LA. Knights

In a modern age of trend following, reliance on backing tracks and over processed sound, there are few bands who give their audience raw in your face rock, played from the depths of the souls and a swagger you can’t help but want to gravitate towards. The one band that fits this description guilty as charged and with pride is Akron, Ohio’s, L.A. Knights. With musical influences fueling their creative angst like Motley Crue, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, Aerosmith, Judas Priest, Dio, Ozzy Ozbourne , Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, L.A. Guns, Bang Tango, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Dokken, and Skid Row. L.A. Knight’s draws from a mass well of Rock and Metal Royalty to bring you some of the best songs, stage performances and attitude since their influences themselves that will leave you awestruck and longing for more. Formed in 2011 to open for Bang Tango at Jozey’s bar the initial lineup featured Jozey Zeitler on guitar, Dave Fanz on vocals, Michael Smith on Drums and Troy Poder (whom Jozey had met singing Karaoke) on Bass. Fanz and Smith were survivors of the Sunset Strip with their band Liquor Sweet, who had been voted one of the 50 best strip bands to never be signed. Liquor Sweet had played The Whiskey, The Troubadour, The Roxy and more and when they returned to Akron they were only the second band to ever sell out Akron’s Infamous Agora…the first being Warrant. Jozey who had been in the Akron/Cleveland Scene bands Mob Scene and Cellbound, releasing CDs with each through Detained Records as well as briefly being in the Bang Tango fold. Had become a well respected musician, songwriter and business man throughout the region. The instant chemistry on stage and with songwriting was undeniable between Zeitler and Fanz and only comparable to Rock Legends like Mick and Keith, Axl and Slash, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry as well as Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi. Fueled by and packing an arsenal of Jack Daniels, Fireball, Jaeger, Bud Light, Mascara, Eye Liner, Greasy guitar riffs and Catchy Hooks, L.A. Knights developed an aggressive high energy stage show that quickly lead them to become the “Go To” openers in the Akron area for National Touring Acts such as L.A. Guns, Bang Tango, Great White, Jackyl, Freddie Salem of the Outlaws, Tom Kiefer of Cinderella, Bullet Boys, Tuff with Stevie Rachelle, Tracii Guns, Faster Pussycat, Gilby Clarke and more holding their own on the stage, at the bar and in the groupie department right alongside these above mentioned music legends. In late 2011, Dennis Jaeger was brought in to replace Michael Smith on drums. And with fresh blood pumping into the L.A. Knight’s machine, writing for their debut album commenced in April of 2012. The l guys loaded up the beer and the booze and began recording in Hartville, Ohio at the Sound Shack with producer and engineer, Brian Haskins, who strategically took the sound that L.A. Knights had become known for and helped mold it into a juggernaut of dirty, party, old school Rock N Roll with a modern edge. And after a year of blood, sweat and many beers, the band’s debut disc “Rubber City Meltdown was finally released in April of 2013, through Jozey’s Detained Records to stellar reviews on such websites like pitriff.com, where Chris Akins of the Classic Metal Show gave it 88 out of 100 and said “Songs like “Don’t Cha” just bristle with a vibe that make you want to do a double shot of Jack Daniels and do some circle spinning of your long gone long hair.” He also compared Fanz to David Roach of Junkyard and said Jozey, “brings a dirty guitar sound to the fold.” Buzzard Tracks Blog upon reviewing the disc said “The result is a hard rocking enjoyable album with lots of hooks in the 80s-90s metal vein of their ancestors”, and continued on referring to Fanz as “a really good singer, strong melodic and versatile.” And noted, “Jozey’s Guitar is truly massive and sparkling with appropriate pyrotechnics and virtuosic solos.”All and all “Rubber City Meltdown” sold 1000 CDs and was considered a huge indie success for the Akron Partying Bad Boys and quickly set a standard for other bands in the area to aspire to. With success came admiration for the Knights and in late April of 2013 shortly after their debut release, Mike Baltrinic formerly of Straw Monkey and singer of local cover band Threshold, showed up at the L.A. Knight’s rehearsal and announced he was their new 2nd guitarist, "like it or not!" The question was could he live up to the standards of what the band had become known. Baltrinic had bought “Rubber City Meltdown” and learned every song frontwards and backwards in just two days and was determined to gain something for his efforts. Troy, Dave, Dennis and Jozey impressed by Mike’s brash presentation gave him a shot. After a jaw dropping audition the Knight’s knew they were adding another chair at their round table. Then in July of 2013 at the suggestion of former Outlaw and The Godz guitarist, Freddie Salem, brought another opportunity for the Knights when they were asked to record a song for the Eric Moore and The Godz Tribute album. After settling on the song “Guaranteed”, L.A. Knights began recording again at the Sound Shack with Brian Haskins behind the board once again. The song was a true homage to a band that is legendary to Ohio and was released in May of 2014 to rave reviews through Guard Dog Records. Another change in guard of the Knights’ Realm came in September of 2014 when Dennis Jaeger was replaced on Drums by Michael “Damage” Gallagher of Nightmare Recording artists, Dragonwyck. But as always the Knights rolled with the punches for the better never losing site on their’ goals. Damage adds an aggressive metal edge to the band and possessed the over the top stage flair that the Knights shows had become so famous for. So with a new engine in blood driving the L.A. Knights machine the RUBBER CITY ROCK BAD BOYS of Akron began a strict schedule of writing, rehearsing and partying in preparation for their next evolution in their growth to attack the music World. On November 15th 2014 all the hard work, broken relationships, logged stage time and consumed alcohol paid off for the L.A. Knights when they inked a deal with Independent Ear out of Chicago, Illinois. The Realm, as the Knights like to call the conjuring of their fans, is now set to go National and World Wide. January 2015 will see them enter Custom Audio Mutation Studios in their beloved hometown of Akron, Ohio with producer/engineer, Curran Murphy, guitarist for Shatter Messiah and formerly of Annihilator and Nevermore. With Curran at the helm, they hope to bring a more aggressive side to their catchy and hook laden songs with hopes of an April 2015 release that will be marked as the Knights second Disc and their first with Independent Ear. The disc will be called Psychoanalyze with tentative tracks to include Psychoanalyze, Whiskey Drinking Fool, Trainwreck, That Girl, Don’t Let Me Down, Who The Fuck?, Are You Ready, Listen, Dance, Devil on My Heels, Coming Down and more. The band will be touring in support of their release with dates to be announced in early 2015. Rubber City Rock is alive! Welcome to the Realm! Hard Rocking,Beer chuggin,whiskey drinking rock band!