M.O.T.A, Sunstorm Call it Quits; Harlots Trudge On

At what may be one of the best shows in Dayton this week, two local bands will be saying goodbye forever. Another band, however, will give testament to their own perseverance and dedication. While much weaker Dayton bands Mouth of the Architect and By Way of Sunstorm are giving up music altogether, Harlots will stay committed to their un-unique brand of derivative prog metal.

"All these other bands are sort of giving up, you know?" singer Christian Fillippo told VD. "But Harlots, man we just want to keep on playing." The band will be doing just that this Saturday at Blind Bob's in the Oregon District. Fillippo says fans will surely get a taste of the band's upcoming material at the show. "We are about to go into the studio to record a new record. We're hoping that'll be what finally gets us signed to Relapse Records, which is what we've wanted this whole time."

As for the lesser bands, [former -e.d.] M.O.T.A. bassist Kevin Shindle told VD, "It's all about the influences. Harlots have been ripping off Neurosis for years now. By Way of Sunstorm and us, we do too, but Harlots also copy Dillinger Escape Plan, which will make them even more appealing to Relapse. We figured we might as well just say 'Fuck it.'"

By Way of Sunstorm frontman and reigning king of Dayton hipsters Brandon Hawk had this to say: "Harlots just have something in them that M.O.T.A and Sunstorm will never have: grind parts. Otherwise all three of our bands would sound exactly the same. In Sunstorm's case, our drummer can't play blast beats, so we just can't compete."

"We know that there are bands that sound identical to ours all over the country," said Fillippo, "and that's just one more reason to keep playing."

Hometown stinksters Hooker Spit Windex will also be playing the show, along with Footbinder, a band so pretentious and antisocial they don't even have lyrics.