Bahamian hard rock band Avante Guarden performs on stage.

Published On:Wednesday, March 03, 2010

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

THE diversity of the music industry in the Bahamas is present in a new local band "Avante Guarden", whose music is not the upbeat rhythms of reggae, or the soothing timbre of rhythm and blues, but instead is the rotund drumming, heavy guitar riffs, and lush vocals of hard rock.

As the new Bahamian hard rock band, the five member group is officially introducing themselves and their music to the local audience.

Each member of AG completes the puzzle, bringing together every piece necessary for a successful emergence.

Their music is not the usual fare played on the local radio stations, it's different and that is what Avante Guarden exemplifies.

Representing their breakaway from music typically heard by Bahamian listeners is "Almost Home", the band's first album expected to debut this month.

There are a total of nine tracks on the album. And amongst the ringing melodies lies beautiful passages birthed from the mind and spoken from the heart.

Their music is beyond the surface, and while there are songs that one can groove to, their songs are thought provoking and heartfelt.

"This is what AG is about, making beautiful music, music that one can relate to. We try to make the best music that we can," Vallon Thompson guitarist and song writer for Avante Guarden told Tribune Entertainment.

All of the songs on the album are original compositions by the band.

The majority of the songs on "Almost Home" were written by Vallon. Lead singer Jaynedoh wrote one of the peices.

"Vallon is so good at what he does. His lyrics are just beautiful because he takes it to another level. He's has some of the best work," Jaynedoh said.

"Brave and New" is one of the songs on the album that typifies a thoughtful piece of work and is a tribute to human "beingness" Vallon said.

"This song is about recognising that even though we as human beings are different, we are still the same. Show me the difference within us and I can show you a thousand things the same. It's more of breaking down those barriers that hinder us from being the people that we are when no one is looking," he explained.

Their music is already beginning to reach many, since they are slowly building a supportive fan base here in the Bahamas.

" We have a number of AG supporters, and our fan base is continuing to grow. There are some hard-core rappers who are fans of our band. They are at almost every one of our performances," Jaynedoh said.

And even thought their growing fan base is an encouragement, both Vallon and Jaynedoh admit that it is difficult to be an emerging hard rock band in the Bahamas.

And after they have left their imprints on the music industry in the Bahamas, they are setting their sights on the international music world.

"We want to take our music to the world. But before we do that we want to gain the respect of our fellow Bahamians," Vallon said.

It took a while for Avante Guarden to fully establish themselves as a hard rock band, since it was a hassle finding the right person with the right voice.

Once Vallon, who in fact started the band, found those pieces, he knew Avante Guarden would be a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.

"There were many experimental compositions to fine tune the sound of AG and there were many singers. AG went through about no less than six vocalists in its initial stages seeking the right voice for the it's particular style," Vallon said.

Later he met Jaynedoh who faced a similar problem.

" She had been searching for someone who was good at producing rock music and I was looking for someone who could sing the music," he said.

They came together with three other band members Ashley Algreen the lead guitarist, Gary Francis, bass guitarist, and Bailey the drummer to form an electrifying assembly

This is just the beginning for this hard rock band. People can expect to see much more of Avante Guarden in the near future.