(by kevin busczinski)

When Eli asked me to do this section of the website for him, I was flattered to say the least. I feel that I have been truly blessed to have known these guys, and it was the ultimate compliment to me that I am now writing this.

Rise Above started out just like any other band - in the garage, and for the most part they still spend their time in there, working out kinks and such. But when I came over for the first time and saw how dedicated they all were to what they were doing, I began to humor the idea  that something  more was going to happen. I can remember Eli practically forcing me to listen to their songs, not that I wouldn't have any way. I remember Danny hopelessly working on bass lines. I can remember JV struggling with his foot pedal, and  Sammy...well,  Sammy has always just done his thing. Funny story: the acoustics in Eli's basement aren't the most wonderful in the world, and all that can ever be heard is the drumming. One time they were playing a new song, and five seconds into the new song JV messes up and stops playing, Danny and Eli both stop, but Sam is still hammering away at his drums because he can't hear anything else. Everyone else is just laughing hysterically. I can't say that things like this  don't happen anymore but they have taken  long strides since those first few practices.

As I stated above, I've known the members of this band for years, and I can say that their music and their live performances are an extension of their personalities. Whether it was a song they played for me off a new record they bought or  late-night conversations, they have never ceased to lift my spirits. I'm often called the fifth member of the band, and as that phantom member I have attended many a practices and have been the crash test dummy for their new songs and sounds. Each one has progressively shown that they have formed a bond that not only allows them to find their sound, but each song also further defines their friendships with each other. Thus, Rise Above demonstrate the true sense of the term "inspiration-core." They write  powerful, heartfelt lyrics, stemming from personal experience and while doing so, they seem to be able to express a knowledge of the world that not a lot of us can see.

Rise Above can relate to all the arbitrarily coined genres of punk rock. If you crave the youth crew sound, they got it covered. If you like melodic, emo-esque songs, they'll throw a few of those in their too. But beneath it all, there is still a taste of the rapid grinding  drum beats and palm mutes that started the  movement. After all, their influences  range all over the scale from....Hot Water Music, to A.F.I., to Avail, to Boy Sets Fire, it even stretches into that mysterious realm of neo-metal (well that's mostly just Danny). I often tell people this though...even if you aren't a fan of their style of music, their live performance will have you talking for weeks. There has never been a band more possessed by their music. With the exception of Sammy for obvious reasons, they spend half their time on the ground doing combat rolls and other Rise Above patented moves.

Needless to say, you should check 'em out, and feel free to approach them at a show because they'd love to hear what you have to say, whether it be music-related or life-related.  Well on behalf of myself and the band,  STAY STRONG & STAY POSITIVE!

-BUZZ