Subspecies resurfaces in Valley music scene

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

It’s loud, guitarist Jason Cogswell says of a metal music concert.

He should know, as a member of Subspecies, a Valley-based metal band returning to the stage after a 10-year hiatus.

Cogswell and the Spinney brothers - “Not those ones,” Jeremy jokes of relatives Rick and Alan, bluegrass and gospel artists; and also of Frank, known Elvis impersonator; and also of Jason, part of Country Generations - are billed on Metal Massacre, a Nov. 17 production of Smokin’ Entertainment.

“We’re the only metal ones,” Jeremy says of himself and brother Aaron.

The three met in 1993, all with different bands at the time, but invited over by Cogswell’s former band’s singer.

“And then we couldn’t get rid of Jason,” Jeremy jokes.

“I was like a virus,” Jason says.

The three teamed up as Subspecies and played what there was of the metal scene in the Valley and around the province.

“It was never mainstream,” Jason says. “Jeremy wasn’t old enough, and we were playing bars anyway.”

They played at the old Valleypalooza, opened for Voivod, recorded a bit in studio and put on their own shows. Then, Aaron moved out west.

“I moved back about a year ago,” Aaron says.

“Jason was sleeping at the door,” Jeremy jokes.

Between their day jobs - Jason’s a residential support worker in a group home and lives in Aylesford, Jeremy, Woodville, and Aaron, Coldbrook, both work with their family construction business building trusses - the back-together band meets a couple of times a week to practice, they’ve got an hour-and-a-half of original material and a catalogue of covers and have played two small shows this fall as a tune-up to Metal Massacre.

“It’s still scary,” says Jeremy, the group’s bass player and reluctant singer. “You can put an ad in: we’re trying to find a new singer.”

Jason says, though, Jeremy’s doing a great job; it’s just “a lot more responsibility for him - it’s coming.”

They know it’s working if “there’s a big mosh pit - people banging and jumping up and down,” Jeremy says.

“If people don’t react - that’s scary,” says Jason. “If people come to a metal show, they like the metal and they’re going to listen and have a good time.”

“We’ll get you some nine-inch platform boots,” Jeremy says, as Jason comments on how challenging it is to develop a “stick out,” “look like rockers” stage presence.

“We’re working on it,” Jason says.

Weblinks:

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The event: Metal Massacre

The stage: November 23, Coldbrook Lions Hall

The crowd: all-ages

The entertainers: Children of Eve, Subspecies, A Sight for Sewn Eyes, A Call for Submission