Dryvr
Wanasinghe, Laird, Raymond, Schmid, DePetrillo
The name Dryvr fits perfectly. Perfectly. It would be like Rise Against being called Political Activism Through Music or Crobot being called We Smoke Weed.
With an intense, driving sound filled with raging guitar riffs, vicious drumming, intense bass lines, and unforgiving vocal melodies, Dryvr lives up to their name in every aspect of their music.
Listen to hard-hitting tracks like “Cloak and Dagger” and “Shadows Fade,” and you will know what I mean.
Based out of Oklahoma, this quintet of experienced musicians drives the crowds crazy with their awesome music.
After releasing a short EP soon after they got back together in 2013 (after a long hiatus where they branched off into their own separate projects), they are working to gain a following and are scheming for a new release by the “holiday buying season,” says drummer Mike A. DePetrillo (his initials are M.A.D.!).
Many of the members of Dryvr have known each other since the beginning of their musical careers, and in some cases, high school.
“The whole thing started with him [bassist Robin Schmid] dropping a Metallica tape in gym class,” laughs guitarist Jude Wanasinghe. “It was at a Catholic high school, so metal was a no-no. So new kid shows up, he’s from Nebraska, and I’d been going there for a while, and all of a sudden he swings his backpack around and there’s a Metallica Kill ‘Em All Tape. I say, ‘DUDE! YOU LISTEN TO METALLICA?! Right on! And we became best friends from that.”
With an intense, driving sound filled with raging guitar riffs, vicious drumming, intense bass lines, and unforgiving vocal melodies, Dryvr lives up to their name in every aspect of their music.
Listen to hard-hitting tracks like “Cloak and Dagger” and “Shadows Fade,” and you will know what I mean.
Based out of Oklahoma, this quintet of experienced musicians drives the crowds crazy with their awesome music.
After releasing a short EP soon after they got back together in 2013 (after a long hiatus where they branched off into their own separate projects), they are working to gain a following and are scheming for a new release by the “holiday buying season,” says drummer Mike A. DePetrillo (his initials are M.A.D.!).
Many of the members of Dryvr have known each other since the beginning of their musical careers, and in some cases, high school.
“The whole thing started with him [bassist Robin Schmid] dropping a Metallica tape in gym class,” laughs guitarist Jude Wanasinghe. “It was at a Catholic high school, so metal was a no-no. So new kid shows up, he’s from Nebraska, and I’d been going there for a while, and all of a sudden he swings his backpack around and there’s a Metallica Kill ‘Em All Tape. I say, ‘DUDE! YOU LISTEN TO METALLICA?! Right on! And we became best friends from that.”
DePetrillo remembers his first musical experience with the future members of Dryvr who’d previously been in a band called Rhythmic Disturbance.
“I went over and listened with my wife out in the hallway; [we were] looking at each other, saying, ‘Do you hear that? Do you hear that?’” DePatrillo heard from the beginning that these guys knew how to rock.
Wanasinghe suffers from a genetic disease known as muscular dystrophy, which “causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass,” according to the Mayo Clinic. However, this does not keep him from rocking.
Instead of carrying heavy equipment from one place to another, he takes care of logistics and is branded a “transportation enthusiast.”
Guitarist Nathan Laird jokes, “He’s the driver.”
Wanasinghe loves driving, and if they ever have trouble getting him on stage, the band is dedicated to help him. “We’ll pick him up and throw him on stage if we have to,” laughs Laird.
DePatrillo suggest just wheeling Wanasinghe up on the stage like a piece of gear.
“That’s going to happen one of these days, hauling him in a straight jacket and dolly,” decides Schmid.
The group’s chemistry is apparent from the moment you meet them. They are constantly bouncing jokes off each other, and occasionally even finishing each other’s sentences. They were super stoked to play the hard rock stage at Rocklahoma, having won the local band contest the year prior, and although I was unable to make it to their show, heard only great things about it. Keep your eyes and ears open for one of Oklahoma’s great metal bands (and yes, there are a LOT of metal bands from OK. I’m not kidding).
“I went over and listened with my wife out in the hallway; [we were] looking at each other, saying, ‘Do you hear that? Do you hear that?’” DePatrillo heard from the beginning that these guys knew how to rock.
Wanasinghe suffers from a genetic disease known as muscular dystrophy, which “causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass,” according to the Mayo Clinic. However, this does not keep him from rocking.
Instead of carrying heavy equipment from one place to another, he takes care of logistics and is branded a “transportation enthusiast.”
Guitarist Nathan Laird jokes, “He’s the driver.”
Wanasinghe loves driving, and if they ever have trouble getting him on stage, the band is dedicated to help him. “We’ll pick him up and throw him on stage if we have to,” laughs Laird.
DePatrillo suggest just wheeling Wanasinghe up on the stage like a piece of gear.
“That’s going to happen one of these days, hauling him in a straight jacket and dolly,” decides Schmid.
The group’s chemistry is apparent from the moment you meet them. They are constantly bouncing jokes off each other, and occasionally even finishing each other’s sentences. They were super stoked to play the hard rock stage at Rocklahoma, having won the local band contest the year prior, and although I was unable to make it to their show, heard only great things about it. Keep your eyes and ears open for one of Oklahoma’s great metal bands (and yes, there are a LOT of metal bands from OK. I’m not kidding).
 | Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future. |
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