Formed with the belief that "punk" meant freedom and not just a "spirit of '77 sound" or a certain fashion requirement, Mongrel was born in September 2003 with that freedom in mind that allows the blending of the intensity and energy of old school punk, with the memorable hooks and riffs of hard rock and the early 90's Seattle scene, and that extra biting edge of metal. Since that time the band's evolutionary course and heavy schedule of shows have brought them to where they are today as one of "5 Bands to Watch" (Hippo Press, March 2005) and one of "5 Bands to Discover" (Hippo Press, November 2005) in the local music scene. Mongrel has also been featured in Revolver magazine’s “Raw Talent” section (Nov. 2005), and was cited in Metal Edge magazine as “the hardest working band in Boston” (Jan. 2006).
Mongrel has opened for such bands as the Misfits (5x’s), GWAR, Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses keyboardist, 3x’s), The Exploited, Prong, Otep, Wednesday 13 (Murderdolls singer), Michale Graves (ex-Misfits singer, 10 shows, including two 4 day mini-tours), Blitzkid (20 shows, including two 8 show tours), The Independents (4 shows), Trashlight Vision (20+ shows), Piggy D’s Evacuation Plan (Rob Zombie bassist’s side band), Mushroomhead, Hed(pe), and All That Remains. The band has received airplay on WAAF, WBCN, WFNX, WGIR, WHEB, WUML, and various other college and internet radio stations locally and around the world. Mongrel has played at venues such as The Palladium (Worcester, MA, 3x’s on the main stage), CBGB’s (NYC), The Middle East (Cambridge, MA), The Living Room (Providence, RI), The Webster Theater (Hartford, CT, main stage), The Asylum (Portland, ME) as well as many venues in between, averaging 70 or more shows a year, with 105 shows in 2006. Mongrel has played in 12 states including; Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Mongrel’s full length album, “Fear, Lies, and Propaganda” was recorded at Moontower Studio in Cambridge, MA and mastered by Grammy award winner, Jay Frigoletto at Pro Mastering in Brookline, NH. “I Refuse” and Mongrel’s cover of the AMEN anthem “Coma America” were featured on the 2006 Rat Pak Records compilation. The song “Shut Your Mouth (Open Your Eyes)” was featured on the 2007 soundtrack for the Solomon Mortamur film, It Came from Trafalgar, and their song “The World Loves a Tragedy” is set to be on the upcoming Skater Rock compilation being put out by Versailles Records. In the fall of 2007 Mongrel signed on with Screaming Ferret Wreckords who will be re-releasing "Fear, Lies, & Propaganda" both nationally and internationally in early 2008.
SOME QUOTES ABOUT MONGREL :
"If anybody knows about musical car crashes it's me! Mongrel embodies all that is great about punk rock. Their music sweats pure angst, driven by an audible destruction that is in rare form these days. And then there's the live show....wear a helmet!" - Piggy D., bassist, Rob Zombie
“Mongrel is hands down the hardest working punk rock machine in New England. With their aggressive work ethics, high-energy live shows and pure dedication to the mission, Mongrel's latest release "Fear, Lies, and Propaganda" will surely bring them to new levels of much deserved success. Even nuclear war could not stop these guys....check them out!” - Joe O’Brien, Owner, Rat Pak Records
"Mongrel go for the throat quicker than the bastardized canine from which they sequester their Hancock. The sobriquet under which they banner their aural beatings could not be more fitting. Plus, I hear they eat babies." - Argyle Goolsby, Blitzkid
“Mongrel take the DIY ethic of Black Flag, the anthems of the Misfits and throw a low slung Les Paul on it like Gn’R!” - Acey Slade, Trashlight Vision, ex-Dope/Murderdolls
"Mongrel will bite you, then kick your ass musically in a way that you are going to love." - Shred, WBCN, local music director
Visit http://www.MongrelBand.com for all the latest information.
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