Vancouver, BC. (Top40 Charts/ Fear Zero) - With all the talk of a "dying" music industry, and even sales of the much awaited "
Chinese Democracy" below expectations, other acts are using this "recession" as an opportunity to do things a little differently. Canadian recording artists Fear Zero just recently released their new album Whole Damn Nation through their website, fearzero.com. The album is available for download right from the website, and will be available at digital retailers like iTunes and at retail through a deal with Universal/Fontana in early 2009.
Using online communities at MySpace, Facebook, Imeem, iLike, and social media tools like Twitter, lead singer Ed Sadler is building quite a fanbase by interacting directly with fans. The hit "Breathe Again" was recently featured as the "Rock Track of the Week" at Garageband.com, and has earned numerous credits at the site, voted by its users.
Throughout the album you'll find that Fear Zero combines the bare knuckled musicianship of Van Halen/Foo Fighters tempered with the melodic approach of Stone Temple Pilots/Collective Soul.
With a budget rarely afforded an independent group, Sadler set out to make the album he always dreamed of making with the help of a couple of guys known only as the Guiney Bros. ''Without whom this CD would not have been possible' is an understatement,' Sadler says of the liner notes in the new CD. 'These guys really stepped up to the plate financially and enabled us to work with guys like Mike Fraser (ACDC, Aerosmith, Hinder) and Darren Grahn (Metallica, Crossfade, Third Eye Blind) and let me tell you, when you get to record in a famous and great sounding room such as Hippowest (formerly Mushroom), it just inspires you to play and write in the best way possible.'
After hooking up with ex-Warner Marketing president Wolfgang Burandt, the band began taking a bold direction in 2008 building up to the digital release of Whole Damn Nation by making its presence felt online leading up to a physical album release through Universal/Fontana in 2009. 'About 18 months ago I got a call from an old instructor of mine who I haven't seen in many years. He calls me out of the blue and says his daughter's husband's friend has a band he's funded and needs help! Hmmm great intro, I said sure send it over and I will listen to it, so a week later the disc arrives and it sits on my desk for the next two weeks. I thought I knew what to expect - well when I put it on I was absolutely blown away with the first few songs; 'Whole Damn Nation', 'Last Photograph' and 'You Make Me Feel' all are potential singles. I thought I had moved on from the music business but this band got me really excited. And I knew I was on the right track when my nine year old son said he liked the band too, he was a confirmed Jonas Brothers fan but now it's a toss up. So after some back and forth we worked out a deal and I was working with Fear Zero - back in the music business!'
Ed Sadler & Fear Zero Biography
If it's true that there is nothing to fear but fear itself, than Fear Zero has taken its name wisely. 'Fear Zero doesn't mean fear,' insists leader Ed Sadler, 'It's sort of an anti-fear. Don't be afraid of taking chances.
Fear Zero's new album, Whole Damn Nation, is an example of chance taking. It incorporates a wide variety of styles from hard rock to simple pop to reggae. Although Sadler grew up listening to rock and metal, a few years at Capilano College taught him to accept all kinds of music. Not to fear it but to follow instincts. 'I would say it comes from a place that is a love for music,' Sadler adds. 'I tried to write songs that made me happy. It's just ideas. You collect ideas as time goes on. If it's a good idea, I'm all for it. If one were a genius, they might have an iron fist, but to me all that matters is whatever makes the song better.'
Thus Fear Zero has developed. Although there has been a Fear Zero for six years, it has taken time for Sadler to realize his ambition. 'It was my project.' The singer/guitarist recounts. 'I wanted to start a band. In the early days, I'd write a song but I didn't know where it was going. Eventually, I zeroed in on a direction.' The first Fear Zero release was virtually a one-man do-it-yourself undertaking. Sadler had the songs but didn't yet have a band. He hired the musicians, did the radio tracking, handled the distribution, and the bookings.
In his mind, though, there always was a Fear Zero. To put together the band that recorded the fourth album, he reached back to friends he'd made while growing up in Trail, B.C. The first person Sadler contacted was Tony Ferraro. 'He's a smokin' drummer who can do other things, like sing and read music. That's really tough to find'. 'Finding players that are on the same wavelength was tough. My technique has been honed by my jazz experience so I was trying to find guys who were technically good and could do their own thing.'
Who else is Fear Zero? Bassist Martin Bertrand, whom Ferraro knew from Toronto, and Jeremy Harrison, the guitarist who has been a member of Fear Zero on past recordings and tours whom he met while the two taught at a local music store. 'I basically knew what I wanted,' says Sadler. 'I did the arranging and called upon much of my musical experience. The album is a fair representation of the band. It shows what they can do. It incorporates a lot of the elements I was interested in. Anywhere I can get my hands dirty on the creative side of things is where I want to go." Which means following his instinct without fear�.
Originally released as part of their 2007 release 'In Lights', 'Breathe Again' has been lighting up the charts at popular rock destination Garageband.com and is part of the new album Whole Damn Nation. The track 'Falling Down' was recently awarded 'Judges Choice' in the Punisher: War Zone movie soundtrack contest by the folks at Lionsgate Entertainment.
When developing the new tracks for Whole Damn Nation, the management of Fear Zero asked frontman Ed Sadler to show us his musical prowess; the result was the guitar solo Octane, which echoed some of Sadler's favorite guitar solos including the likes of Eric Johnson and Eddie Van Halen.
With lots of buzz building and plenty of news and surprises in the coming months, there are plenty of ways to stay updated; subscribe to updates through the Fear Zero RSS feed, join the street team at Reverbnation, and even follow Ed's personal updates at Twitter.
