Employing a hard-hitting blend of post-grunge, modern rock, and alternative metal, Tantric emerged in 1998 and released its gold-selling eponymous debut in 2001. Featuring three-quarters of the original line-up of hitmaking post-grunge outfit Days of the New, the band released a string of Billboard-charting albums and hit singles as the decade progressed. Like its mother band, Tantric also fell victim to personnel changes, and in 2007, co-founder and vocalist Hugo Ferreira entirely restaffed the group and has remained the sole constant member ever since. Subsequent efforts like 37 Channels (2013) and Mercury Retrograde (2018) continued to populate the hard rock charts. Days of the New rocked heavy in 1998 with their major-label eponymous debut and the singles "Solitude" and "Touch, Peel and Stand," and the boys from Louisville, Kentucky, quickly absorbed the success and MTV's praise. But as soon as they enjoyed the rock & roll fast life, original bandmembers Todd Whitener (guitar), Jesse Vest (bass), and Matt Taul (drums) left after creative differences and whirlwind hype. Two years later, the three were still making music, but under the moniker Tantric. Signed to Madonna's Maverick label, the band welcomed new vocalist Hugo Ferreira and issued a brand-new self-titled album, more rollicking and bold than their previous output. That album became a gold-selling hit, with "Breakdown" topping Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock chart and reaching the Top Five of its Modern Rock chart. "Astounded" went Top Ten on the Mainstream Rock chart and reached the Modern Rock chart; and "Mourning" hit both charts. Tantric followed three years later with After We Go, which landed on the Top 100 of the album chart and produced the Top Ten Mainstream Rock hit "Hey Now" and two other tracks that charted, a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" and the album's title song. In late 2007, Whitener, Vest, and Taul exited Tantric, just as they had Days of the New. Ferreira retained rights to the name, however, and he organized a new edition of Tantric with Joe Pessia (guitar), Erik Leonhardt (bass), and former Fuel member Kevin Miller (drums). With this lineup, Tantric recorded their third album, The End Begins, released by the Silent Majority Group label on April 22, 2008, prefaced by the single "Down and Out," which reached the Top Five of the Mainstream Rock chart. By the time of the band's fourth album, Mind Control, released August 4, 2009, Miller had been replaced by Richie Monica, and the group had expanded to a quintet with the addition of electric violinist Marcus Ratzenboeck. The band moved to Pavement Entertainment for 2013's 37 Channels, which saw Ferreira take over the majority of the songwriting and production, as well as rhythm guitar, bass and piano. The LP debuted at number 24 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart. 2014's Blue Room Archives was a hodgepodge of previously unreleased material, remixes, and newly recorded acoustic versions of early tracks like "Breakdown" and "Mourning." In 2018 Tantric released its seventh long-player, Mercury Retrograde, which they promoted with a tour in support of Puddle of Mudd. ~ MacKenzie Wilson & William Ruhlmann, Rovi

BACKROADS ROCKFEST @ GARY’S ICE HOUSE 2018

Tantric

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