Evil-doers looking for the perfect background music to soundtrack their lives as they plot against the heroes of the world have to look no further than The Union, where The Arch Villains will be performing Friday.
With two bass guitars and a drummer, it is tough for this band not to have a moody, dark sound. Bass players Andrew Lampela and Kris Poland are known for the weird effects and noise experimentation on the strings, which add to its bass-heavy, Sci-Fi rock sound.
One major drive for this band is to try to make something different
since we'll admit to being terribly tired of the majority of current music drummer Ben DeRolph said.
The Arch Villains formed a year ago, after a previous band Poland and DeRolph performed with split up. They met Lampela after noticing his presence at several of their gigs.
Outside the band, Lampela can be found exchanging music chitchat with music enthusiasts at Haffas Records, 15 W. Union St., where he has worked for three years. Prior to Haffas, he worked at now-obsolete School Kids, 12 S. Court St.
The band's name, The Arch Villains, came from DeRolph's teasing Poland and Lampela for being comic book junkies in addition to the band's sound incarnating villainy.
It is partial sly sarcasm -the title seemed to fit our merciless teasing of each other and how our band consists of good friends making somewhat dark music DeRolph said.
Since The Arch Villains joined forces in the fight against crappy music, the band has played about 20 shows in Athens, Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Newport, KY.
Eventually we plan to tour in the winter
said Poland, a political science professor at Ohio University. We have friends in Virginia
New York and Baltimore that could hook us up with shows.
While The Arch Villains do not predict any resounding success, they will not fight the chance at fame.
If someone wants to give us money and say
'Here
make an album
' we'll take it
Poland said.
DeRolph agreed and said he grew out of hoping the band's career would take off.
I'll be happy to just be able to continue making music for as long as possible
he said.
The band plans to begin work on its first album soon. The album will consist of songs they play live.
Our goal with our first album is to get all the songs recorded
Poland joked.
