All kidding aside, this guy, even with his pale Irish skin, bright red dreads, and green latex, is beautiful. His name is Declan O’Shea and joining him onstage are his brother, guitarist extraordinaire, Ciaran O’Shea, along with Italy’s Nono Presta (guitar), and Frenchmen Christian Montagne (bass) and Jean-Michel Cavallo (drums).

Cyclefly is not some plastic, contrived, nu-metal hybrid clone; they play the music they want to play based on what drives them, without a care for mainstream or commercial rock. Their music is hook-laden, full, and rich, with addictive grooves. Their name is derived from a painting done by frontman Declan O’Shea. Its abstract design depicts various imaginary body parts in a cycle of life. Declan is inspired by artist Salvador Dali and is an accomplished local artist in Ireland.

In 1994 the O'Shea brothers were busy building roller coasters and jamming locally while Montagne, Cavallo and Presta played in a French band called 17. The trio soon moved to Cork, a seaport town in the Southwest of Ireland where they ran into Declan and Ciaran O’Shea in a local club. After building a following and gigging all over Ireland, the band was soon offered a deal by Radioactive Records which spawned their debut release “Generation Sap”, recorded in L.A. with producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers), the album created a huge buzz on American soil.

The quintets trademark blend of dark and enchanting pop tinged rock landed them on the road with metal giants Tool, followed by an outing with Linkin Park, and earning them appearances at the Woodstock, Leeds, and Reading festivals of 1999. Now on MCA records, Cyclefly is promoting the release of “Crave“, their highly-anticipated sophomore effort. Ignoring current industry trends, Crave features brilliant songwriting and musicianship, and solid production by Colin Richardson (Fear Factory, Machine Head) as well as producers Bill Appleberry and Tobias Miller who produced Adema's successful self-titled debut.

Music-Reviewer was able to catch up with guitarist Ciaran O’Shea at home in Cork, Ireland to get his thoughts on the new album. We found him spending the day at home, recovering from the first wave of tour and promotions following the new release. "Everything about this album is different, but musically Crave is more song oriented and less hard edged," explains Ciaran of the differences between Generation Sap and Crave. "It was more about the songwriting this time, you know, we lost that punk edge and made a mellower record, with slower songs that kind of take off at the end a bit more."

The change in style could be attributed to natural growth as musicians, but also may have been influenced by the recording process this time around. “We decided to do it entirely in our own environment, ya know, so we have done it all more or less at home”, States O‘Shea. “Working in L.A. on the first album, it was really sort of a punk rock effort, partying all the time, whereas with this album we were able to kind of chill out at home, and it really worked for us, having no outside influences.” The band rented a house at the edge of a sheer cliff on the outskirts of Cork. “It's like five miles to the nearest house. Total isolation, it helped us to focus more." States Ciaran.

The band also changed their writing style, working as a team to produce their latest effort. "It's definitely a lot slower process," reflects Ciaran, “but it gave way to more harmony and melody. Writing together made us stronger as a unit.” Their efforts seem to have paid off, as each of the 11 tracks on Crave are well thought out and produced and flow together seamlessly. “I thought that it came out beautifully. It really did, and its all different.” O’Shea Explains. “We tried to make sure when we were writing that none of the songs sounded the same, so if we heard a riff, or a vocal line or something that was like one of the others then we would throw it out right away. It had to be completely different in sound and character.”

Cyclefly will be touring the U.S. this summer and are really excited about playing back in the states. When asked about favorite cities and places to play, Ciaran says “It’s hard to say..it depends really, because the best shows are sometimes in the most unusual places, there are a lot of different places we love to play”. O’Shea continues “I love California, especially L.A., I think it’s the only city in the world I would want to live in really! It has a very chilled out element, as well as the big full scene. There are so many different things you can do there, including getting into a lot of trouble!”.

The band is currently on MCA Records and Ciaran talks about the new signing. “They have been pretty supportive so far. It’s been a big change from Radioactive. They are not as personal, ya know? The Indies sometimes get to personal, and want to have a say in everything.” As for the bands future, O‘Shea says jokingly “Hollywood! I want it all! No, really, I would just like to be out there playing, in front of audiences, making people happy and excited about the music.”

When asked about the bands personal dynamics, Ciaran says “We always know what to expect from each other. Maybe its because we all have such different backgrounds, being from three different countries, but we're very good friends. We live within a couple miles of each other and see each other every day. It's great. We've gone through all the big arguments already, so now we know what to expect!”

The second track off the new album is called “Karma Killer” and features vocalist Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. “He would come to our shows whenever we played the states, and he loved the first album, so we all became friends. He’s brilliant really” Ciaran Laughs “ We were recording in LA, and he sent over some rough mixes (of Linkin Park‘s), so we sent him over our rough mixes as well, and we have kept track over the internet, and he heard the new album and picked up the phone and said “I want to sing on a song with you!!” so we did it. He’s just brilliant, he’s such a beautiful singer...”

One thing is for certain, this band is going to make immense waves in the near future. Cyclefly’s music is difficult to explain, Declan’s voice can range from surreal to spooky, intertwining gentle melodies and fierce rhythms, together creating compelling songs with a unique style. Because of its distinction, I’m sure Cyclefly’s impending success will have its critics, comparisons, and cynics, but I think their music will overcome anything the industry can throw at them. People draw comparisons when they can't explain something new. I think Decky O’Shea described their sound the best “The music kind of bounces and then becomes sparkly, kind of like making love to your girlfriend’s lover”. If nothing else makes you check them out, that should! If you want to taste a new flavor of music, get "Crave," and become addicted.

Listen for their first single, “No Stress” to be released and if you want more information about the band check out www.cyclefly.com