The absolute best band in Columbus without a doubt!! I met them at their CD release show a few years ago and they blew me away!! I have been to a few shows since and they still got what it takes to hit the bigtime! I have yet to see any band in Columbus out do these guys yet!! If you are thinking of seeing just one band this year make it FortheDrive. They will not dissapoint!!

Many of you might not even know who ForTheDrive are, or what style of music they play, well their melodic trend of music will blow you away, trust me on this one. This five-piece hard rock band coming from the heart of Columbus, Ohio bring you their self-titled debut album with 11 powerful hard rocking tracks ready to pound your ears. The guys who bring you For The Drive include Chadd Conkle on Lead Vocals, Rob Smialkowski and J. Michael Taylor on Guitars, Micah Dorward, who was recently replaced by Nathan Ploesser as the band's new bass player, and last but not least, Eddy Hindes on drums. Now enough about the band, let's move on and review this great album shall we. The album kicks off with a techno like intro, that you would hear on a keyboard or something with a mixture of hard guitar riffs to the song "Brushstroke Fantasy". As soon as Conkle starts singing, you can feel the energy that ForTheDrive have and this track has that little sound effect just making you want to listen to it even more. Next we have "Love Used To Be", a softer song in some parts for example in the verses, then picks it up a notch in the catchy chorus that this song contains. Now we have a song, that I can't just can't get enough of, "Can't Go To Sleep". This song has me bouncing off the walls so to speak. The work done on this song is just amazing, great lyric work by Conkle and great riffs and instrument work by the rest of the band. In case you people didn't get my hint, I don't know why, maybe that this song is catchy to the ears, but its my personal favorite of the entire album, I personally love it, all 4:54 minutes of it. Now we move to a different style of ForTheDrive, well sort of, with their song entitled "Dreamer". This track is a lot more mellow then the rest of the album such as "Refuge", a screamo song that gives you a big rush. "Dreamer", a soft melodic track just to make you take a break from the hard in your face rock that the other tracks contain. If you think this track is softer than the rest, it gets better, we close out with the same track, but with a special touch added to it, the band decided to make an acoustic version of the song. This would be a good song to listen to if you are depressed or something because it is very slow and way different then the rest of the album. To close out, ForTheDrive aren't done pleasing us fans and they are working very hard to come out with another release very soon and I can't wait for it. If you happen to see this album floating around in your local record store, I recommend that you pick it up and let ForTheDrive show you exactly who they are and what they are trying to prove by making you their next fan. When I first heard the band, I didn't think they had what it took, I listened to one song, and decided to listen to other tracks, and man what a band and album. This independent band are looking for a major label to sign them so if you are reading this, take a listen to this band and let them show you why they are worthy of more in life, by being signed to a top record label and showing their fans that they are here to stay. Rating: 4.5/5

ever bought a cd that you cant take out of your player? this is it. i cant get enough of this cd. every song has something that sticks in your head all day long. this is the best cd i have ever bought. i hope these guys record more cd's b/c this is truly a talent that should not be ignored. if you have not bought it yet or gone to see a show you are missing out on something truly amazing. buy it now or you not realy living.

Every once in a while a band comes along that thrashes it’s way through the recorded tracks of there material but can’t quite cut it in person. This is not one of those bands. I had the opportunity to see band’s CD release performance at CBR’s on Friday and I have to say that they did not disappoint. The first band, Embassy, was finishing up their set when I arrived at the club, and Noise Auction soon followed. When the next band, Headchange, filled a microphone failure with improvised covers of “My Friend of Misery” and “Every Breath You Take”, I realized that it was going to be a night of splendid live music. Before FortheDrive took the stage I mingled with the audience before taking my seat that overlooked the crowd. I was amazed to see the diversity in age among the spectators. The number of moms, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers sisters, cameras and recording devices, could have easily fooled the layperson into thinking that this was either a high school graduation party or an MTV special. Although to the band’s benefit, the pierced ears, navels, noses, eyebrows and the obligatory assortment of body art mixed well with the polo shirts, khaki pants, and keys to the mini-van. The fact that there were family members in attendance as well as die-hard fans, some of which had flown in for the event, left little to the imagination about FortheDrive’s appeal and support from all flanks. The band set up there own gear and went through a quick sound check. The crowd swelled, and screamed, arms were thrust into the air as test beats teased the audience. The stage at CBR’s is unique, especially for a live music venue. In the past, it most likely was a dance club, so the stage setup is a sunken area at the center of the room. FortheDrive amassed at eye level with the crowd, showing them that they were no better then ones who flocked to see them play. Before the show, I asked lead singer Chadd Conkle what drove him to perform the way he does on stage. He looked around the room with a smile on his face. “This. All of this. This is why I do it.” Then he quoted T.S. Elliot: “You are the music, until the music dies.” The introduction was played live, not a prerecorded movie sound-clip that very few can pull off. When the crowd was primed and the instruments locked and loaded, they eased into “Brushstroke Fantasy”, the opening track of their self-titled debut album. I watched the band from the edge of the pit, overlooking the first three rows of the crowd. Conkle’s vocal ability was only trumped when he flung his microphone over his shoulder and played his part on the pint-sized keyboard. J. Michael Taylor’s guitar seemed as though it should be a part of his lower torso. He felt comfortable with it; I could just see him walking around with it all day. Interchanged with his incendiary power chords were little snaps of finger work all made whole by guitarist Rob Smialkowski, whose holy trinity of loud rock and roll-Gibson guitar, Fender amplifier and Marshall half-stack speaker-cemented the sound as top-notch. Eddy Hindes’ drums were the spinal column and nerve center of the band’s sound. Hindes’ perfected the discovery at the bottom of the beat in his playing, infusing some old school double bass drum into the otherwise Emo-esque opening song. On the bass guitar was Micah Dorward. As the backbone of the string section, he showed of his prowess for the music by wearing his bass high, and using the body of the grooves rather then just the beats and tempo. The set list comprised mainly of tracks from their brand new record, with a pair of new tunes thrown in to give everyone in attendance the promise that this stallion is no one-trick pony. The music itself was the highlight, far surpassing the hordes of tank topped females among the sold-out crowd. FortheDrive’s sound is a combination of great tastes. The power chords mix well with the down picking that rears its head throughout the album. The solid rhythm section, along with the guitars- whose simultaneous riffing makes me salivate-give the music a life beyond the stereo system. Instrumental versions of these songs would be astounding. With all the components in place Conkle’s vocal range tops it off with a cherry making FortheDrive a premiere live act, as well as consummate recording artists. If anyone had the opportunity to see them live, I highly recommend them as one of those bands you make a point to see. While your there pick up a CD, it captures to a tee what the members can forge on stage. And at the very least, you’ll have a 45-minute encore for the drive home.