Show Local band earns independent record contract Nick Nick Parker in Editor-in-Chief Its It's hot sweaty dank and crowded in The Circuits Circuit's the stage dressing room There the boys from West Valley metal band Clifton sit adrenaline still coursing their veins They have just played a nearly sold sold- sold out ut show at the Midvale venue and are still pumped about their energetic energetic energetic ener ener- getic performance The band has shared the stage with As I Lay Dying The Black Dahlia Murder and Thine Eyes Bleed and earned a slot on the Abacus Recordings lineup Bryan Edwards is very excited about the record deal dealand dealand dealand and thinks that now is just the right time Honestly I think they felt bad for us said frontman Edwards Bout A time Ha no Anything sooner and we probably would've sank Weve We've taken our time on some things whether we wanted to toor toor toor or not We g got t some offers from some very impressive labels But nothing as awesome awesome awesome awe awe- some as what Abacus us And we all collectively feel great about it We are a baby band and have lots of growing to do Abacus will work great Clifton has been a band for just over three years now and has run rampant throughout the Salt Lake heavy music scene Its members knew each other in high school but waited waited waited wait wait- ed until they were finished until forming the group We didn't start the band until pretty much everyone was out of high school We all were in bands in the first leg of our career and then we met and formed Clifton said Edwards I was in crazy technical Straight Edge hardcore bands playing drums doing all that fun stuff and they were being a like crazy technical death metal playing in bars and stuff playing underage and having a fun time I got to a point where that scene got old for me the hardcore scene Edwards still listens to hard- hard 0 i f. f Clifton will play with i I IAm 1 Am The Ocean Her C and Day Two I at Club Sound I II Saturday June 10 I Ii Their Abacus i Recording We Will i r Never Change will will j j also be available there Information can be I i i found at Clifton j d v I J i j core but feels that the scene isn't what hes he's all about right nowA nowA now A lot of its it's really negative really uncomfortable I like playing with these guys said the singer It came to a point where Id I'd rather play songs that I enjoy playing than songs that kids get hurt listening to Edwards is very optimistic about his band Their heavy metal with a southern justice attitude is an elemental mix of thunderous riffs blistering solos and tight air-tight vocals that would make Phil Anselmo and crew blushI blush I think were we're still pretty technical and I think were we're still theres there's aspects for everybody said Edwards All the kids in my band dig heavy music Im I'm still Straight StraightEdge StraightEdge StraightEdge Edge I still listen to hardcore I still listen to crazy technical music I still listen to Jason I think its it's fun for every every- body Were We're not the heaviest band were we're not the fastest band were we're not the most technical technical technical tech tech- band but we do have more aspects We try to bring more to the table The kids are having a good time and responding well to it I Its It's this differentiation that will set Clifton apart from their contemporaries The boys bring a communal approach to their songwriting They shared songwriting duties on their forthcoming debut album We Never Change but Edwards remained the quality control manager of the music Bryan just kind of takes control-and control its it's a good thing said guitarist Mark That control doesn't faze the band though Everybody in the band as a whole has musical ideas said Ill write a riff Carl will write a riff Bry will wilt come comein comein comein in and say That riffs cool but lets let's try it this way We just try to keep as many open ideas as possible in our writing I think Bryans Bryan's pretty much the seal of approval He goes Oh alright yeah unless we veto him and say No way man Clifton is also a cohesive unit outside their jam space ti II They've toured the West extensively extensively extensively exten exten- and built a huge fan base around the area Their profile has friends Their touring is usually very interesting when guitarist Carl Balls Ball's alter ego Uncle takes over Uncle is a rare occasion A bitter treat I Iguess Iguess Iguess guess said Edwards of his Sometimes Carl can get pretty extreme drunk and wild We used to get Eric From Texas but now its it's Uncle Rowdy If you are hanging hanging hanging hang hang- ing with Uncle youre you're probably gonna and get a fat lip or youre you're gonna see some nuts Their interesting tour stories arent aren't limited to Carls Carl's or Carol as they affectionately call him sometimes antics Lots of hookers and strippers strippers strippers strip strip- pers said Edwards Ok no not really realty Pissing onto traffic continued 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U u I 1 SJ r G I 1 y yIl II S l Photo by Peter F 1 nn 1 I f i n T Mark Bacon Bryan Edwards Carl Ball and Jesse Kilgrow are Clifton the local sensation that has struck it big on the indie label circuit Their debut album will be released in in June on Abacus Cliftons Clifton's look of conviction continued from page 6 f Check h k ko o out t the f full r uncensored J inter i J 2 1 view with Clifton at li kc com Jh 7 and surfing on top of the van in blizzards That crazy touring is just about to get underway in a abig abig abig big way Clifton has booked tours for the summer fall and even winter They'll be playing a record release show June 10 before they head out on the road Its gonna be the best show all year I can tell you that much All of our jamming under the same samer r roof of said Edwards of the Club Sound show with local circuit veterans Day Two Heri and nd the w powerhouse I The Am-The Ocean The future is very bright for Clifton though Edwards jokes about its quality I Im hoping we learn how t f tto to turn down the die suck knob he said i While they attempt to change their suck output audiences all allover over America will soon discover what Utah has held to its bosom for aloud a aloud aloud loud rapid three years Clifton n u I |