LOS ANGELES (www.blacklabworld.com) - In 1998, an unknown rock group from Los Angeles was on the verge of massive success, only to find their dreams abruptly pulled from beneath them. Eight years later, they have burst from the ashes, resurrected souls that See the Sun with wide eyes of hope and deep-seated emotion.
For the alternative band Black Lab, love lost and found is viewed through a cinematic lens. Like scenes from a movie, songwriter Paul Durham shoots every line like a heartbroken reel. He crafts his words with a poet's eye, the scenes lit with the radiant light of his yearning, soaring voice.
Originally signed to Geffen Records, Black Lab mesmerized modern-rock radio with the haunting singles 'Wash It Away' and 'Time Ago,' both Top-40 hits on alternative rock and pop formats. The group's intelligent, heartfelt lyrics and wide-screen guitar attack had them compared to U2. Radio programmers hailed the band as the Next Big Thing.
Contributions to soundtracks followed as their moody, passionate vocals and sweeping guitars landed on the soundtracks of Can't Hardly Wait, Varsity Blues, Permanent Midnight, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Unfortunately, on the cusp of world domination, their label went out of business, leaving the band's dreams in disarray.
In 2002, Black Lab found themselves on the soundtrack of Spider-Man, opening another chapter for the band – or at least for Durham, who produced the band's second album, See the Sun, with new guitarist Andy Ellis. Born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, Durham was the mad scientist behind Black Lab.
See the Sun represents Durham's relentless desire to produce the kind of record that'll wow listeners worldwide. Using the epic, incandescent riffs and dark yet emotionally uplifting vocals that hooked fans in the first place, See the Sun often spices rock-solid guitars with subtle layers of lush synthesizers, giving the tracks a contemporary yet timeless feel. "Black Lab pick up where they left off...soaring vocals and crunchy riffs," raved Adam Harrington in the U.K.-based Whisperin & Hollerin. Karla Ash praised See the Sun as "the kind of alternative rock LP which can bridge generations; it has the melodic riff drama of vintage U2 and the sonic punch of the Smashing Pumpkins."
While See the Sun further develops the sonic landscape of Black Lab's debut, Your Body Above Me, the band continues to expand its sound into uncharted territory, contributing the wicked techno of 'This Blood' to the film Blade: Trinity, as well as music for television (MTV's Real World, 'What I Like About You,' 'The Days') and the upcoming film Lovewrecked.
All things Black Lab, including streaming and free downloads from the new and past albums, can be found at www.blacklabworld.com.
For interview requests, please e-mail publicist Michael Sutton at [email protected]
