NORTH

They have NIN’s mastery of technology and Sepultura’s politics, brought from the third world to ours with a pronounced spiritual twist. This four-piece Industrial Metal band from Chicago was formed in 1993 by producer/engineer, drummer, and keyboardist Brian Eaton. North uses technology to the hilt, giving the band its industrial strength rock sound, but there’s more hiding below the surface. North’s vocalist Don Grillo manipulates his voice in unearthly ways, scowling and screaming, drifting into harmonies then laying his soul bare. Bassist Nick Sanzeri knocks the listener flat with intricate bass lines coming up from the depths. Classically trained, Sanzeri is the perfect compliment to Eaton’s rhythmic base. Jon Studtmann has the duty of filling in the high parts with searing guitar work. Equal parts of metal and rock mixed with a style all his own, Studtmann uses his guitar as an emotional Richter scale, reversing the feel of a tune with the changing of a note. Eaton’s samples provide an overall gothic feel to the band’s sound.