Injected

Posted in MusicWorld on June 9, 2002 by Bruce Britt

Hailing from the same Georgia hinterland that spawned roots rock acts like R.E.M. and the Black Crowes, Atlanta's Injected is altering the southern rock landscape. Where many of their southern contemporaries draw musical inspiration from blues, folk and country, Injected creates a molten metallic din on their appropriately titled Island Records debut CD, Burn It Black.

But while the band's skullcrushing alternative metal continues to seduce fans worldwide, Injected is also winning critical kudos for their ideology. The group's second single, "Bullet," is a bold anti-violence diatribe that swims against the tide of trendy nihilism. Composed after the band signed to Island Records, "Bullet" took shape when singer/songwriter Danny Grady elected to take advantage of the forum his international record deal afforded him.

"I guess somewhere along the way I realized that we were going to have some kid's attention for more than 15 seconds," Grady says on the band's website. "The responsibility of the situation just hit me over the head like a ton of bricks one day. This song ... [is] a scream against the atmosphere in popular culture and with parents and schools that makes a Columbine possible. It's a middle finger in the face of bands who capitalize on their teenage listener's frustrations and anger, yet offer no real solutions or judgment calls. . . . The truth is: if you bring a gun into it, well then you're a punk and a sell-out. I'm not sitting on the fence on this one."

Such unequivocal statements have helped Grady and his bandmates - guitarist Jade Lemons, bassist Steve Slovisky and drummer Chris Wojtal - become critical darlings. In an uncharacteristically enthusiastic review, CMJ magazine recently wrote: "[this] fiercely adorable Georgia foursome has the chops and the savvy to create radio-friendly hooks [as] addictive as heroin." A similarly smitten Alternative Press noted: "What's intriguing about this Atlanta-based quartet is that they never deny their roots, yet they never forget where they're going."

Injected's innovative music hasn't gone unnoticed by the music industry. In a tremendous vote of confidence, MTV recently booked Injected alongside Nickelback and Default on its 2002 Campus Invasion tour. Injected's song "I, IV, V" appears on the Spider-Man soundtrack, while "Burn It Black" appears on the Scorpion King soundtrack. The debut single, "Faithless," is featured on the MTV soundtrack for Tough Enough. With concert and film exposure like this, Injected's future seems platinum-plated.

SOURCEMusicWorld TAGS Folk Rock International Musicworld Hitmaker Artists The Black Crowes Nickelback R.E.M.