For Those Of You About To Rock?
Some bands form in order to achieve fame and fortune. Some feel a burning desire to bend trends and push stylistic envelopes with esoteric art and deconstructionist ideals. Some bands wouldn't be caught dead with the word deconstructionist hanging from their lips. They just want to rock, and hard.
The classic rock band FOG is as esoteric as a runaway freight train full of wild boars barreling down a mountainside at high noon. Their guitars scream with the passion of a thousand murderous band saws and their amps crackle and smoke with the rage of ten thousand mother lions. From their mouths fly swords, fire and mercy. They are on a mission - and yes, it is a mission from God.
FOG, a name originally chosen as an acronym for "Four Old Guys," is an old-school hard rock and heavy metal band as bent on sharing their passion for Jesus Christ as they are on reviving good old-fashioned musical mayhem. Whether juicing up a worship song like a hot-rod in August, tweaking a classic tune, redefining it's meaning and commandeering it's verve towards their own ends, or unveiling an original song that sounds as if it blasted straight out of a time-machine set to 1974, FOG is unapologetic in both their commitment to vintage rock and in their enthusiastic performance of it.
Front-man and lead vocalist David Miller was rocking pubs as the drummer for various cover bands at the spry age of fourteen. Artists like Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Van Halen were his musical inspirations. Over twenty years later he merged his passion for gut-crunching rock and roll with his newly invigorated faith in Christ and caught a vision. Miller got together with several friends and church-mates to form what was at first a novelty act, but would soon become a very active ensemble. Warren Poi (guitars,) Jim Groleske (drums) and Ron Regnas(bass) joined with Miller and a few other friends to romp through some cover tunes and amped up worship songs. Though the group started as a bit of a joke, they soon found themselves with performance offers from places as diverse as bible studies and biker bars. Turned out as the whole world turned "alternative" around them, a lot of folks just wanted to pump their fist in the air and let their hair down.
The five friends all met at The Warehouse Church where they spent years together in fellowship before realizing they shared a love of old-style hard rock, and a common desire to preach the Gospel wherever they could. They found themselves invited to youth groups, outdoor jams and even some of the roughest biker bars in Illinois and Wisconsin. From intimate crowds in church basements to pounding masses in the thousands at outdoor festivals, they followed every invitation and boldly blasted their hearts out. What they lacked in polish they more than made up for in conviction. With their heart stitched plainly on their sleeve, and their amps up to eleven, FOG took shape.
Though willing to go wherever doors open and ears hear, FOG makes no apology for the reason they play. For them it's all about sharing their hearts and having a great time. For these Aurora rock-heads the only thing more satisfying than a blaring power-chord is the knowledge that they are offering a message of real hope in a hurting world. The fact that they get to spread the Word at 110 decibels is just icing on the cake.
