Bayside returns to roots

By John Benson

After picking up the pieces from its horrific 2005 band van accident that killed drummer John “Beatz” Holohan and seriously injured bassist Nick Ghanbarian, Long Island-based punk-emo act Bayside returned with its mature-sounding 2007 album “The Walking Wounded.”

However, it appears as though enough time has passed that the band was ready to get back to its punk rock roots for its recently released effort, “Shudder.”

“That’s the attitude we took towards it, but I’m not so sure it really came out in the songs,” said Ghanbarian, calling from Long Island, N.Y. “When we were writing the album, we started listening to a lot of stuff that we grew up with like Green Day, Lagwagon and NOFX.

“So that energy is more what we were trying to keep in mind as we were writing, but we definitely didn’t write a NOFX album.”

No they didn’t. Instead, Bayside took more of a hodgepodge approach with “Roshambo (Rock, Paper, Scissors)” catering to the band’s punk vibe, while “Howard” offers a Rancid-like ska feel and “I Can’t Go On” delves into the power ballad world. This is a markedly different band than the one found on “Walking Wounded,” which featured extra instrumentation to fill out the sound.

Such experimentation defines the struggles facing new millennium American punk/emo bands attempting to find their niche in the rock world. Pigeonholed with creative shackles and critical aversion, groups such as My Chemical Romance and Alkaline Trio have digressed into rock and pop arenas.

For Bayside, the band is still searching.

“We’re all getting better as songwriters and hopefully fans recognize that,” Ghanbarian said. “I know a lot of people get stuck with how we used to sound. I think we have an outline on how we want Bayside to sound, and we’re never going to stray from that, but at the same time, we’re getting better as musicians.

“So to me, it’s the next step from ‘The Walking Wounded.’ That’s all this album really is. We’re more content with life, and I think it shows. Hopefully, people see that.”

In an effort to draw more music fans into the Bayside world, the outfit decided to do the unconventional by releasing brand-new concert album “Live at The Bayside Social Club” on the same day “Shudder” hit stores and online outlets. Ghanbarian admitted it’s a calculated move at showing off the band’s calling card live performance. You can see Bayside in action when the group makes its Beachland Ballroom debut Oct. 7 at the Cleveland venue.

As for the future of Bayside, Ghanbarian said there’s a sense of normalcy despite the band’s tragic history. The memory of Holohan and the accident will never leave the group, which is just fine for Ghanbarian.

“It’s a part of us,” Ghanbarian said. “It’s a part of our journey and history. It is who we are now, and I think we’re all better people from learning everything we learned from that.”