Hard rock meets spoof horror in “Blackwind,” a once-local band’s self-produced and acted film set to premiere June 27 at The Outpost in Kent.
Drop to Zero’s lead vocalist Conor Sessions describes the band as hard rock/heavy metal. Its members include himself, drummer Derek Desko, guitarist Brendan Davis, bassist Derrick Yopp and guitarist Scott Lambert.
The men have been playing together for 21 years and are now more interested in having fun than in “making it” as musicians.
Filmed in recognizable locations in Kent and Akron, the horror thriller “Blackwind” begins with a disclaimer that it contains “adult language, mayhem, horror, violence, alcohol, sexual themes and some pretty questionable acting.” They weren’t lying.
“It’s a fever dream homage to all of the over-the-top B horror films that we grew up with,” Sessions said, thanking co-directors Davis and longtime band manager Jake Pitonak.
On their way to a show, the band members take a side trip to a creepy warehouse to score a pierogi maker the drummer has somehow located.
Their hard rock performance of the song “Blackwind” is of course featured in the film, along with a scantily clad Davis, professional model Chloe Ting as a vampire dominatrix, a game of Dungeons and Dragons, and blood splattering everywhere. Sessions’ real-life family also appears in the video as members of the vampire cult that ambushes the band.
It’s all a nightmare, or was it? They do score the pierogi maker, but miss the show. They’re alive, and that seems to be a win.
After meeting in high school, Drop to Zero’s members all attended Kent State University before scattering across the country. Sessions is a local firefighter/paramedic, Desko became a chef/entrepreneur in Texas, Davis is in business in Texas, Yopp works in an Ohio sand mine, and Lambert does local IT work for a national company.
They played shows every week as kids, but now time and responsibilities limit their performances to once or twice a year.
“After 21 years, it doesn’t take all that much rehearsal to get us sharp,” Sessions said. “We pushed really, really hard to put on a lot of shows when we were younger, and we’re very lucky that we still occasionally get to enjoy the process of creating. We get a lot out of it, we love to do it, and it’s a lot of fun.”
In their two decades, Drop to Zero has released two full-length albums. Last fall, they released the EP “Lights/Shadow,” which also features “Blackwind.” All of the band’s music is available on streaming platforms, and their video can be found by searching “Drop to Zero band” on social media platforms. Physical copies of all the band’s music will also be for sale at the show.
Joining Drop to Zero on the Outpost stage June 27 will be heavy metal bands Kaligo, Erasing Never, Throbber and more. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $5 for patrons under the age of 21. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.