Powerglove Sign to E1

Powerglove -- a 'WTF'-inducing video game and cartoon theme song influenced metal band from Boston -- have signed a record deal with E1. It's Powerglove's first label deal, as all previous releases were DIY affairs.

They are 99 percent finished with the new album -- the title of which will be announced shortly -- is based off the nostalgia of Saturday morning cartoons that dotted their childhoods as well as some movie themes! They pervert the theme music from 'X-Men,' 'Pokemon,' 'The Flintstones,' 'Transformers' and 'Johnny Quest.' We know, you might be asking, "WTF?!?" But trust us. The band is brilliant and knows what the hell it's doing.

"We've been a video game band covering video game themes," the band told Noisecreep. "This record goes in a slightly different direction with cartoons. This is our weird version of a concept album that's tied into some nostalgia zone. When we were kids, we spent our Friday nights not going out, but playing video games. The next day we'd wake up, watch Saturday morning cartoons." Does that sound like a familiar scenario in your life at the age of, say, 10?

Powerglove metallicize cartoon theme songs. "We add lots of original parts and treat the themes, which are often under two minutes, as melodies, choruses, ideas to build a larger metal song around," guitarist Chris Marchiel told Noisecreep. "They are perversions of the original melodies, in different keys."

Since the band is borrowing from established music, they have to seek permission from the original songwriter or publishing rights holder and then pay publishing royalties. They do it legally and it is an extra step "to make sure the person who owns the publishing is cool with it, since it's not really straight covers. When we change melodies, we have to get the changes approved," drummer Bassil Silver-Hajo said.

Given the extra step the band goes through in order to make their music, it shoots to hell the notion that Powerglove, which include vocalist Alex Berkson, are a 'joke' metal band. Bassist Nick Avila said, "We take the musical aspect seriously. Everything we record, we do it a million times. The image is what we don't take seriously. The stage show and image is as ridiculous as possible, since we are goofy guys playing heavy metal video game songs!"

Marchiel concurred, "That we'd take it this far and not be serious is absurd. We listen to our own songs and crack up. We put time and effort into music, and love it in the end. We want to make people laugh while they headbang."

The band's E1 debut' is due out this fall.