Haven said he chose a set list that was heavy on the group’s older material, rather than trying to pull off too many of the songs on its new album, which is due out soon.

Haven was still reveling in the glow of that performance late last week. He was especially pleased when a thank-you email he sent to the club’s booking agent drew a quick response. The woman said she was not present at the show, but she reported she had heard good things about the band. She closed by extending an invitation to Signal 99 to come back to the Whisky and play again sometime.


While the band has played before much larger crowds than it did at the Whisky — Signal 99 has performed several times at the South by Southwest Music & Media Conference in Austin, Texas, and once won a national contest sponsored by guitar strings manufacturer Ernie Ball — Haven said the show ranked high in terms of prestige.

“We have played some really good and high-profile shows,” he said. “The difference with the Whisky gig compared to the others … with the Whisky gig, we were invited to play a legendary rock stage. We didn’t have to compete to get a spot. A lot of music icons played there, and it was an honor to be a part of that. So, yes, this gig has been a big one for us.”

Haven isn’t sure how much of an impact the experience will have on his band’s future, but he hopes it raises a few eyebrows.

“Bands are always looking for credibility,” he said. “A lot of bands sound good on a recording, but it’s another thing to go out and deliver it live. And good word of mouth leads to other gigs.”

Signal 99 will have little time to savor the experience. The group heads back to south Texas next week for a pair of SXSW gigs. Signal 99 will play a showcase at Burnside’s Tavern at 5 p.m. Friday, March 18, as part of the Music Gorilla Showcase, then play another showcase at the Heart of Texas Rockfest that same weekend. The band also has a gig booked at Tennyson’s Tap in Denver on April 23.


Meanwhile, Haven is working on finishing the vocals for the new Signal 99 album, which was supposed to have been released last fall. Haven said the project was delayed while the group mulled over a pair of offers from record labels and the demands of his personal life took over.

“In college at the University of Arizona, I was going to school full-time and working two jobs — and I could handle that,” he said. “But juggling work, music and family is way harder to do. Work is predictable. But when my 5-year-old gets sick, it happens when it happens. It’s a difficult balancing act.”

Still, Haven is eager to see what kind of response the new album draws upon its release. While the members of Signal 99 decided that neither of the offers they received from record labels were worth accepting, he acknowledged it’s always nice to be wanted.

“It reassured us we’re heading in the right direction,” he said.

Mike Easterling is the A&E editor of The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4610. - Daily Times

Die Regie zum Video des Titeltracks führte  Frontmann Chuck Haven, der auch die Produktion übernahm. Das lang erwartete Video folgt nun dem selbstbetitelten Album „American Monster“, welches im April 2017 veröffentlicht wurde. Nachdem ein paar Jahren Stillstand bei der Band, wegen des Todes von Chuck Haven’s Bruder, entschied sich die Band, mit der Musik weiter zu machen. Die lokale Unterstützung von Fans und Medien hatte zur Folge, dass SIGNAL 99 eine erfolgreiche Rückkehr beschieden wurde. Viele Sponsoren und andere Institutionen förderten die Band und vor allem das neue Album. Dies führte jetzt auch dazu, dass SIGNAL 99 auf einem Festival in Costa Rica und Mexiko spielen können. SIGNAL 99 wird hiermit zu einer international tourenden Band und dies verleiht SIGNAL 99 auch mehr Dynamik in der weltweiten Musikindustrie. - HM Breakdown