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PREMONITION FEAT |
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STREET BEAT: Regional Artist Spotlight…
THEY ARE METAL …OF THAT YOU CAN BE SURE!
PREMOTIONby Ernie Thomas
Though heavy metal generally gets bashed as being the music of the devil, the wild-eyed and heavily tattooed lead singer of dark metal group –– Premonition –– has been an angel to many over the years.
By night he stalks stages of region clubs as Tattoo Frank. By day, he is Frank Spears, a savior to those battling alcohol and drug addictions.
“If they are ready to set their lives straight, people can call me anytime at 1-800-41-SOBER,” challenged Spears. “There IS hope and there ARE people to help, but you just have to want it.”
Though the Hammond native has been singing since discovering Ozzy Osbourne at age six, he did not form his first band –– Shattered Image –– until he was 14-years-old.
It was in the early 1990s, after forming the Black Sabbath tribute band, Scarred, that Tattoo Frank made his name in Chicagoland. Spears sported garish black make-up and arrived on stage in a coffin during those days. “We did it all back then,” he recalled. “Make-up, blood, fire, mannequins, smoke...”
Scarred eventually took to writing original music and released a tape, that launched a regional hit with the political song, “What Is Wrong?”, which still gets radio air play to this day. Spears always includes that song in every live show he performs.
As he draws bear to middle age, Spears’ focus is on his music rather than special effects. “I don’t wear the make up anymore. With Premonition, I just come out in jeans and a t-shirt and rip your face off,” he laughed.
Premonition may be brand new to the Calumet Region, but not to the international world of heavy metal music.
Premonition has existed eight years, have released five full length albums during that time – He Is Rising, Fame Has A Price, We Are Metal, Daily Suicide Live and Prozac And Razor Blades –– and have toured heavily as support act for several international death metal bands.
This was all accomplished while Frank Spears resided in Florida, before returning home to the region for family reasons this past May.
Save for Spears himself, this is a brand new Premonition. The singer is again working with his best friend Stevenvy of Hobart, who played guitar in Spears’ post-Scarred region band, The Altar.
“I don’t think a week went by when I was living in Florida that Steven and I didn’t talk,” said Spears. “He’s a killer guitar player and we write well together. He’s the first person I called when I knew I was coming back to the region. I told him to start getting a band together.”
The rhythm section is bassist Glenn “The General” Curtis and drummer, Dee Anthony, both ex-Seven Ten.
Premonition’s set list includes songs from all five Premonition albums, along with his two Scarred staples and some choice cover songs by Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, and Armored Saint.
Two new albums are in the works from Premonition in 2005, including a concept album called, Ghost Stories, featuring songs about famous true hauntings in Chicago, Florida and other parts of the world.
The second will be another straight up metal album with a working title of Lay It To Rest. |
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