Who knew cyanide could be so sweet?

Album Art/Sweet Cyanide II

By Eilene Rogers

When I was in N.Y, over the summer I had the opportunity to interview Sweet Cyanide for another publication I contribute to. The band opened for Mr. Big at BB Kings back in August before the re-release of their newest full length album, “Sweet Cyanide II.”

After scheduling the interview I began listening to music off of the band’s first, self-titled album. It was refreshingly strange in some areas. I could hear a touch of the 80s hair metal sounds combined with a very heavy early 60s influence. It is more unique than anything I have heard out there recently.

As I sat down with vocalist/guitarist Sal Scoca and bassist Angelo Fariello, I instantly liked them. They were happy and humorous. Then as I looked a little closer I saw something else in their eyes. It was a familiar look but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I chatted the boys up as we went through the interview. It always makes the interview more relaxed when I don’t act like a journalist by plowing the musicians over with 20 questions but instead treat them as friends.  I even made Scoca blush when I pointed out the Paul McCartney influence in his vocal style.

As we joked around a bit, it suddenly hit me… that look!

It was a look that left so many of your eyes so long ago. It was a look that has been missing from the eyes of most of the musicians I’ve interviewed over the past two years. It was aspiration… but it was not just out of anticipation for the future I saw there. It stemmed from deeper than that. It was a love of the music, a love of the life style. It was the look of holding onto dreams.

The look was so infectious that it made me want them to hang out with every musician I know, famous or not but especially the famous ones. If maybe all of you could see that look, then maybe you could get it back. If I could bottle it, I would sell it.

Since I left NY, I have kept in-touch with the guys in Sweet Cyanide, as I do with many of the new friends I make on my endeavors. I look forward to watching them grow.

Now, I drive around Texas in my car listening to my Sweet Cyanide CDs and I just have to say, I love them both.

I often trap my musician friends in my car and make them dissect the music with me.

Coming from a woman who gets new music thrown at her every day, the impact of what I’m about to say may seem colossal to many.

Sweet Cyanide is presently my favorite “new” band out there.

The two CDs have a diversity of sounds in which every individual song stands alone. I really would hate to pick out specific songs and point to them because you’d be wasting too much time reading this review when you should be going to listen to the music right NOW!

The other members of the NYC based band include drummer Mike Bambace, guitarist Joe Salvatore and guitarist Tommy “sneakers” Sica. The band as a whole is talented all the way around. Though Sweet Cyanide is known as an opening act for many large headliners, the band itself is destined to become a major headliner.

If interested in buying the CDs they are both available on iTunes and Amazon. A friend of mine had problems finding the second CD, so when searching on Amazon, make sure to search under “Sweet Cyanide II” for it.

For more information on Sweet Cyanide or to hear samples of their music, visit the Website at http://www.sweetcyanide.com/current-site/.  Also visit the YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/SweetCyanideNYC .

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