Bio (Updated May 2024)
"Auditory Armory’s style is almost undefinable. Their style has touches of progressive rock, alternative, and the right amount of heavy metal. Great guitar riffs and unique solos with poetic and thought-provoking lyrics.”
-Lee Swiatkowski, MTRS Radio
For a little over a decade, Auditory Armory have been heavily involved in the Central Florida rock and metal scene. Auditory Armory’s signature sound is a reflection of the diverse musical influences of the band, which range from progressive rock to alternative to ambient to thrash metal. April and Oscar studied music in college while Dennis and Justice played in thrash metal bands for over 20 years in Florida and Louisiana, respectively. Lyrics are important to vocalist and guitarist April Rose. In a world of love songs and breakup songs, April chooses to instead explore themes of self-worth, humanity, depression, and introspection. The band has been told on occasion that elements of their songs remind people of very disparate artists, the comparisons ranging from Tori Amos, Tool, Lacuna Coil, Megadeth, Alice In Chains, Opeth, and even Iron Maiden. It is part of the band’s credo to not confine themselves to any rules of making music, but instead just to write what they deeply feel.
Auditory Armory has had the honor of opening up for Nita Strauss, Orgy, Nothing More, Fuel, Wednesday 13, Eyes Set to Kill, Motograter, Sarah Longfield, A Pale Horse Named Death, Felix Martin, Saliva, Full Devil Jacket, Straight Line Stitch, Lacey Sturm (of Flyleaf), Bonz (from Stuck Mojo), and Mike Tramp (White Lion). In 2016, they were also selected to play the 3rd Annual Kink Music Festival alongside national acts such as Evanescence, HELLYEAH, and In Flames. Auditory Armory has also played in Georgia, South Carolina, and in 2018, they headlined the “Mind Over Matter” tour that took place in the Midwest, with stops in Chicago, Minneapolis, and West Allis (Wisconsin).
Auditory Armory are recognized for their powerful and energetic live performances and their versatility, often playing with hard rock/alternative bands just as much as with heavy metal bands. While one Auditory Armory song might be riff-driven, another song will have more of a somber, subdued tone that showcases April’s unique vocal timbre. Bonz, the former front man of Stuck Mojo, described their music as “something vintage yet with a fresh twist.”
Auditory Armory has four releases: The Awakening (2014), Dark Matter (2017), Thousand Year Dream (2021), and Dreams of Home: Lassitude Soul (2023).
(From L to R)
April Rose - Guitar/Vocals
Dennis Burns - Lead Guitar
Oscar Garcia - Drums
Justice Maynard - Bass