Material: Formerly known as Iron Core, Candlelight Caos is a hard-rockin’ metal band in the vein of SlipKnot, Queensryche, Judas Priest and Marillion (pioneers in bridging punk rock and classic prog rock). All of Candlelight Caos’ songs are delicately crafted with great detail while also possessing a “fun factor.” The band’s delivery of each tune keeps you intrigued and hooked so that the guitar licks can finish you off.
Musicianship: All the players came ready to play and entertain. Franc is a natural shredder with great tones and beautiful, well placed harmonics that seared through Angel’s blanket of bass that shrouded The Whisky. Fabio kept faultless time and is a rock solid drummer. If anyone says, “Oh, that reminds me of Jeff Tate of Queensryche,” you know it’s a pretty damn good compliment, and that’s what St. John’s vocals were. They resonated and hit home as the opening song, “The Calling,” confirmed.
Performance: Great show from all band members. Franc was on a wireless system and was thoroughly enjoying his cable-less freedom as he danced around in the audience, which made for great entertainment. Angel plays the bass superbly and strutted back and forth on the stage as he stopped to pose for pictures (what a ham!). Fabio chose to lay back in the pocket and let his drums do the talking as he jelled flawlessly with Angel. Meanwhile, St. John stood tall as his crew laid out a solid rock & roll foundation for his voice to ride upon.
Summary: “Storybook” and “Believe” are prime examples of the music these guys are capable of; they send your senses reminders of SlipKnot and Queensryche. These songs, written long ago by St. John and Franc, take you back to the days of Marillion when they would start off on a lovely and sweet intro, slowly blend in the crunch of the guitar and the deep richness of the bass while imploding the tune into a beautiful hard rockin’ song that leaves you breathless. Superb, hard rockin,’ melodic metal at its best—and fun to watch, too.
Contact: Susanne Fuggatta, 925-354-8911
Web: FaceBook.com/CandlelightCaosBand
Players: Jon St. John, vocals; Charlie Angel, bass; Rick Fabio, drums; Charlie Franc, guitar
