Condemn the Infection

CTI not only gave this metal-head maiden faith in the fact metal is not dead after all, but also some of the most delicious eye candy this riot grrrl has seen in quite some time! That’s not to say that the guys can’t enjoy these actionpacked maniacs as well. The pit, albeit small, was still happening and quite a feat considering the band didn’t go on until well after midnight, and the crowd had already been moshing for 2 hours.

Previous shows like the one at Mark’s Sports Pub in South Daytona were as well received and included front-man, Charles Harmer placing the microphone strategically on his body in order for his Condemned groupies to grab on and scream out lines of their songs (much to both party’s delight) to a full on testosterone-driven pit that made me think Tarantism had poked its weary head here in the 21st century.

Dan Fedele, drummer extraordinaire and the band’s glue, keeps CTI sitting at pure perfection while Guitarist Pacey Abramczyk wails out masterful horror-filled riffs. Completing the line-up is Bassist Chris Lindsay, who slaps out mad beats and fills out the rest of their sound nicely.

My favorite part of the show, besides the music, of course, was when Dan leapt off the stage to give one very lucky girl a sweatdrenched kiss on the cheek, which, you could clearly see, tickled her fancy and broke the tough exterior that she had portrayed throughout the whole night. After witnessing such an incredible show, I had to know more. What was amazing is how genuine and sweet these guys were when I asked to interview them. So who are these guys and are they really from planet Earth? It turns out they are all ‘Snowbirds’ and proud of it. Even though they are all from states in New England - with Pacey insisting his hometown of Moodus, CT had a higher population of cows than people - ended up finding each other in Flagler County where they started playing music together just five years ago. Coming together to share their love of heavy metal music, CTI is highly influenced by bands such as August Burns Red, Tool, Circle Jerks, White Chapel, Pantera, Lamb of God and As I Lay Dying .

CTI has opened for bands such as Otep, Unkempt, and Lydia Can’t Breathe and have headlined several shows, with their favorite being at the New Smyrna Beach Hangar. “It was one of the sickest shows we have ever played,” said Pacey. “There were airplanes all around us and [it] had such a great vibe.”

For now, CTI tours tirelessly as much as it can between their day and night jobs - carpenter, coffee barista, bartender and one of them works at Palm Coast Data. Amazingly, they still find time to goof-off and have fun. When I asked each band member to call out another band-mates guilty pleasure in music, it was revealed that Charlie loves The Spin Doctors , and Pacey digs “ Take on Me” by Aha - I hear he has a sweet little dance to go with it as well - and Dan always jams out to “the cool, tasty sound of jazz” as they load up their gear after each

. When I asked if there is anything else that current fans and future fans should know, they replied, “Chris is actually 23 and not 16; he just looks that way. And Charlie has to have someone shave his back before each.”

After catching these guys in action more than a few times, I can certainly tell you I am a junky and I obsessively check their myspace page for any hint of upcoming shows. I would highly suggest you all do the samewww. myspace.com/condemntheinfection