Feature Artist

"love in reverse"

Artist:	"love in reverse"
Titles:	"i was here" (LP) "I Was Dog" (EP)
Label:	Reprise
Available:	Any Major Music Store

It's metal, it's rock, it's alternative, it's got outstanding melodies, heavy lyrics, good vocals, lots of driving guitar solos, mellow beginnings and harsh endings (not a bad thing by any means), and over all is one hell of a good CD! In my humble opinion, the two best songs are "play for dawn" and "morph". There really isn't a bad song on this CD, and I enjoy listening to it, even though my work with it is done. With all the music I run through, that's really saying something! I've seen worse and I've seen better Enhanced CDs. This one at least looks very professional when popped into your CD Rom drive, but it doesn't have near as many goodies on it as some I've seen. On the other hand, who wants to listen to their music glued to a computer screen with lousy computer speakers anyway? At least you can see the lyrics, which aren't always very clear when listening to the CD in audio only. The one disappointment is that the song "I'm a Contradiction", the video from their earlier EP shown on MTV's "120 Minutes," is not on the audio portion of the CD. You only get to hear it if you put it in your CD Rom drive. Bummer! It's a good song. The band was originally formed in the small town of Whiting, NJ, under the moniker of Dog, some eight years ago. At that time it was composed of the duo of Mike Ferentino and Andres Karu. Last year they added drummer Dave Halpern, changed their name to "love in reverse" (a name cribbed from one of the first songs Ferentino and Karu wrote), and got themselves picked up by Reprise Records for their debut EP, "I Was Dog." They are also the subject of an episode of "Turning Point," on ABC, sometime after the beginning of 1997, and "Addicted to Noise" predicted them to be one of the breakthrough bands of 1996 in February of this year. Quoting their bio, Ferentino says "I think we're as much influenced by film as by music. . .especially directors like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrek. I like things that have a certain abstract quality." he continues. "I'd rather see or hear something that builds up a tension and atmosphere than just tell a linear story." Regarding the name of the band, "It's a name that makes people think" explains Ferentino. "Some people might think love in reverse would be hate, but it goes deeper than that -- everything we feel is made up of opposites, of contradictions. We try to capture that." The first single from the LP is "blueprint for a possible song," and is enjoying medium rotation on radio stations from New York to Florida, from Texas to Pennsylvania. It was in the top five most requested songs in Ft. Smith, Arkansas only three weeks after it was released. On my rating scale of one to five, I give "i was here" by "love in reverse" a solid five. I also mentioned their EP, "I Was Dog," and here's a brief review of it: "I Was Dog" only has five songs on it, but what a great five they are! Each song has a totally different flavor and attitude from the other ones, and really showcases the talent of this band. The song "I'm a Contradiction" is in video release and appears in rotation on MTV's "120 Minutes." It's also the best song on the EP. My personal favorite, "I Inject You," is a minor key, driving beat, grab you, pull you in melody, with intense lyrics that leave you with a strange feeling about this offbeat love song. The other three songs are equally as compelling in their own way. This one is definitely a 5++.

Michael Ferentino "love in reverse" I also had the privilege of interviewing Mike Ferentino, the lead singer/songwriter of "love in reverse," right before the LP was released, and here's what we talked about: AMZ: My favorite songs on "i was here" are "play for dawn" and "morph." What are yours? MF: Mine are "feeding frenzy" and "morph." AMZ: Well, at least we have one in common! LOL Tell me about "morph". MF: I like variety, but I'm into mood oriented music. I did all the vocals, including the background, on a double of six tracks done in unison on "morph." AMZ: You're kidding! I thought there was more than one person singing that song. MF: Thanks! That's a compliment. But it was just me on all the vocals. EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one of the really outstanding tracks on the CD, with a surreal quality in both the sound and the lyrics. AMZ: You bill yourself as an Alterna-Space-Rock band. Why? MF: We're looking for the Science Fiction fans, because when I write I put my mind in a fantasy world. Major influences come from children's books like "The Hobbit" and other Tolkien fantasies, "Alice in Wonderland," and Dr. Seuss. I consider music an escape into the imagination, not a reiteration of reality. I believe the imaginary world is important. I'm a great fan of Science Fiction and Horror, and Joyce Carol Oates is one of my favorite authors. AMZ: Do you consider yourselves entertainers, or are you trying to send a message to the world? MF: We're not really here to specifically entertain, and we're not into giving a message either. We're more interested in giving people enjoyment and an escape. We try to do what a book does -- when you finish, you want to stay in that world until you find another. AMZ: Do you consider the lyrics or the music more important? MF: Neither. They're both equal. I write a lot of poetry and verse, and I'm into lots of different kinds of music. AMZ: Could you use another type of music to express your lyrics, or is the Alterna- Space-Rock genre a necessary part of the message? MF: Sure I could use another kind. I'm very into natural instruments, and fantasy and folk type stuff. I have another 150 songs already recorded using only three instruments and no technology. Just a 12 string and 6 string guitar, and a harpsichord. AMZ: I read in your press release that you got your contract with Reprise because your manager sent them an e-mail with sound bytes included. Reprise is a pretty prestigious label to pick up your first release. Was it really that easy? MF: Almost. After the e-mail, the president of Reprise came to see us play live and talk to us, and that solidified the deal. AMZ: I'm curious. Why did you choose to release your first LP on Enhanced CD, and what you think of the product in general? MF: The only reason it's on Enhanced is because the label wanted it that way and promised they won't charge any more for it than a regular CD. The record company is really into the computer world, and wants to be on the cutting edge. At least with the Enhanced, people with computers can get more info on the band, and it reduces the size of the booklet included with the CD to eight pages instead of twenty-four. The band isn't really into it, although Andres did the graphics and stuff to keep the cost down. Personally I think Enhanced CDs are pretty much of a waste until the format allows for several hours of info, and when the artists get into more than just the music -- not handing over the artistic interpretation portion to someone else. AMZ: I see you've been doing limited tours with "Gravity Kills", "Stabbing Westward" and "Holy Barbarians." What are your future tour plans? MF: We just finished a tour with one of the members of "The Cult's" band, and have a chance to stay home for a few weeks. Right now we don't have specific tour dates scheduled, but we'll be on the road again after "i was here" is released.