When I finally got the call to do a story for

whatzup, I was elated. When Mr.

whatzup told me, “I figured that since you

work for the Bear, you liked the harder stuff so

I would like you to do a story on a really good

metal band, Consumed By Fury.” I got a bit

nervous. Do I like the harder stuff – like the

really hard stuff that doesn’t have much

of a home on the radio? Sometimes. Do I know

anything more about metal than this years’

Ozzfest line-up or Slayer? Nope, that’s Drew

Cages’ (host of Bear Metal) job, not mine. That

being said, what better way to get a “metal

education” than from the four metal vets who make

up Consumed By Fury?

So, with a slight hangover, a full cup of coffee

and only the third Powerbar that I’ve ever bought

in my life, I got to go to school on a Sunday

afternoon.

Here’s the line-up: Pat Martin (vocals), Adam

Bricker (guitar), Rory Grams (bass) and Brian

Tonne (drums).

According to Pat, “Metal is that two-seconds

before you punch the wall.” Perfect. I can

relate; who couldn’t? Within seconds of hearing

his definition I completely understood where

these guys get their music, and good music it is.

Consumed By Fury is a relatively new band (their

live show count was at six during the time of the

interview, although it’s gone up a few since

then). But don’t be fooled by how many times

these guys have played live shows under the name

Consumed By Fury. They’re all hardened veterans

who have played in many other bands, including

Little Green Men and Industrial Strength. These

guys have families, jobs and all the other

responsibilities people are bound by. They just

happen to have a hobby that consists of putting

together all-original and in-your-face music

during their free time. I might add that they do

a hell of a job with that so-called hobby.

Sitting in Adam’s living room, it’s very easy to

see that the guys are thrilled just to be hanging

out and having a conversation about what they

love. It’s also easy to see that Brian is the

quiet one. I think Pat, Adam and Rory keep him in

the area of “that two seconds before you punch

the wall,” and once you see him play the drums

you’ll know why they do. It’s always the quiet

types that surprise you the most, maybe because

you don’t expect too much from quiet people, let

alone someone that can destroy every inch of a

drumset with skills that most people could only

dream of.

You would think that four guys in a metal band

may be hesitant to open up, but I found quite the

opposite on this day. The conversation was

jumping around like a one-legged man on a

trampoline, and I managed to get quite a few

things out of them. When asked of their

influences, Sepultura, Rush, Pink Floyd,

Slipknot, old Metallica and Kiss seemed to take

the cake. When asked of their “guilty pleasures”

(you know, the stuff you listen to when no

one is around and that you’d never admit to),

I got responses that would make an accountant

smile and included The Gorillaz and Evanescence.

When the discussion went to metal and where it’s

at today. the tone became quite a bit more

serious.

“Metal is not the genre to make a bunch of money

or be a rock star,” Pat says. And what he says is

true, unless you look at the attendance of

Ozzfest week in and week out, state by state and

country by country. But I know what he means.

What are, really, the chances of being the next

Ozzy? That statement only means one thing: Pat

and the rest of the guys love what they do. With

a world of material and motivation all around

them, these four guys regularly step into a realm

that most don’t have the nerves or, more

importantly, the ability to pull off.

“We’re not the kind of band that makes music to

dance around to with balloons and confetti. It’s

about having a brew, getting a little sweaty and

jumping into the pit without getting into a

brawl,” says Pat. When asked about moving the

crowd, Pat bellows, “If we see the people

moshing, we know we’re doing our jobs”.

One thing that has kept me from truly

understanding the metal genre is that the lyrics

aren’t spoken or sung; they are mostly screamed.

I’ve always liked the blazing riffs, thunderous

drums and bass lines that could deafen small

animals, but I could never grasp the lyrics. I

posed this outlook to them (after all, I’m still

in class), wondering if I was going to get

expelled. Not even close, thank God. Rory on

understanding screamed songs: “It’s hard to get

at first, but once you get it, you get it.” As

they say of beer, it’s an acquired taste. Says

Adam, “Everybody needs to realize it’s not just

screaming. There’s talent in that to do it and do

it well, and we’ve got a guy that does it really

well.”

On hearing Consumed By Fury, talent is one of

the first things that come to mind. To un-trained

ears, metal music may sound confused, but the

guys in this band know exactly what they want the

final product to sound like, down to every note

and noise the echoes from the stage. Even though

they average only six-hours a week in practice

time, they make the most of it. “We don’t mess

around in practice. We get on each other for

everything in order to make it right,” said Rory.

Later in the day, Pat had left and the other

three took me to Adam’s basement, where they

proceeded with an impromptu session without their

vocalist. The seriousness in what they do

combined with their passion for music had every

bone in my body rattling and wanting to hear

more. Consumed By Fury is the real deal, whether

you’re a metal fan or not. Talent is talent, and

these guys have more than their fair share.

Metal’s popularity is growing quickly. Bands

such as Slipknot, Lamb of God (for whom Consumed

By Fury opened for at Piere’s not too long ago)

and Shadows Fall are already household names,

while Bloodsimple and Killswitch Engage aren’t

far behind. With that said, what does the future

hold for Consumed By Fury? Record deals? Tours?

Pat humbly responds by saying, “Playing anytime

we’re able and selling 1,000 CDs.”

A very modest goal for such a talented band,

yet it clarifies the point that Consumed By Fury

does it for the love of the music (and, by the

way, if anyone wants to put together a

full-fledged metal show and has the land to do

it, these guys are game).

You can also look forward to a new album by

Consumed By Fury, as they plan to go into the

studio to record an album as early as November.

So the next time you have a moment in which you

find yourself in that “two seconds before you

punch the wall” area, take a deep breath and

relax. You’re not alone. There’s a whole world of

music right here in Fort Wayne waiting to help

you out. Catch Consumed By Fury live, and you

won’t be disappointed. Nor will you have a broken

hand from actually punching the damn thing. Class

dismissed.