Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Maximum RNR

Our special feature posts keep coming in, and as I promised, our next one is tonight! In our ongoing series on bands who feature Saultites but aren't from here, we've explored many bands and artists, and today, we're focusing on a band featuring a local musician that's both a year after our first series entry on their out of town work, AND in the lead-up to their next local concert! So here's what you should know, and as always, if there's anything wrong, missing, or in need of editing, please tell me! (UPDATED: November 26th, 2014)
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Maximum RNR (Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics)

Keith Carman (lead guitar)
Keith "KK Mauronik" Maurik (rhythm guitar) 
Curtis Faux (bass)
Mike Childs (drums)

Louis Durand (vocals)
Gymbo Jak (vocals)
Brenton "Diamond Brent Panther" Ellis (vocals)
Mike Sidney (bass) 
Davey Dee (bass)

Official website: http://www.maximumrnr.com
Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/maximumrnr
Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/maximumrnr
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/maximumrnr
Official CBC Radio 3 page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/maximum-rnr

Local Info: Two Saultites reside in Maximum RNR's most recent full lineup, those being longtime bandmates Brenton Ellis on vocals & Curtis Faux on bass! They've been a part of numerous bands (local or not) in recent years, notably the Toronto indie punk band The Labour Of..., comedy metal project The Sexual Vigilantes, and the inactive local hardcore punk band Detroit, who sound very similar to Maximum RNR! You'll also be sure to recognize Brenton from his work as the former bassist in Lion Ride from 2008 to 2010, the late 1990s punk band The Bombed Squad, and currently as Destroilet's co-lead singer, while Curtis can also be seen in the Toronto bands The Cola Heads & Chainbreaker, so both have lots in the works!

Band Bio: Brenton Ellis joined Maximum RNR in the fall of 2010, replacing former Dayglo Abortions frontman Gymbo Jak in the band. With Maximum RNR, he still utilizes his "Diamond Brent Panther" stage name from the Lion Ride days. The next summer, Maximum RNR enlisted Brent's longtime bandmate Curtis Faux to replace Davey Dee on bass. Maximum RNR formed in 2002 in the Toronto area, and have toured and recorded frequently ever since, including a show at Foggy Notions in Sault Ontario with their original lineup in September 2002. The band's back catalog includes a number of seven inch vinyl singles, giving an old school flair to their musical output. As a result, they only have three official non-compilation CD releases, including June 2013's "Rough Side of the Dial". The band operates without major label support with mostly self-promotion to spread the word on the band, which has given them a noted cult following! They've played hundreds of concerts in the past 9 years, including some gigs in Europe. The band's lineup remained mostly stable through 2009, with numerous lineup changes leading to their current lineup's debut in 2011. Describing their sound as "ham fisted rock n' roll", their punk/metal attack continued to draw crowds through mid-2014, including two stops in the Soo in recent years, so check them out if you can!

I can safely say that if you liked Detroit, you'll love Maximum RNR! Their songs effectively ride the line between hardcore and punk, and are hard hitting, raw, and well played! Many of their songs are rather short (some clocking in at under a minute), but for bands of their style, this is something I've come to expect. Brent's aggressive punk-tinged singing will be familiar, and he was a great addition to the band, in a similar vein to original singer Louis Durand, though former singer Gymbo Jak's voice was heavier and deeper, so metalheads will probably take to his singing style more. It's all good though, and Brent & Curtis are fine additions to the Maximum RNR arsenal, with Brent giving them an intense one-man moshpit fury at live shows! Their songs are generally brutal, the guitar work from the two Keiths is a true standout element musically! With mostly vinyl singles, there isn't a high number of Maximum RNR originals, but if you enjoy aggressive old school hardcore punk, you'll get a kick out of these guys, and if you were at any of their local shows, you'll know why!

Maximum RNR's internet pages (linked above) have a high number of their original material, including their last album "Rough Side of The Dial" with Brent & Curt, so click here to buy it! Many old albums are out of print though, but click here for details on their releases' availability. There's a healthy number of videos on YouTube of the band in action, and now, plenty with their local-infused lineup, including this video of them playing two songs at a British concert!


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Hope you guys enjoyed this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month, we're going to focus on a band that we briefly mentioned on the SMS last summer when we discussed one of their old bandmates' local work. The band in question is Buster Cherry from St. Thomas, Ontario, featuring former Carbon Black alumni Terry Eaton and Vince Milosevich! Never hurts to explore all avenues of local metal alumni, and I better talk about them while I have them in mind! Watch out for this profile between March 10th and 16th! That's all for tonight, stay tuned for (hopefully) our next CD review and our new poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!