The Rabid Whole, a band based in Toronto, takes a new twist on alternative rock with a more futuristic, electronic feel. The current band members joined together in 2011 to make two albums: “Autraumaton Remixed” (2011) and “Refuge” (2012). They are set to release a new EP, “Problems,” later this month.
The Rabid Whole, led by Andreas Weiss on vocal and guitar, consists of George Radutu on guitar, Oscar Anesetti on bass, Chalsey Noelle on keyboard and Matt O’Rourke on drums.
“This version of the band is from 2011, and it’s when we really started doing big things,” said Weiss.
Weiss and Radutu, who started playing together in 2008, formed the band and were songwriting and touring until 2011, when they decided to relocate to Toronto, a much bigger city with a good music scene. Weiss and Radutu were the only ones who made the move, so they had to find new band members in Anesetti and Noelle.
Near the end of 2008, the early version of the Rabid Whole played a show with Left Spin Down, a band from Vancouver. It was their entry into the music industry.
“One of the guys there was a representative for a Vancouver record label and they liked our sound,” Weiss said. “We parted in 2011, but that was our start, we started to tour, release albums, start getting into the [music] scene there.”
The name of the band itself is a play on words. Weiss is a fan of bands with names that allude to more than you can see on the surface.
“I kind of tinkered around with a bunch of different ideas and this one seemed to reflect what we were doing,” Weiss said. The Rabid Whole defines themselves as alternative rock, because they cast a wide net. The band touches on a lot of different types of music, making their music not always what you would expect from.
Weiss also commented that he looks to Nine Inch Nails as a model. The band mixes aggressive guitar with electronics, and their live shows are a complete production, a whole visual and audio experience.
“If they feel like a loud guitar song, they do it, if they feel like making a quiet piano song, they do it. It doesn’t really matter what it is, it’s just good music,” he said
Speaking of good music, the favorite song from the songwriter himself is “Refuge.” One of the older tracks, this song has a powerful, pounding beat and hypnotizing lyrics that draw you in. “It kind of hits close to me, you know, kind of about returning to your roots. It meant a lot to me when I wrote it,” Weiss said.
Several crazy things have happened to the group in the last few years, one being the presence of Burton Bell of Fear Factory at one of the Rabid Whole’s shows in Chicago last year.
‘We hung out with him backstage, and he told us he was really impressed with the band, he really loved it,” Weiss said. Bell then insisted on paying for a CD from the band.
“It’s was really cool because that’s the guy whose band I used to buy CDs from, so you could see it come around,” Weiss said
The Rabid Whole has been around, touring Canada and the U.S. They hope to take a tour across Europe later in their careers.
Set to take on the Terminatour of North America with Cyanotic this fall, The Rabid Whole will play in Ypsilanti on Sept. 29.
Why should you come to the Maidston Theatre to see The Rabid Whole? According to Weiss, “It’s going to be a kick-ass show, high energy, cool lighting, cool music. It’s going to be an experience and we give it our all. Our live shows…are worth every penny.”
Event Preview
The Terminatour, led by Cyanotic with The Rabid Whole, is making a stop in Ypsilanti this fall. On Monday, Sept. 29, both of these bands will be at the Maidstone Theatre at 8 p.m., not even five minutes away from campus.
The Rabid Whole is accompanying Cyanotic on this United States tour following a long tour across North America, largely focused in Canada.
The alternative rock group takes great pride in their live shows. The whole thing is a big production of lights and music with, according to lead singer/songwriter for the Rabid Whole, Andrew Weiss.
It will be a “high-energy and a kick-ass show; it’s going to be an experience and we give it our all,” he said.
Cyanotic is a Chicago-based band that has been gaining popularity in the past few years, thanks to word of mouth and performances with groups like Skinny Puppy, Acumen Nation, and several more. The hard-hitting electronic rock band has released two full-length albums in 2005 and 2010.
Their songs embody a science fiction vibe with a pounding rhythmic beat that feels a bit hypnotic. Cyanotic just released a new album earlier this month titled “Worst Case Scenario,” which isn’t as heavy as expected. It does, however, feature large amounts of experimentation in many genres of electronic, metal and of course, rock music.
This 2014 tour of the US is highly anticipated by fans of both bands; the tour will feature the new albums released by Cyanotic (“Worst Case Scenario”) and The Rabid Whole (“Problems” EP). Both bands are more than ready to take on the show in Ypsilanti this Monday with their newest music and best performances.
