Final Start

Final Start has a great sound. To me, they seem to sound a lot like blink-182 with their background lead guitar and upbeat rhythms. They also remind me a lot of A New Found Glory mostly due to the singer’s voice. This band sounds much bigger than just the four people that make up the band. With all four of them doing vocals in some way, it gives the music that epic feel that I often search for. Overall, I really like how these guys sound and based on the success of the two aforementioned band, I feel that they have a very good chance. Here is what the band has to say about their music:

To their audiences, the name Final Start is synonymous with words such as upbeat, entertaining, and unpredictable. During their high school career, Mark Burchfield, vocalist, lead guitarist, and song writer, and Robbie Thornton, who plays bass and adds backing vocals, formed the foundation of the high energy band. While in search for a fitting drummer, Mark realized that the distractive yet definite beats he heard during Spanish class were coming from Jonathan Titty Lang who was soon included as the drummer and background vocalist of Final Start. Recently, an advantageous addition has been incorporated Scott Lowder, guitarist, vocalist, and song writer. All four members have different musical backgrounds that allow them to incorporate catchy melodies, enjoyable harmonies, and memorable hooks in a unique punk mix. Together, they write and perform positive music, with lyrics about real circumstances for all ages, states Mark. The song lyrics can be attributed to personal experiences that Mark and Scott are openly ready to share. With their stage acrobatics and high energy shows, says Jonathan, they have caught the attention of and have therefore been able to perform with other pop-punk bands such as The Ataris and A Change of Pace. The feel of their music is most comparable to that of Relient K, Mae, Mest, and The Starting Line. Robbie, the most colorful member, feels that what draws their fan base of 75-250, depending on the venue, to their shows, is their musics ability to raise the dead like Michael Jackson, while Scott claims it is their charming good looks that keeps their fans wanting more. Within the five years they have been performing together, the magnitude of their accomplishments has been intensified. While in high school, they won the Battle of The Bands show. The band soon decided to record their pieces and have worked diligently in the studio to produce three CDs. The members all agree on the fact that hearing their music played on a local radio station106.5 The Endwas a defining and exciting moment in their music career. Final Starts music can also be heard on the soundtrack to Lord of the Vampires, a movie filmed by Alternity Productions; in return Alternity Productions has agreed to allot the band two music videos. As a finalist for The Moneys East Coast Showcase, the band was recognized as one of the areas best punk bands. The guys of Final Start desire to continue writing and performing their pieces not only for their own fulfillment but also for the enjoyment of others.

I only have minimal complaints with this band. I feel that the singer’s voice may be a little ridiculous if I were to listen to them for an extended period of time. The backup singers are fine, it’s just that the main vocalist has an almost “nasally” sound that can be annoying if the backup singers are not singing the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the sound when both the lead singer and backup vocalists are singing together but alone, the lead vocalist doesn’t sound as clear as I would like.

Final Word
These guys definitely have a chance at making some success for themselves. They already have been played on a local radio station which really feels good once you’ve accomplished that. As far as instrumentation goes, these guys all seem to know what they are doing; all I hear from them is new and original things. As long as these guys stay focused and don’t let anything keep them from losing the sight of their goal, I believe they can do it. I really hope you guys make it. Check them out here.





-ishibustim