Silver Spade Releases Slip Away

Following a trend is easy, especially when you're a band that's trying to make a name for yourself. Absorbing elements of everything else around you is natural. But who wants to be a part of the cookie cutter main stream.., or worse... the cookie cutter counter culture.

In a scene where all of the conformists and nonconformists are playing the same type of music through virtually the same gear, and citing the same influences, Silver Spade goes against the grain in a truly unique way. They aren't racing to be the heaviest, nastiest metal around. Nor are they trying to mimic the dark ambiance and drop tuned nature of radio rock. What these four guys do is write songs from their own experiences. They write music that is catchy as well as technical, and they craft masterful lyrics that are more than fluff and cliches.

Locking down the back-beat for a band with no rhythm guitar is a difficult task. Pete Simone can lay down extremely steady drum patterns that incorporate just enough flash to keep him from blending into the background. While keeping the time and groove going, Pete also contributes vocal counterpoints and harmonies to add a sense of depth and complexity to Silver Spade's music.

Complimenting Pete as well as bridging the gap between rhythm and melody, is Eric Neuman. Eric's dedication to pushing the limits of his instrument keeps Silver Spade moving forward. Covering both the roles of traditional bassist and fleshing out parts that would normally be played by a rhythm guitar, Eric's style locks in tightly with Pete's to provide an unbreakable backbone of rhythm and lay down a strong base for the melody to ride over.

Providing heavy chord work and intricate melodies, Bobby Yapchanyk's guitar work runs the gamut from over driven chunking to operatic solos. Having honed his skills first on piano, Bob is a master of both chord theory and song structure. Bob's style and virtuosity on the guitar allow him to convey as much emotion as the vocals. With his foundation set by Pete and Eric, Bob's guitar playing takes on a fluid nature and completes the backdrop for Silver Spade's music.

At the helm of the band, and providing some of the most original vocals around is Rick Yapchanyk. With his brother and two of his closest friends setting the stage, Rick pours his spirit out through his voice and completes Silver Spade's essence. Rick's vocal styling stands out from the crowd because he's not afraid to sing. He doesn't have to hide behind effects and screaming. Rick can convey the raw emotion of the lyrics with a powerful voice and almost unbelievable range.

With each member either holding a college degree, or slated to graduate by June of 2007, Silver Spade is not a band of fools. Each member has a background in some aspect of song writing and sound engineering. All of the members of Silver Spade are also very well trained as musicians, but refuse to succumb to the idea of creating music solely for other musicians to enjoy. They would rather use their skill to create something universal, something that everyone can relate to.

On Friday, November 10, 2006, Silver Spade released their independently produced 6 song EP entitled Slip Away.

While most independent artists pay for studio time and engineers to record, mix, and master their albums, Silver Spade took a much different approach. "With the exception of mass duplication, we've done it all with this EP," says guitarist Bob Yapchanyk. "We didn't just show up at a studio and play through our songs. We've done a lot more than that, and a lot more than we had anticipated."

Due to their limited budget and perfectionist inclinations, the four members of Silver Spade hunkered down in the home studio of Bob Yapchanyk and vocalist Rick Yapchanyk, and went to work. After nine months of recording, editing, mixing, mastering, and designing cover artwork, the band came out with a professional quality EP ready for duplication.

So far fans' reactions to the quality of Slip Away have been nothing but positive. "You would never believe that this was a self-recorded CD," said John Mirabile, who heard previews of the EP. "It sounds like any other professional CD I listen to." Some local bands, like Plan of Attack and Fumehead, liked the sound quality so much that they approached Silver Spade to find out where they recorded

Perhaps better than the duality is the content of Slip Away, which offers six heavy, yet melodic rock songs about living with and not giving into the pressures of society. "Every time I hear any of these songs, they become embedded in my head," said Jeri Klein, one of the many fans who find themselves humming Silver Spade songs day after day.

"We're very excited about this release," says bassist Eric Neuman, "and we're optimistic that it will introduce the world to a new sound in hard rock.”Slip Away will be available for purchase on the band's website, www.silverpademusic.com.