08/11/2006

Special to the Record-Eagle
Nonpoint is touring in support of their latest record, "To the Pain."

Tour is band's 'meat & potatoes'

Nonpoint makes a stop at Streeters

BY BOB DARROW

bdarrow@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Chances are, a lot of people in northern Michigan have already heard Nonpoint in the last month.

Anyone who has seen a commercial for the Hollywood shoot-'em-up "Miami Vice" has heard their bass-heavy, industrial rock cover of Phil Collins' classic, "In the Air Tonight." They recorded the soundtrack's lead song in 2004 for the album, "Recoil."

"We had a little extra time in the studio," frontman Elias Soriano said in a phone interview. "It was kind of a last-minute decision."

Nonpoint will play more recent material when they stop at Streeters Ground Zero on Tuesday with supporting cast Silent Civilian, Seemless and Ankla. The group's latest effort, "To the Pain," was released last November and has produced rock-radio singles, "Bullet With A Name" and "Alive and Kicking."

Instrumentally, "To the Pain" sticks to familiar territory that has already been better covered by the likes of radio-friendly metal acts Sevendust and Godsmack.

Soriano's vocal talents give the songs a much-needed lift, effortlessly melding a smooth hip-hop sensibility with a gritty, raging growl.

The band is from the Fort Lauderdale area, just north of the Michael Mann movie's title town. The real-world Miami, saturated by Latin and hip-hop clubs, is a tough place for rock groups to get booked, Soriano said, but Nonpoint has managed to break into the local scene.

Despite forming in Florida, Soriano said Nonpoint has built a strong following in the Midwest through six years of relentless touring; they'll play in Grand Rapids on Sunday before heading north to Traverse City.

"Most of our focus is on our live show," he said. "That's the meat and potatoes of our band."

The Michigan shows are just two of 18 the band is scheduled to play in the next three weeks, and they plan to continue touring until at least February. Work on a new album could begin next summer, if the group isn't still on the road.

"We'll tour until we're dead on this album," Soriano said.