Clive Davis Picks Chicago's SOiL to Redefine Heavy Metal

by Rikki Lee Travolta

Clive Davis is a legend behind the scenes in the music industry. He pioneered the idea that a recording industry executive could work on the frontlines discovering new talent. “Nobody knew that I could ‘have ears’,” reflected Davis during a keynote address at the 2001 Retail Music Expo in Chicago, of his breaking of the corporate mold as a record label president who participates in discovering and signing talent.

As the past president of Columbia Records and Arista Records, Davis is the man directly responsible for signing Janis Joplin, Santana, Johnny Winter, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Lou Reed, and Billy Joel. Davis humors in the Harvard Law Bulletin, that Springsteen played in his office long before he ever took the stage in an arena. Yet, Davis doesn’t have a magic wand for creating success out of nothing; what he has is an ear for talent.

Davis launched J Records in 2001, titled from his middle name ‘Jay.’ With an unprecedented $150 million investment from Arista’s German-based corporate owner Bertelsmann, J Records became what Davis calls an “instant major” recording company. Davis’ reputation has attracted established stars such as Luther Vandross and Santana to the J Records roster, but the success of the new label hinges on the new artists it signs.

The Midwest has always proved fertile ground for innovative musical development from Smashing Pumpkins to John Mellencamp It seems only appropriate that Davis plucked a blazing quintet from America’s heartland to quarterback J Records into the Rock music genre.

SOiL, a fresh metal band that blends the low-tuned heavy groove of Black Sabbath, early Metallica, and C.O.C influences with media-generated comparisons to Linkin Park, Disturbed, and Godsmack, was the focus of an industry-wide bidding war based on stunning response when an advance version of the single ‘Halo’ leaked onto Orlando metal station WJRR. Clive Davis stepped in and J Records won the bidding war, making SOiL the first ever Heavy Metal act signed to the label.

“We got to sit down with Clive Davis and hear him tell us ‘You’re going to be my only rock band for now. You’re going to be a priority, and I want to break this band,” reflected bassist Tim King in an interview with Internet-based pop music critic Jim DeRogatis.

With its first J Records release Scars, SOiL proves why they are the chosen ones to revolutionize Heavy Metal. Under the studio guidance of producer Johnny K. who previously piloted the breakout recordings of Disturbed and Machine Head, blends a complex musicality never before seen in Heavy Metal music, with the throbbing aggression and despair that defines hard-edged music today’s audiences clamor for.

Guitarist Shaun Glass and Adam Zadel are brilliantly interwoven with the aching backbeat of bassist King and drummer Tom Schofield. Front man Ryan McComb summarize the ferocious appeal of SOiL in his throaty anguished deliverance of the single ‘Inside.’ “It’s just a gut reaction trapped in this aggressive action.”

Successful people like to associate themselves with successful projects; Clive Davis was not the only one to recognize the impact SOiL was destined to have on the music world. Producer Johnny K. reflected in an interview with the Illinois Entertainer that early on he recognized parallels to Alice in Chains, Guns N’ Roses, and Marilyn Manson – each revolutionary to the genre. The opportunity to work with SOiL attracted recording studio guru Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Iron Maiden) to mix the album Scars. Los Angeles director Marc Webb (Green Day) signed on to helm the video for the single ‘Unreal.”

SOiL redefines the Metal world with paralyzing force. In an awe-inspiring literal representation of the past, present, and future of heavy metal, Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie shared the stage with SOiL on the Merry Mayhem Tour leading into the new year. For 2002, the band joined with forces with Static X for a four-week U.S. tour to support the newly released single “Unreal” – the most added track at Active Rock stations in addition to embrace from Modern Rock programming directors. Chicago will always be their hometown, but SOiL is now on the world’s stage.

Rikki Lee Travolta is an internationally published print journalist and television producer. As a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences he participates in selecting the nominees and winners of the annual Grammy Awards.