Randall Flagg: Unique NJ Metal

The multi-talented crew has continued to evolve since forming in 1999-not in only in its sound, but in its line-up. Consisting of high school pals Adam Browning (vocals), Ryan Fleming (guitar) and Babak "Bob" Davodian (bass), along with the recently acquired drum mastermind and blast beat guru known as "z", the band continues to push itself and its music further into the unconventional and unusual. Davodian, who joined the band in the spring of 2005, also performs with the extreme death metal tech-fest Divine Rapture.

"Our style is unique," says Browning; "A hybrid of insane, hardcore throwdowns with artistic and melodic metal." It is this amalgam that separates RANDALL FLAGG from most other heavy metal bands. "I think [that] musically, we walk a different path and try to mix new sounds and styles into a heavy metal context," adds Fleming. "Basically, there are no rules for what we write. If it sounds good and it's interesting, anything can become a song."

From forming in a Rockland County, NY garage to performing at New York City venues such as Don Hill's and the Pussycat Lounge, RANDALL FLAGG has evolved into something distinctly special in the heavy music scene. After a few personnel shifts, the Jersey City-based band has settled into a cohesive unit. Drawing from a wide array of individual backgrounds, interests and influences-including Nirvana, Persian folklore, Nine Inch Nails, Botch, film scoring, audio engineering, The Dillinger Escape Plan, graphic design, The Smashing Pumpkins and the Deftones-there's a rare and inherent depth in RANDALL FLAGG's music.

Concentrating on communicating an original sound-often thunderous, always compelling-rather than fitting into the heavy metal band stereotypes, RANDALL FLAGG leaves the metal to their music. "We are basically a bunch of geeks who like computers, video games and movies," says Fleming. "We're nice guys who say Ôplease' and Ôthank you'. There's none of that macho/tough guy ÔI'm metal!' attitude." z's concise method is: "Imagery and persona are two different things. You don't have to dress a certain way to support a genre of music."

Like the writings of Stephen King-whose apocalyptic antagonist in The Stand is where the band grabs its name from-RANDALL FLAGG's music is intense, dark, thought-provoking, captivating, and enduring.