“Their LIVE sound will MOVE you and the songs will PULL you in.”
— Ronnie Jackson Photography
MESSER
MESSER means "knife" in German, and the Dallas, Texas band cut a memorable swath through the Rock world in 2018, starting with their debut single "Make This Life” and followed by a second, “Save Myself”. Both songs reached the top 20 Billboard ‘Main Stream Rock’ charts.
The band's cutting edge modern rock sound was born through serendipitous connections in Deep Ellum’s thriving music scene, a Dallas area that has given rise to iconic bands like Pantera, Drowning Pool, Tripping Daisy, King’s X and Hellyeah.
Dereak knew he wanted to pursue singing as a career while in High School in Iowa and started honing his chops with local bands. After high school he moved to Dallas to pursue his music career professionally. His first contact was with Dallas native Javier, who was making a name for himself playing in the bands Mudflap and Pimpadelic. They met and bonded at a show, soon becoming the genesis of Messer.
While looking for a place to get his hair cut, Dereak walked into Maddox’s Hair salon on a whim. The two struck up a conversation about music and another instant connection was made.
Kenny was traveling from his home in Canada to an audition in Phoenix when his car broke down in Dallas. He ended up staying in town and found success playing with the band Strangleweed. They caught the attention of the members of Messer, and Kenny became part of the family.
Donnie was playing in various Dallas bands and gaining attention as an award-winning Tattoo artist. While getting inked, Maddox would play Donnie tracks the band was working on, and Donnie would play music he was recording at his home studio. As Messer continued to develop as a band, they knew they wanted to add an additional guitar player, and they all agreed that Donnie was a perfect fit, and the lineup for Messer was solidified.
The band grew their fan base locally, and began to branch out regionally and nationally, opening for bands such as Slash and Myles Kennedy, Red, Gemini Syndrome, Royal Bliss, Joyous Wolf, Buckcherry, Sick Puppies, Candlebox, Drowning Pool, Local H, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold. It was on one of these tours that the band caught the attention of Los Angeles based writer/producer, Chad Gendason. The band felt an immediate camaraderie with Chad and a lasting bond was made.
Messer started writing with Chad, and their first collaboration became "Simple Man". Fan favorite "Whiskey" soon followed and the songs started to flow into what would eventually become their self-titled debut album, which was released on 4/20/18 by MaddPants Records. The album was mixed by Ben Grosse (Marilyn Manson, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed) and mastered by Tom Baker (Papa Roach, David Bowie, Motley Crue).
The group’s desire for creative expression and to touch as many lives as possible is what drives them forward. MESSER is a band that is building a brand of new rock that blurs the line between nostalgia and modern art, leaving the listener with a sound that is not only familiar but also NEW and ADDICTIVE.
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Press links
PR/Online Radio/Playlist/Video Promotion – Gigi Ghibon-Elhenaway: Curtaincallrecords@gmail.com 561-324-6157
Booking - John Kunz: Curtaincallrecords@gmail.com
Management -Curtain Call Records: Curtaincallrecords@gmail.com
Licensing Inquires - Steven Scharf Entertainment: Steve@stevenscharf.com