 The Oktober PeopleAlbuquerque, NM Nate - Vocals/Guitar The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based space-rock quartet began as a trio in 2002, with Rhian Batson on bass, Chris Moffatt on drums and Nate Santa Maria on guitar and vocals. They came together under the influence of such melodic narcotics as Appleseed Cast, Mogwai, Pink Floyd, venerable indie rockers Archers of Loaf and shoegaze champs, My Bloody Valentine. By the time Sean McCullough was added to fill out the band’s massive guitar attack, other influences such as Kinski, Sigúr Rós and The Album Leaf had seeped in, giving the Oktober People the luxury of being able to creep gently through understated sheets of shimmering, Zen-like harmonic passages, then pull off 90-degree turns into blissed-out dueling guitar figures that light up the night sky like fire on the mountain. The band’s penchant for jarring dynamic shifts coupled with their collective ability to shave the edges off with deeply emotional melody and intensely complex song structures is matched only by their passion, whether on stage or on record. Indeed, the end may not be so near after all. - Michael Henningson, Weekly Alibi |