- BAND SYNOPSIS -

Side Chain is a hard rock / metal band currently based between Singapore (South-East Asia) & Perth (Australia). Side Chain is a one-man project spearheaded by Canadian-born Scott Dickson, who is the band's songwriter, as well as vocalist, instrumentalist, and recording engineer / producer.

Influenced by Black Label Society, Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, C.O.C., Metallica, Sevendust, and Disturbed, Side Chain's music suggests a more progressive and punishing version of the "Sabbath sound". Scott's devastating riffs, snarling gravelly vocals, and intricate soloing style give Side Chain's music a brutally bone-crushing, yet textured, melodic and intelligent, sound.

Side Chain's music has always been, and always will be, written with a purpose; and that is to tastefully and creatively defy present-day conventions of formulaic, mainstream radio-ready sounds and arrangements. In doing so, listeners are provided with a fresh alternative to what is currently available to them: melodious, yet gut-splitting vocals; intricate, yet saw-like guitar work; and memorable, yet non-traditional arrangements.

Another feature which makes Side Chain's music so attractive and unique is that everyone is welcome to obtain and distribute it (legally!) for free - no strings attached. The band's debut album, Drone Manifesto (2007), and the most recent, Lasting Impressions (2009) are both available in their entirety for free download via the MUSIC page.

The more people who listen to and enjoy Side Chain's music, the better! So, become a link in the chain: share Side Chain's MP3's with others, refer your friends to this URL, and become a fan on Facebook!

- HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT -

The birth of Side Chain began in Perth, Australia in August 2004 when Scott, then a post-grad student, decided to get to work on some hard-hitting new material after being away from playing in bands for a few years. Armed with only with a cheap China-made GL acoustic guitar and a sub-standard laptop computer loaded with the then revolutionary PowerTab Editor software, Scott spent a good ten weeks or so laying the foundations of what would become Side Chain’s first album.

In November ’04, Scott packed up and moved to Singapore for work. This change of lifestyle, coupled with his new interest in studying formal music theory and performance, put his songwriting on hold for some time. However, by mid-2006, he began to re-focus his efforts on Side Chain's development. Alas, plans to record 'Drone' became fully conceptualised, and the remaining songs were written in rapid succession over the next few months.

Anticipating the recording of 'Drone', Scott began building his own home studio (called "Clunky's Cave") to record his projects. The recording of 'Drone' began in January 2007 and 11 months later it finally made its much-anticipated debut. Since its release, ‘Drone’ has amassed well over 7000 downloads online, and has drawn widespread praise from listeners all over the globe.

‘Drone’ was followed-up by the equally successful September 2009 release, Lasting Impressions. ‘Impressions’ was written between January-July 2008 and was recorded over the next 13 months.

Scott is now working on writing Side Chain’s third studio album called, "Locus of Control", which is currently slated for release in late 2011. More detailed information regarding all three albums can be found on the MUSIC page.

- ARTIST BIOGRAPHY -

For the most part, Scott is a self-taught musician who has been playing the guitar, bass and drums since 1992. His love for rock music dates back to the early '80’s when he grew up listening to classic rock records from his dad's collection. His interest in hard rock/metal was ignited in the early 90's with the releases of Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” Metallica’s black album, Megadeth's "Coundown to Extinction"and GNR’s “Use Your Illusions I & II." These albums, along with Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and C.O.C.’s “Deliverance,” significantly influenced Scott's playing and writing style; and the effects can still be heard today!

Later, Scott became attracted to a wider variety of musical influences, including Dream Theater (for their combination of technical mastery and progressive style), Disturbed (for their cut-throat vocals), Black Label Society (for their Sabbath-inspired riffs, arrangements, and melodies), and Sevendust (for their fantastically inspiring vocals and catchy-choruses).