Vol. 2, Issue #9 May 25th - June 7th, 2007

Secant: A New Level of Power
By: Ryk Weston

Very few local bands, in and out of State, have ever left this writer mesmerized and at a loss for words. Whether it be their omnipotent bottom end or their refreshingly envisioning sound, it is perfectly clear to me that Secant is a force to be reckoned with. Since their incarnation, Secant have steadily become the local band which everyone is speaking of, and have become a favorite for fans of the “stoner rock” genre. Says drummer Matt Wilson, “We love the heavier kind of stoner stuff. It kind of shines through. We try to be different from all that. We don’t want to be labeled as just that, but I feel that we have a lot of different unique things going, the heavy vibe. But we love and embrace that title. If that’s what they want to call it then we’re cool with that. We’ll carry that banner.”

The genesis of Secant began only some years aho wehn the trio met through mutual interests and friends. “I have known Peter (bass) from Edmond a long time just from other bands and friends. And then I met Jeff (guitar) at OU when we were in Art School. Jeff and I started jamming and then recruited Peter, and that’s when we formed the band”, says Matt.

Interestingly enough, Secant’s blend of heavy riffs and gargantuous basslines is absolutely void of vocals. “Yeah, we never had vocals”, says Matt. “We never planned on having them. At first we threw the idea around, but we kind of like letting the jam speak for itself. Nothing against vocals, but it’s just for what we were doing, I felt like we didn’t even need them.”
Even with the abscence of a vocalist, Secant still manages to enthrall its’ crowd with originality and a side of doom not seen since the days of Black Sabbath, and the fans are loving it. “Yeah, we’ve had a real positive response and we’ve made a lot of friends with people in bands in such a short time. It’s been really awesome”, says Matt. “We’ve come across so many local bands, venues, and promoters, and everyone seems to be real positive.”

Since the 2006 release of their self titled release, notably recorded in Tulsa at Armstrong Studio by a member of the legendary Descendents, Secant is spreading the word one State at a time, and with the help of Myspace, more and more music fanatics are beginning to hear their wraith as they slowly began their trek into outside areas. “Myspace has been very helpful. We went on tour in January and we did a Austin, Dallas, and Houston mini-tour thing and we pretty much booked the entire tour though Myspace. It’s just a good way to network and to see what’s going on, to keep up with shows and friends and everything”, says Matt.

Just listening to Secant automatically locks the listener into an epic journey of powerhouse grooves which at times almost feels as freestyle jamming. This result probably occurs due to the band’s steady regime of practicing. Says Matt, “Pretty much all of our songs come from jamming. We’ll come to the room and Jeff might bring a lick from the outside, or Peter might have a bassline, or I might have a drumbeat. We just feel it out from there, but most of the times it just comes from jamming.”

Not all good things come in pairs. Sometimes it comes in triple doses. Take for example The Police, Rush, Primus, and the countless other trios which have brought their musical endeavors to the fold. Most of these trios are known for having close bonds with one another and working as brothers. “Yeah, definitely. I love those guys, and I know they;re there for me, and I’m there for them. We’re very good friends outside of the band. It’s not just a band, we’re friends too. As far as the three piece...I don’t know. Jeff’s a good guitar player, Peter’s a good bassist, and it all holds together.”

You can catch Secant in action this Saturday on May 26 along with Los Hijos del Diablo and Surcease Angels at Studio 360 in Downtown Norman on 109 N. Crawford.

www.myspace.com/secantband

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