Originally concocted as a side project to King Fowley's old school Death Metal thrash attack, Deceased; October 31 began the first demo days immediately after Brian Williams was brought on board. Fowley and Williams clicked right away on a personal and songwriting level. Reminiscing about the glory days of 80's Heavy Metal and how they wanted to make their own mark with the traditional aspects that define the genre. This was the mid 90's mind you and finding other members could be quite the task. Years before the trendy Power Metal boom, meeting musicians that wanted to play Heavy Metal was hard enough, let alone the style Fowley and Williams desired. Keep in mind that they lived (and still do) about 6 hours away from each other. The burning ambition that churned between the two could not be put on hold and in 1996, the "Voyage To Infinity" cassette demo was recorded, marking the only O31 release with Casey Sayles (bass) and Frank Bauguess (rhythm/acoustic guitar), local friends of Brian Williams. Oblivion Studios, the same studio that will spawn Deceased's zombie thrash classic "Fearless Undead Machines" years later, would be the studio of choice and practically every session that followed.
The demo showed a mixture of Thrash, Power, subtle Doom and Classic Heavy Metal that could be compared to bands like Nasty Savage, Attacker, Killer, Griffin, Exciter and the endless list of unappreciated cult legends. Appropriate covers of "Child of the Damned" (Warlord) and "Harder Than Steel" (Jag Panzer) further proved that the intentions of October 31 derived from true Heavy Metal, loud and proud. This line-up however didn't last very long as a local scene friend of King Fowley joined for the permanent bass position, Jim Hunter (Revelation/While Heaven Wept/Blacklord/Twisted Tower Dire/every band in the vicinity of Northern Virginia). An old friend of Brian Williams, Kevin Lewis, began his first attempt at the rhythm position and the writing process but quit the band shortly before it was time to record the first full-length, 1997's "The Fire Awaits You". Leaving all the guitar parts to Brian Williams, left to figure out all the guitar tracks that he never played, "The Fire Awaits You" was still a defining record for October 31. The production is modest yet effective. The opening track, "The Warlock", takes everything that was so greatly intense from the Whiplash "Power and Pain" album, the majority of "The Fire Awaits You" churn an atmosphere being dark, heavy, melodic, and most importantly, memorable. Another obscure cover landed on Side B, "Day of the Saxons" from Witchkiller. The CD was released by RIP Records while the vinyl didn't come out officially until 1999 by Fowley's own Old Metal Records.
Kevin Lewis returned once again in 1998, attempting the full-time rhythm guitar position as the "Visions of End" EP writing and recording process began. Completely finished in under a week, "Visions of the End" is still one of my favorites and a most impressive EP. Despite one of the most ridiculous and maybe only covers of Lizzy Bordern's "Give 'em The Axe" that I've ever heard (mostly due to Fowley's interpretation of the vocals), this is arguable the greatest October 31 release. Full of pure energy yet never straying too far from that dark, doomy vibe and building their epic qualities with tracks like "The Legend of the Haunted Sea". Old Metal Records released "Visions of the End" on CD and again in 1999 with a different cover. Attached was the long out of print "Voyage To Infinity" demo already mentioned. Around this time the decision was made by King Fowley to have a live singer, being more comfortable with the drum duties for shows yet keeping his vocal position for the studio only. Once again, old friends of both Fowley (Chuck Parsons) and Williams (Shawn Pelata) were chosen among the fight for Metal supremacy. Parsons, having a more characteristic but rugged voice, showed energy on stage, but lacked the real abilities of a strong Heavy Metal singer and showman; Pelata being the mirror opposite, great voice-no stage presence. October 31 played a handful of shows with each vocalist around this time but under the demanding role that being in O31 calls for, going their separate ways was in order.
In 2000 "Meet Thy Maker" was released. Rip Records put out the original CD while Metal Blade Europe released the "Visions of the End" bonus CD version. What should have been possibly their best at that point, consisting of a bigger production, more keyboards, melody and acoustic sections, "Meet Thy Maker" suffered from a quirky final mix and many of the moments on the album being much too melodic for Fowley's street vocal style. Still, tracks like "For There is War!" showed that October 31 were not about to slow down. A cover of Saxon's classic "Power and the Glory" near the album's end has become a staple in closing their live set. Also that year, RIP put out the reissue of the "Visions of the End" EP with the original cover art but still being inferior to the 10 track 1999 Old Metal Records release, which made for a pretty pointless reissue.
October 31 had landed on many compilations, played every dive on the east coast, recorded two more cover songs "I Don't Know" (Ozzy/guitar solo courtesy of Deceased's very own Mark "Chainsaw" Adams) and "Public Enema Number One" (Iron Maiden) along with just as great an accomplishment as any, playing the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. Things were moving right along until the road of optimism was brought to a halt once again by Kevin Lewis, deciding to leave the band once more. Dave Castillo (ex Hatred/VA) was brought in to fill in on drums for certain shows, allowing King to run the stage and some shows were only played as a three piece, Fowley/Hunter/Williams. Northern Virginia's Twisted Tower Dire members Tony Taylor and Scott Waldrop were next to serve their time in the revolving door positions. Taylor having a very melodic voice that would havee been best suited for the "Meet Thy Maker" album and Waldrop's natural ear for great harmonies seemed to set the stage for what would be possibly the best October 31 release yet. Sadly, only a 7" single birthed from this line-up in 2002. Maniacal Records released a redone version of "Salem's Curse" along with Judas Priest cover "Electric Eye", pressed in a small quantity. While the single showed much promise of things to come, disagreements within the band left Tony Taylor and Scott Waldrop out of October 31 while Jim Hunter shortly joined the bass position for Twisted Tower Dire, keeping his position in October 31.
As if that wasn't enough of a catastrophe, Fowley's darkest days shortly followed. Following the death of his mother, two blood clots and a sudden stroke left him for dead. This not only stopped the advancing of the band they had worked so hard at, the iron fist of sickness left Fowley's recovery process a slow one. Thankfully, strong will and determination prevail as King makes a full recovery. Before King's sudden streak of horrible luck, Jason Tedder, being the best rhythm guitarist O31 has ever had is the next contestant after Waldop, makes his entrance as the rhythm guitarist in Williams' side band, K-Octave (who also has Shawn Pelata on vocals). Dave Castillo also gets a permanent spot on the drums as King takes his rightful position as the front man. "Stage Fright" gets released by Thrash Corner Records in 2003, capturing a moment in time at Classic Metal Fest 2 with obviously no overdubs. Another demo is recorded, a cover of "Missing in Action" (Q5) that gets lumped in the same category as the Lizzy Borden cover by yours truly, an amazing vocal performance from Fowley on "Danger Zone" (Black Sabbath) and original brain smasher "Powerhouse", which has yet to get an official release.
Finally, having a steady line-up and with the drive of making Heavy Metal music still abundant within the group, October 31 release their long awaited "No Survivors" album. "No Survivors", being their
heaviest and fastest recording to date, lands October 31 back in the valid music category. William's leads are furious as ever, Castillo keeps the fast yet original style of Fowley on past records keeping up the rhythm section with Hunter as Tedder helps add a huge multi-tracked guitar sound that has never been heard on any O31 recording, producing a slightly more stripped down and in your face direction. After breaking off their contract with Metal Blade Records and deciding not to put it out on Fowley's other label, Battlezone Records, "No Survivors" is released on CD by Thrash Corner Records in 2005.
This sky is the limit for October 31. Having played hundreds of shows all across the United States over the past 10 years, persevering over all life's many obstacles, October 31 is proof that some bands still play for the sheer love of Heavy Metal. With plans of another album and a possible tour(s), they're just getting things warmed up.
Commit to Sin
October 31 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ripping through the night
And we've always wanted so much more
Than ordinary life
Inside our heart the blood is strong
As the sun goes down
The demons dance inside our veins
As life rolls on and on
With every passing hour we commit to sin
We grasp the claws of evil and commit to sin
With devils on our side we keep on flying high
In the dead of night we commit to sin
We take the stage burning hot
Always running wild
Tempting spectres of the night
For we are midnight's child
On all the fools we turn our back
And live our lives our way
We have no rules, we have no fears
It's all adrenaline
The future is in front of us
And we always shoot to thrill
We are evil on the move
And you cannot break our will
So let the devils have their time
It's best you stand aside
No sense to try and slow us down
We'll take your fucking life.
The song "Commit to Sin" by October 31 is a heavy metal anthem that exudes a sense of rebellion against society's norms and expectations. The lyrics depict the band members as savage monsters who aren't afraid to embrace their sinful nature and live life to the fullest. The band is portrayed as a group of individuals who are driven by their passion for music and are not afraid to take risks and live by their rules.
The lyrics of the song suggest that the band is committed to the path of sin and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their dreams. The band members are shown as rebels who have no respect for authority figures and who are always pushing the limits of what is socially acceptable. The song is an ode to those who choose to live outside of society's norms and expectations and embrace their true selves, regardless of the consequences.
In conclusion, "Commit to Sin" is an anthem for the rebels and the outcasts, those who refuse to conform to society's expectations and choose to live life on their own terms. It is a powerful message of empowerment and self-acceptance that inspires individuals to embrace their true identities and pursue their dreams with passion and dedication.
Line by Line Meaning
We've always been a savage monster
We have always been wild and untamed.
Ripping through the night
Moving through the darkness at great speed.
And we've always wanted so much more
We have always craved more from life.
Than ordinary life
We have no interest in living an average or mundane life.
Inside our heart the blood is strong
Our passions run deep.
As the sun goes down
As day turns into night.
The demons dance inside our veins
Our desires run deep and dark.
As life rolls on and on
As time marches forward.
With every passing hour we commit to sin
We continue to move towards evil with every moment that passes.
We grasp the claws of evil and commit to sin
We actively seek out malicious acts.
With devils on our side we keep on flying high
We are surrounded by darkness and revel in it.
In the dead of night we commit to sin
We are at our most destructive during the night.
We take the stage burning hot
We enter every situation with fiery passion.
Always running wild
We never restrain ourselves.
Tempting spectres of the night
We attract darkness with ease.
For we are midnight's child
We belong to the darkness.
On all the fools we turn our back
We dismiss those who do not understand us.
And live our lives our way
We refuse to adhere to anyone's expectations but our own.
We have no rules, we have no fears
We do not let societal norms or potential consequences hold us back.
It's all adrenaline
We thrive in high-stress, high-energy situations.
The future is in front of us
We are in control of our own destiny.
And we always shoot to thrill
We always seek out the most exciting experiences.
We are evil on the move
We constantly embrace our dark side.
And you cannot break our will
No one can sway us from our path of destruction.
So let the devils have their time
We will thrive in the darkness.
It's best you stand aside
No one should try to get in our way.
No sense to try and slow us down
Our drive towards self destruction is unstoppable.
We'll take your fucking life.
No one is safe from the destruction we leave in our wake.
Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brockvestal3005
Enjoyed that album
@brockvestal3005
U welcome king u got a killer voice n talent for lyrics man u rock I know that much bro