Sometimes the music world gets lost in an attempt to drag the ear into obscured frontiers or oversimplified repetition. How much rock n' roll does one actually here on a "Rock" radio station these days? Fear Itself was formed to remind everyone that rock n' roll still exists and it can by heavy, fun and dangerous. To imagine the power and intensity of Fear Itself, take a big hunk of Pittsburgh-style hard rock steak, basted in heavy doses of Corrosion of Conformity riffing, Guns and Roses bluesy-rock danger, Alice in Chains chording and melody and throw it all on the grill. Fire it up and take a bite. In 2004, Fear Itself teamed with Audioloft Studios in Ambridge, PA to release its first five song EP. Its success helped lead singer von Dehn to perform an acoustic set of Fear Itself music at the Layne Staley Benefit Show in Seattle, WA in August of 2004, an annual performance to assist in drug prevention, education, and recovery. Von Dehn joined other well known artists at this function, including Aaron Lewis from Staind, and Kevin Martin (formerly of Candlebox) and the Hiwatts. Tracks from the White Spider EP is now played regularly on 105.9 The X's Edge of the X, and receives airtime on other radio stations such as 93.7 K-Rock in Pittsburgh, 90.7 The Lion in State College, PA, WWVA in Wheeling, WV, X96 in Salt Lake City, and 104.7 The Edge in Fairbanks, Alaska. In February, thanks to Freedom Zone, Amp Energy Drink, and Mountain Dew, the band was included on Amp 6Pack Volume 19, where Fear Itself's music was forwarded to 356 college radio stations around the United States. It seems fitting that Fear Itself is the only band listed under "Rock" on this CD. Lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist, Gero von Dehn, formerly of The Purple Headed Soldiers (Pittsburgh) and Quaff (Salt Lake City), founded Fear Itself in 2003 to launch his newly created collection of original music. Basement jam sessions with drummer Lyle Clevenger produced Fear Itself's first raw collection of music. The band began to flesh out when Von Dehn's childhood friend Tom Caste joined Fear Itself on bass. The three provided the nucleus of Fear Itself for nearly a year, until Croatian axe-wielder Boris Dujmovic (formerly of Axa) joined the band on guitar. Now fully assembled and hitting on all cylinders, Fear Itself is preparing a full length album due out in late 2005, and has assaulted the Pittsburgh music scene as well as the surrounding areas. Although the songs stand on their own, a real Fear Itself experience can only be found in front of the stage. This past summer, Fear Itself was invited back to Seattle to perform as a band at the Layne Staley Benefit concert in Seattle, WA at the Showbox on August 26, 2005. The show drew nearly 1000 fans and only reinforced the band's belief that fans are hungry for straight-ahead rock. The band took the opportunity to play a few additional shows in the Pacific Northwest, including Tacoma's hard rock and metal showcase, Hell's Kitchen. Fear Itself's hard rock is all original, but takes influence from the metal heyday of the 80's, which profoundly influenced all the band members in their youth, while absorbing the sonically heavy rock from the early 90's (Alice in Chains, Soundgarden), and big chord rock in between (Down, Guns 'n' Roses, Rhino Bucket). Visit us on the web at www.fearitselftheband.com. Please direct all inquires to Tom Caste (412) 287-3158 or by e-mail to tomcaste@yahoo.com. Website http://www.fearitselftheband.com Discography White Spider, EP, Release Date: March 2004. Tracks: Feedback, Won't Get Me, Divinime, Give and Go, White Spider. Four of these songs are featured on Amp Energy's and Mountain Dew's Amp6Pack Volume 19, distributed to over 300 college radio stations. We've been featured on 105.9 Edge of the X in Pittsburgh, as well as 93.7 K-Rock in Pittsburgh. Music has also received air time in Fairbanks and Salt Lake City. Streaming audio available at www.cdbaby.com and www.fearitselftheband.com.