The Kill Circuit

Disarming audiences with unbelievably loud yet relentlessly melodic music, The Kill Circuit has been writing and playing from their headquarters in Norfolk, VA since 2010. The main constant for the band has been how uncategorizable they are. Yes, they are a “rock” band, but one that skims the boundaries of this word, tipping their collective cap to the giants that loom in each melody. They are tightly structured, heavy and driving, yet melodic at the same time. But threading these traits together is the same obsessive attention to detail from guitar player/singer Mike Ragan, drummer Joey Rudacil, bassist/singer EJ Toudt, and guitar player Pete Raffetto, that is the epitome of their unique sound. Originally starting out as a three piece, The Kill Circuit added Pete to the lineup in January 2012, filling out the sound even more. The music made for their first EP, “We Could Have Been Unstoppable”, reflects a process that’s even more detail-obsessed than earlier efforts by each members former outfits (Buzzard, Crab Nebula, Black Ranchero, JWonder).

Drawing influences from bands as diverse as Riddle Of Steel, Shiner, Isis, Turbonegro, Helmet, and Radiohead, The Kill Circuit set out to create a sound that combines heavy music with more melodic approach to vocals. And though they are only a four piece band, the live show is the proof. Blisteringly loud, driving and melodic at the same time, the sound created by these four gentlemen belies their numbers. The muscular 26” kickdrum thump of songs like Picking Up The Pieces, Shadows, I Am The Voyeur and 50 Below not just heard live but felt.

On their first full length, self-released album "Low Transit," the songs are heavy, melodic power pieces. Jazz influences are detected in Joey Rudacil’s drum playing, as he is pounding a relentless 4/4 beat one moment, only to shift gears into an impossible barrage of lightning swift rolls, and off-kilter cadences. He keeps the action rolling, as the dual guitars criss-cross each other, running the gamut from intricate finger exercises, crunching rhythms, to delicate yet forceful leads.

Songs like Search for Echoes, and Reach the Outside display the band’s seasoned chops, and no-nonsense delivery, while Too Thin to Showis full of galloping drum beats, crafty guitar riffs and heartfelt vocals. The lyrics tell stories of dissolution, confusion, hope and resignation, utilizing melodies that are masterfully sung by vocalists Mike Ragan and EJ Toudt.