Today it seems like that there are always new “super groups” popping up left and right that it’s sometimes hard to keep track in the ever changing face of the music industry. Many succeed to the heights of rock star epiphany while others fade into the shadow’s obscurity. For the newly assembled band Projected, it not only brings together some of the most well-known names in rock, but also a collection of phenomenal music that is sorely missing in music today.

It seems that each individual band member has their own influence in creating the masterpiece that is Projected with each band member cutting their chops in such great bands as Creed, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Submersed, and Daughters of Mara. What started out as a fun side project for band members John Connolly (vocals/guitars), Eric Friedman (guitars/vocals), Vinnie Hornsby (bass), and Scott Phillips (drums) soon progressed into something that is truly unique and monumental that is difficult to describe without the listener taking the journey themselves on Projected’s debut album, Human. It is an honor and privilege to present to you the first glimpse to all that is…Projected…

The opening song, “HELLo”, is by far the most definitive song that encompasses all that Projected embodies as a band with drive and focus to craft great music. Instantly, the listener is hit with heavily saturated guitars and thundering drums. What is most impressive about this song is Connolly and Friedman’s use of multi-layered guitars and solos that give the song a larger than life sound. “HELLo”, also provides a glimpse of what is to come with Connolly displaying his talents as a vocalist that few have recognized over the years with him being an active member of Sevendust. Connolly not only provides excellent lyrics in this song, but delivers with a vocal performance that will catch any listener off guard.

Following the footsteps of, “HELLo”, is the emotionally driven track, “Watch It Burn”. It is on this track that Connolly displays his talents as a creative lyrical presence with the lyrics, “I could not betray you…I just could never learn…How to rebuild just to watch it burn”. Furthermore, this song has an interesting breakdown that is sure to catch the attention of any guitar enthusiast that craves a dose of heavy guitars. “Watch It Burn”, also has the makings of a song that is sure to become a fan favorite from this album.

Continuing through the album, Projected serve up a healthy helping of the heavy with the songs, “Alive”, and “Breaking Me”.   The listener cannot help but hear the Sevendust influences in the song, “Alive”, with Hornsby providing the down tuned bass tones while Friedman gives the song originality with eccentric guitar riffs and an amazing guitar solo. “Breaking Me”, provides listeners with an extremely heavy song with Connolly’s growling the lyrics, “Falling Out…Up right now….Not a sound…Fall back down...You’re lost and your falling”.

Finally, the track, “12804″, is one of the more personal and emotional tracks on the album. Connollly sites that this is one of the most prominent tracks on the album due to the lyrical content paying tribute to the late and great Dimebag Darrell who’s life was tragically taken on December 8, 2004. In “12804″, the listener can hear the sorrow in Connolly’s voice and lyrics as he pays tribute to Dimebag with the lyrics, “Somewhere there’s another all in for the other…Two can breathe forever…Nowhere there’s another life into the after…Two can live forever”.  It is a song like this that truly shows the integrity of band’s duty as musicians to create music that actually has meaning and authenticity and Projected has done justifiably so with this track.

After listening to Projected’s album, Human, it’s easy to see and hear that this is just not another super group. It is a group of musicians that have pursued their dreams and have used their talents from being in other well known bands to create an album that is unique and all of their own. From the opening intro track to the last song, “Breaking Me”, Projected solidify their presence as a band that has not only created an exuberant album, but as a band with individuals that have come full circle as truly talented and memorable musicians for years to come. Be sure to check out their debut release on September 18th, 2012 and become apart of what is to be a monumental shock wave to the world of rock!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kyle I am one of the co founders for EMURG and I'm dedicated to helping new bands get their name and music heard in the ever growing music industry. I'm also a self taught musician of nearly 20 years who seeks the endless possibilities of bettering myself.

1. Reviewer

   Koldes says

   July 27, 2012, 8:22 am

   Nice interview!

   I’m really looking forward to this album. The side projects that our great rock bands have produced this year have been phenomenal, and the stuff I’ve heard from Projected is going to line right up with that. Can’t wait.

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2. Reviewer

   Kyle says

   July 25, 2012, 11:16 am

   Great stuff! The more exposure the better for this band!

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3. Reviewer

   Alex Bulthuis says

   July 25, 2012, 10:59 am

   got to interview John about the Sevendust tour that just finished and talked about projected.. Check this out !!!! Awesome article Kyle!!!

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After years of being in the successful band Sevendust, John Connolly & company have decided to branch out on their own and create their own brand of music with the band Projected. John was kind enough to allow me to have a one on one interview with him, to find out what Projected is all about, and what to expect from their debut album Human that will be release on September 18th, 2012. I had a great time speaking with John and look forward to hearing and seeing more great things from his band Projected!

Part I:

1. KAC: How did you come up with the band name?

JC: I always referred to it as the Projected side project and it had a cool ring to it.

2. KAC: What artists/bands/songs/albums influenced you?

JC: 30 Seconds to Mars, Foo Fighters, Dimebag Darrell/Pantera and being in Sevendust for 15 years. NIN, Alice In Chains, A Perfect Circle, Pink, Myles Kennedy and a healthy dose of LOG (Lamb of God) every day. Can’t say enough about how those guys influenced me as a guitar player and Myles as the all-around songwriter.

3. KAC: What are you listening to right now?

JC: Aranda, Meshuggah, Civil Wars, Viasava, Foo Fighters

4. KAC: What’s your favorite show/performance been as a band?

JC: We actually haven’t ever been in the same state at the same time yet (laughs), so we haven’t played any shows yet. Still too early to tell.

5. KAC: If you want people to remember one song from our band it would be”¦.

JC: HELLo or my tribute to Dimebag, 12804.

Part II:

1. KAC: Each individual in Projected bring their own style due to each member having an impressive resume with playing in multiple bands over the years. How have each of you grown from your experiences and how have these experiences helped in the creation that is Projected?

JC: I think the friendships that we had going in played a huge role because we didn’t stress over the music at all really. We just played what came naturally without overthinking things and playing with different musicians always affects the way you approach things. Scott (Phillips) has such an amazing backbeat/pocket and he really showed me just how bad I tend to rush and E-Rock (guitarist Eric Friedman) is just such a naturally gifted guitar player/singer that had a lot of amazing ideas and we just meshed well together when we were recording. He has a great pocket too and helped me relax my style a bit. Vinny (Hornsby) sits there too….I’m always on the front, and a lot of Sevendust sits right in the middle, kinda on the beat, but a lot of what Projected is is behind the beat, way back in the pocket and that’s my weak spot (laughs).

I kind of had a pretty good idea of what it would sound like once we finished because lyrics were written before we tracked, but the input from everyone else was a gift really; the ability to bring in these three and really let them contribute musically, which they all did in spades. There were always great ideas being thrown out by everyone and I guess I wasn’t so close to it that I couldn’t let things like that in.

2. KAC: Your vocals on this album are simply amazing. How does it feel stepping into the shoes as the front man for Projected?

JC: It was a little nerve racking only because I’ve been singing for years, but always behind somebody else. I don’t particularly like the sound of my own voice, so it took awhile for me to tolerate it enough to actually track something. That being said, it was a great learning experience for me and living within the limits of my voice was a cool thing to go through. I’ve really learned a lot about what I can and can’t do.

3. KAC: Is there a tentative tour schedule lined up for Projected in the year 2012?

JC: A lot will depend on the Sevendust recording schedule and AB (Alter Bridge), and Creed recording/touring schedules. Ideally it would be great to get out sometime in October/November but we gotta see if we can pull it off with all the recording.

4. KAC: What are your hopes and dreams for Projected for the present and future? What can we expect to see from you guys in the near future?

JC: Expect a tour at some point and hopefully we get enough of a positive response to do another record and actually write together this time, as a band. This is a side project really, all for the fun of doing it and our expectations were relatively low, but a lot of folks are really into what we’ve done.

Love to see us be able to take it out on tour sooner than later. Nervous about putting that side of it together, because I’ve never been a frontman, which is a little different thing than being a singer. Should be interesting to see where that goes (laughs).

5. KAC: We here at EMURG love your music, although there are some EMURGers that are still just getting to know your music. What do you have to say to them?

JC: Thanks for checking us out! We are some folks who’ve been around for quite sometime in our other bands, but had a tremendous opportunity to do this together. Hopefully you enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed making it

Again, I’d like to thank John for taking the time out for this interview and we here at EMURG are looking forward to all the great things to come from you and your band! Be sure to check out Projected and this site for more updates!