Wicked Garden
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE
Music
Press
Haunting, devilish and absolutely stunning…..
Their first single, Already Gone is heavy, power filled, gritty and utterly infectious from start to finish. They draw an essence of a retro 90s vibe, while throwing in a catchy chorus to boot.
I-15 South is haunting, devilish and absolutely stunning. Todd Kern’s guests on this number and he certainly brings an edge of class to it. Soaring guitars leaves a mark on your soul. It is absolutely pure gold through and through.
Hey Bitch brings this maxi single release to its all too soon close. It is gothic, dark and gloomy to its core, while seductive, grunge inspired guitars tease every curve.
This band have their own style, go against the grain and set their own path for others to follow. - Shockwave Magazine
Las Vegas' very own Wicked Garden are preparing for their album release, Post Dystopian Leisure Music, in February 2019. I had the pleasure of listening to a sample of what's to come.
Dominick Muzio (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Shawn Trojahn (lead guitars), Troy Spriggs (Bass/Vocals), and Jason Dardano (Drums/Percussion) have formulated Wicked Garden. This band is completely their own yet, you could imagine them seamlessly fitting in with the likes of Pearl Jam and Bush.
“Already Gone” is the lead single off of Dystopian Leisure Music. With opening guitar riff and the heavy drums add in Dominick's passionate vocals it's no wonder Wicked Garden has created some buzz overseas. “Already Gone” has been #1 on Australia's Valley FM.
“I-15 South” is moody duet with Dominick and Todd Kerns. The opening guitar is sweet and inviting with the rhythmic drums. It's a song that is dedicated to Las Vegas itself. “The desert is the Devil and I'm here to play it's game”. If you've ever lived here you can resonate with this song. This song has an old school vibe while staying true to it's alternative core. I can easily envision myself driving in my car while blasting this song.
The final sampling is “Hey Bitch”. It doesn't take much guessing to see what this song is about. I think we have all felt this was about an ex lover. This song is a bit more reminiscent of an 80's rock band. Which is freaking fantastic.
Every song on this album is going to resonate with someone. Every song is unique and different all while sounding incredibly true to Wicked Garden as a band. Not every song is going to sound the same. There is going to be something for everyone. You won't want to miss out on this release.
Post Dystopian Leisure Music is set for release in February 2019.
You can download the Already Gone EP now on iTunes and Amazon, or stream it on Spotify! - Z'rockr Magazine
or anyone that is somewhat familiar with the 1990's hard alternative/grunge scene, the name of the band, Wicked Garden, should pretty much immediately draw your attention. For the uninitiated, "Wicked Garden" is the name of one of the biggest songs of Stone Temple Pilots' career, despite the fact that it was never released as a single from that band's 1992 debut record, Core. So, knowing where the name comes from, it should be no real surprised that Wicked Garden, the Las Vegas band, is heavily steeped in the musical scene from which their name was extracted.
Combining bits of the grunge of Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, and a touch of the hard alternative of Live, and even Filter...especially on the vocal effects used in parts of "Hey Bitch"...Wicked Garden plays a style of music that (unnecessarily?) divided the hard rock community in the early 1990s. Either you mourned the death of glam and hair metal, or you found yourself embracing the bottom-heavy angst of the grunge movement. If you are stuck in a world of stacked hair and stacked heels and Hair Nation, you are probably not going to find much to like in Wicked Garden, but if you are like me, and enjoy flipping over to SiriusXM Lithium on a regular basis, this band is going to be right up your alley.
This maxi-single kicks off with the title track, "Already Gone", and it is instant grunge and sludge oozing out of the speakers. Bottom heavy and thick, "Already Gone" features everything that was great to me about the grunge sound and instantly recalls Stone Temple Pilots and even some Alice In Chains due to its heft. Lead singer, Muzio, has a vocal style that is somewhere in the vicinity of those employed by Jason Ross of Seven Mary Three. Unlike a lot of the music of the time, however, Wicked Garden is not afraid to throw in a distorted, down-tuned guitar solo, and the band calls upon their pal, Michael "Doc" Ellis to lay into a great one here, before the bass and drums take back over and escort Muzio back into the final chorus section.
"I-15 South" is an interesting track, as it is much moodier than the other two songs on this maxi-single, and features guest duet vocals from Todd Kerns, the bassist and backing vocalist for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. The track starts off with simple guitar line running atop the thicker bass and drum sounds on the entire first verse, with both Muzio and Kerns taking their respective turns on the lead microphone. By the time the second verse kicks in, the entire track has beefed up considerably. Musically, I hear elements of Live in the style, and even a bit in Kerns' vocal turns (although never as high in range), on the first trip through, but we drift into Seven Mary Three territory on verse two and throughout the remainder of the track. Trojahn utilizes a nice slide-guitar solo to great effect here, adding a bit of a bluesy feel to this grungy alt-rocker that was written as an ode to Las Vegas. The harmony vocals on the chorus sections are great stuff on their own, but when listened to as a whole with everything else going on here, they are merely icing on the cake for fans of this style of music.
The single closes with "Hey, Bitch", which combines a definite Nirvana musical feel...think that watery guitar tone used in "Come As You Are"...with a Filter vocal approach on the verse sections, a la "Hey Man, Nice Shot". Once again, the soloing here from Trojahn is a great addition to what is basically a bass and drum thumper of a song throughout the verse sections, with occasional rhythm riffs dragged across the surface of the song and tying each verse into the accompanying chorus sections.
The production here is raw and completely polish-and-shine free, retaining just enough of that grungy garage recording element to lend authenticity to the style of music employed here. My guess is this any of these songs could be thrown into a mix of 90s period music and most people would be none the wiser, as these three tracks are pulled off that well and performed that true to form. I wouldn't mind if the mix was cleaned up just a bit, but overall, these guys have the sound down pat, and nothing here is a major distraction for this style.
This maxi-single is just a teaser of the band's full-length, debut album, Post Dystopian Leisure Music, which is set to be released in early 2019, and is currently available on iTunes and Amazon. I believe you can stream it on Spotify, also, but I'm not going to lie...I have never actively used that platform, so I am not 100% sure about that.
If you are into bands that like to do their own takes on the grunge/hard alt-rock sound, a la Emperors & Elephants, Stardog Champion, I have a strong hunch you are going to like what Wicked Garden has to offer. I am anxiously awaiting the full-length release to dig more into what this band is all about.
Rating: Its tough to rate just three songs, but these three definitely crank in the 7.5 range - Glitter2Gutter
Hailing from Las Vegas, alternative grungers, Wicked Garden, proved to everybody that they are not just a cover band by FINALLY releasing their debut album, Post Dystopian Leisure Music. Clever name for the times, no matter what type of political/environmental stance you have.
Wicked Garden is comprised of Dominick Muzio (lead vocals, guitars), Troy Spriggs (bass, vocals), Shawn Trojahn (lead guitars), and Jason Dardano (drums, percussion).
The band was formed in 2011 by guitarist Shawn Trojahn, mainly to entertain Vegas with their favorite 90's covers. As the band solidified their lineup in 2016, they were challenged to produce their own music by Vegas locals. Talk is cheap, and the band proved people wrong by showing their talents in 10 completely different tracks. In my humble opinion, they have successfully proven themselves further with this album.
Post Dystopian Leisure Music is a compilation of songs that were motivated by the band's fondness of alternative rock and other genres. You can definitely tell of these influences throughout the album. Almost every song reminded me of some of my beloved alternative groups.
The first track, "Already Gone", is one of my personal favorites on the album as well as the first single/video released to the public (which you can watch HERE). I always feel odd having a single be my favorite song off the entire album (I typically don't like to conform in that way), but it's so catchy and powerful! I find it stuck in my head often. Michael "Doc" Ellis (one of Vegas' top guitarists) was a special guest on this edgy track.
"No Fear" is a groovy, twangy tune that sounds like it has influences from Soundgarden and/or Temple of the Dog. Muzio's voice is quite Cornell-esque which was refreshing to hear on this track.
"Stained" reminded me of Nirvana. I couldn't help but think that this song would be something that Kurt Cobain himself would sing.
"How Do You Sleep" is straight up Stone Temple Pilots.
"I-15 South" is a tribute to Las Vegas. Special guest and bassist, Todd Kerns, from Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, lent his vocals to this track. Muzio and Kerns harmonized this story so well that the imagery couldn't be more real.
Basically, you should get my drift with how experimental Wicked Garden was. With this album in particular, you never knew what genres you were going to get. The band keeps you on your toes; track by track. You never know if you were about to get your groove on, listen to something retro, headbang to a metal guitar solo, or listening to something punky. It's a beautiful potluck all in one album. - Z Rock'R Magazine
Discography
Already Gone -
Released November 2018 -
3 song EP-
Shock Records/ Vanity Music Group
Post Dystopian Leisure Music-
Release Date April 12, 2019 -
Full Length LP -
Shock Records / Vanity Music Group
Photos
Bio
Wicked Garden is a indie rock powerhouse from Las Vegas, Nevada. With their critically acclaimed debut cd "Post Dystopian Leisure Music", Wicked Garden has amassed close to half a million streams, in addition to physical and online sales numbering in the hundreds. Their first single, "Already Gone" hit number one on stations and charts around the world, with other album cuts being played and streamed in almost 80 countries. Wicked Garden's videos have also seen worldwide distribution, including on the Music One Video Channel.The band offers an exciting, powerful live show, and was chosen to open for such acts as Sponge, Tantric, Bobaflex amongst others. Wicked Garden's music is a blend of 90's era alternative and grunge, mixed in with the classic hard rock styles of the past to create a sound that is underrepresented in the music industry today, yet cuts across genres to appeal to fans of all types of rock music. The band is currently in production for the follow up to "Post Dystopian Leisure Music", with plans on releasing new music in 2021.
Band Members
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