Ride the Lightning

By Jenna Croyle

At the beginning of the 80’s, the Heavy Metal scene began to explode with a number of sub genres of the music including Thrash Metal which broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax.

With fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship, Metallica quickly earned their place as one of the founding “big four” of thrash metal alongside Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.

Metallica has released nine studio albums, three live albums, five extended plays, 24 music videos, and 45 singles, along with winning nine Grammy Awards, and the first band to have had five consecutive albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200.

As yet another accolade bestowed upon this legendary band, Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. As of December 2009, Metallica is the fourth best-selling music artist since the SoundScan era began tracking sales on May 25, 1991, selling a total of 52,672,000 albums in the United States alone.

In that same spirit, and with all the same energy and stage appeal, this week’s featured band, Whiplash emulates the masters of Thrash Metal with power instrumentals, rapid-fire chops and devastatingly commanding vocals, making Whiplash a full-blown, in your face tribute to one of the greatest bands in Metal music history.

Whiplash is a talent packed, five-piece embodiment of Metallica that is made up of Thomas Miller on Lead Guitar and Vocals, Michael Calabrese on Drums and Vocals, Sean Dean on Rhythm Guitar and Vocals, with Kyle Forbes on Bass Guitar and Jerry Szczesny as front man singing Lead Vocals.

Every Whiplash show features all the best, most popular hard driving Metallica songs that we all know and love such as For Whom the Bell Tolls, One, Enter Sandman, Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam, Fuel, Whiskey in The Jar and many, many more.

The Whiplash Lead Guitarist, Thomas Miller blasts out powerful solos and perfect harmonies with just the vibe that melodically guides the band through every song perfectly, just what you should demand from a great Metallica tribute band.

Michael Calabrese pounds out the hard-hitting beats with speed, power, and precision, flawlessly playing the demanding patterns that Metallica music demands.

Sean Dean’s Rhythm Guitar is simply outstanding, with powerful riffs and high-octane performances Dean blows the house down every time.

The Whiplash front man, Jerry Szczesny has a Metalrific voice that carries every song perfectly, delivering every line with spot on Metallica accuracy and has just the right flavor of grit that makes every performance simply outstanding.

Whiplash is without doubt everything you might expect from a Metallica Tribute band and then some, giving their audiences that big concert feel from a barroom stage.

As they flash before your eyes, you can feel the flames burning in your brain while the music roars, your heart pounds and your body shakes you suddenly realize, Whiplash is guilty as charged, the area’s hottest, most electrifying Metallica Tribute band you will ever hear on an Erie stage.

For more information on Whiplash and their show dates, please visit the Fans and Friends of Whiplash Facebook Page.