Spring Break
Beginnings: Memento
Patrick Lowney
Issue date: 10/29/03 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
10/29/03 - After literally kicking and screaming their way out of the Los Angeles club scene, Memento has finally gotten its foot in the door, or rather kicked it through.
A four-piece assembly from California, they recently released their debut album, Beginnings. In its short existence, the band has already demonstrated the fact that it isn't leaving quietly, and that even means the stage.
At one of the bands' shows in L.A., a rowdy heckler demanded them to leave the stage and pursued to eject singer Justin Stewart Cotta physically. Justin responded with a swift shot to the man's chest and a brawl ensued. Observing the show and the raucous were a few Columbia Records big wigs who admired the band's fiery presence and signed them shortly thereafter.
Memento is Justin Stewart Cotta on vocals, guitars and piano, Space on guitars, Lats on bass and Steve Clark on drums.
Like many musical acts through the years, Memento was formed through free agency. The band came together through the age-old formula of somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody.
Prior to becoming Memento, all four members of band were creating music elsewhere. Justin and Steve were members of a band called Vast, which they left not long after being signed to Elektra Records. Lats was part of an Australian act called Devolved and Space was a member of Tower. Together on Beginnings, Memento forges ahead without looking back.
The album is a hard rock/nu-metal collection of catchy guitar riffs mixed with acoustic nostalgic pieces with some emotional piano. Working on the album was producer Toby Wright who has worked with acts such as Alice In Chains and Korn. Mixing came courtesy of Brendan O'Brien who has worked with Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stone Temple Pilots.
The album opens with "Nothing Sacred," a balls to the wall explosion of speed metal guitar over a thudding bass drum and crashing cymbals. The title track slows the album down with an acoustic love letter. "Reflections," an instrumental track, comes halfway through the album and displays Cotta's Yamaha piano skills.
The linear notes of the album define "memento" as "to keep from forgetting" and "something that serves to warn or remind." Time will tell if the band will live up to their name and stay fresh in the ears of the rock music mainstream.
A four-piece assembly from California, they recently released their debut album, Beginnings. In its short existence, the band has already demonstrated the fact that it isn't leaving quietly, and that even means the stage.
At one of the bands' shows in L.A., a rowdy heckler demanded them to leave the stage and pursued to eject singer Justin Stewart Cotta physically. Justin responded with a swift shot to the man's chest and a brawl ensued. Observing the show and the raucous were a few Columbia Records big wigs who admired the band's fiery presence and signed them shortly thereafter.
Memento is Justin Stewart Cotta on vocals, guitars and piano, Space on guitars, Lats on bass and Steve Clark on drums.
Like many musical acts through the years, Memento was formed through free agency. The band came together through the age-old formula of somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody.
Prior to becoming Memento, all four members of band were creating music elsewhere. Justin and Steve were members of a band called Vast, which they left not long after being signed to Elektra Records. Lats was part of an Australian act called Devolved and Space was a member of Tower. Together on Beginnings, Memento forges ahead without looking back.
The album is a hard rock/nu-metal collection of catchy guitar riffs mixed with acoustic nostalgic pieces with some emotional piano. Working on the album was producer Toby Wright who has worked with acts such as Alice In Chains and Korn. Mixing came courtesy of Brendan O'Brien who has worked with Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Stone Temple Pilots.
The album opens with "Nothing Sacred," a balls to the wall explosion of speed metal guitar over a thudding bass drum and crashing cymbals. The title track slows the album down with an acoustic love letter. "Reflections," an instrumental track, comes halfway through the album and displays Cotta's Yamaha piano skills.
The linear notes of the album define "memento" as "to keep from forgetting" and "something that serves to warn or remind." Time will tell if the band will live up to their name and stay fresh in the ears of the rock music mainstream.
