There’s never a dull moment at the Glass House in Pomona and September 19^th was no exception. The House was lucky enough to have Opiate For the Masses, a rock/metal band from Phoenix , Arizona , on their list of the night’s performances (along with Ambulance and One Side Zero).

            First, a little bit of history on the band. Opiate for the Masses was formed in 1999 after Ron Underwood (vocalist), Jim Kaufman (keyboard/guitar) and Elias Mallin (drums) decided to leave the bands they had been in to start a new band together. They wanted to collaborate on creating a new style of music that was unique and original. After coming up with a few musical ideas, they added Dustin Lyon (lead guitarist) and Ryan Head (bass) to complete the band.  They decided to name themselves Opiate For the Masses because of their interest in Karl Marx’s idea that “organized religion is an opiate of the people.” In other words, “…participating in organized religion can potentially channel one away from spirituality itself,” as explained in the band’s bio on their website, www.opiateforthemasses.com.

            Now about the music. Their style and performance is creative and their sound is really original. The hard rock/metal songs such as “Half-Intelligent,” “New Machines and the Wasted Life,” and “Another Day” have an energetic and fast sound that really gets their fans hyped. Awesome lyrics such as “There have been many times before that you've been told. Familiar faces are the ones that ease your soul. Tell me- why did they think they were so clever? I know when to say when, and never to say never. Another day, another time will be here. To face that fact is to live without fear,” from “Another Day” show their talent as writers as well (they write all of their own music).

            Songs from their newest album, “New Machines and the Wasted Life” offer a variety of hard rock that leaves their fans wanting more, as do their live shows. It’s no wonder they received Arizona Republic’s title for the best modern metal band of 2000 as well as the Best Live Performance and Most Likely to Succeed awards at the Arizona Infusion Music Awards.

            It’s unquestionable that Opiate For the Masses will continue to succeed (they are continually writing and experimenting with their music); they have already gained support from their growing fan base (as was obvious at the Glass House) and their creative style prove they’re just beginning.

            To find out more about Opiate For the Masses, visit their website at www.opiateforthemasses.com.