Pick a style of rock music. No matter how obscure it might seem, you can be certain somebody in New York City is making it. In the Five Boroughs and beyond, the rock flame will never be extinguished. Fashions may change, and mainstream attention might waver, but there are too many true believers in the city to stop the rock from rolling on. To the five members of Killcode, rock music is more than just a pastime or an art form — it’s a way of life. They speak for thousands upon thousands of others who consider rock central to who they are, what they do, and how to do it. So when Killcode says “Let’s Get Back To Rock N’ Roll,” raucous assent is sure to follow.
In the New York underground, these musicians are already viewed as tireless champions of rock at its most elemental and powerful. Killcode has shared the stage worldwide with bands such as Rammstein, KISS, Aerosmith, Five Finger Death Punch, Twisted Sister, Queensryche, Alter Bridge and Airbourne as well as sold out headlining shows at premiere NYC Venues such as Bowery Ballroom and the Gramercy Theater. They have also released two albums and a series of ferocious EPs to regional acclaim. In recent years, they’ve taken their distinctive amalgam of Southern rock, metal, roughneck barroom blues, and pure Downtown grit across the Atlantic and beyond, appearing at the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany, Rockfest Barcelona in Spain, Hell and Heaven Fest in Mexico, Riverside Aarburg in Switzerland and other gatherings of the faithful worldwide. Wherever they’ve gone, they’ve made their total commitment to rock manifest for audiences and left pure hysteria in their wake.
Although “Let’s Get Back To Rock N’ Roll” is an unapologetic anthem for traditionalists, it’s a more complicated song than it initially seems. The interplay between guitarists Chas and DC Gonzalez is subtly intricate, and even as the pair foreground power and attitude, they never stop thinking about how to hypnotize the listener. Bass player Bobby Flores and drummer Rob Noxious never lose the groove, but they strategically vary the intensity of their approach, always remembering to let the song breathe. And singer Tom Morrissey shines in a mid-song breakdown that doubles as an opportunity to rally the crowd behind his great cause: rock music, played with absolute passion and conviction and no compromises whatsoever.
And in case it wasn’t clear where Killcode is coming from, David Swajeski’s raucous clip for “Let’s Get Back To Rock N’ Roll” situates the band in the heart of the city. He gives us great aerial footage of the city at its most dramatic. But the clip really comes alive when he dives into the clubs and bars, where he catches Killcode in action, driving crowds of leather-clad rockers into sheer delirium. That’s what they do. As long as they’ve got musical instruments and voices to shout with, that’s how it will always be.
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