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N.J. RACKET REVIEW

Blue Lizard is a four-piece band out of Ridgefield Park, and I have to admit, the fact that they put their ages on their website made me feel really old, because these guys are focused and talented and prolific for their age. Or maybe I am just old and out of touch.

In any case, Unsigned is Blue Lizard’s debut album, and they build on their influences like Sum 41, Black Sabbath, and Incubus to create a dynamic, high-energy sound. “It’s time for the moment you’ve been waiting for,” we hear as the first track, “You Never Know,” slams to life. The energy ramps up and up as the song goes on, never letting up through the strong ending.

“DRAG” samples the “Keep the change, ya filthy animal” part of Home Alone, and it’s these types of little touches that demonstrate Blue Lizard’s sense of humor and self-awareness and keep their music feeling fresh. In the same vein, the band includes two “skits,” creatively mixing spoken word through their music to drive home the theme of their album. The first, “Millennial Mike,” speaks to the Great Divide between parent and child, which has always existed and will always exist in rock ‘n’ roll. “I don’t get it,” the mother says at the end of the track. THAT’S THE FUCKIN’ POINT, MOM.

While keeping a consistent sound throughout, the band shows off their musical variety: the breakdown in “Hard” gives off a jazzy feel, and “Bridge to You” is a rare ballad on this lively and intense album. “Wild Stallions,” a more upbeat track, tells the listener to “Take the chances you get in life/Don’t let them pass you by/They may never come again/Why live a life of regret?” This is a band that knows they’re at the beginning of their career, that the only direction is up; and their enthusiasm and dedication show in every second of this album.

“We Will Return Your Call,” a second skit, is a recording of a voicemail from a record producer who says he’s interested in Blue Lizard’s music. It closes out the album with a hard statement that there is much more to come from these guys – and I would expect nothing less from a band bursting with ideas and creative energy and eagerness to prove themselves. Check Blue Lizard out on their website and give Unsigned a listen on Bandcamp or Spotify.

BIO

4 piece Rock band from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
-Mikey O'Connor (Bass, 17)
-Joey Wamsley (Drums, 21)
-Josh Lang (Guitar, 21)
-Ryan Lamon (Guitar/Vocals, 20) 

With the influences of STP, Alice in Chains, Metallica, Helmet, RATM, Foo Fighters, and Black Sabbath, BLUE LIZARD really puts out a classic, in your face, type of sound. The vocals are raw, the guitar riffs are heavy, and the rhythm section is always keeping it in the groove.

Here is a little background story of the band:

The band is made up of 2 cousins, Ryan Lamon and Mikey O'Connor, and two great friends, Josh Lang and Joey Wamsley. At the ages of just 10 and 7, Ryan and Mikey started playing guitar together and created "BLUE LIZARD" in 2008. Many people ask "why Blue Lizard?" Well, as the story goes, Ryan was at CVS with his Uncle Mike(Mikey's Dad) and they saw a sunscreen called "Blue Lizard" and his uncle says "What a great band name", as he always says when he sees something completely random, and the rest is History. After years of jamming, Mikey and Ryan wanted to actually create a full band and Joey Wamsley was the perfect fit in the drummer spot. Ryan and Joey met in the 8th grade(2012) and have been jamming ever since. It was not until 2014 when Blue Lizard finally created a full line-up, because of a text from a longtime high school acquaintance of Ryan and Joey's, Josh Lang. Josh and Ryan always talked music whenever they saw each other in school, but would never hangout outside of school, and Joey and Josh played in the high school band together for 3 years. Josh wanted to start a band and said that we should definitely keep the name "Blue Lizard" because of the history and how easily it could get stuck in someones head. We now had 2 guitar players, a drummer, and a bass player, but no singer.  Josh would always tell Ryan to sing, but he never would do it. They had complete songs with lyrics, but still no singer. It wasn't until the band was asked to play their 1st show that Ryan now had to step up to the mic. The show was a success so they stuck with the line-up.

Since that 1st show, it has been 3 years and Blue Lizard has been on a hot streak. They have released their 1st album "UNSIGNED" with hits "Wicked Thoughts", "Last Chance" and "DRAG".  They recently released their 1st music video for the song "DRAG" and it has gained ground on YouTube with 2.3k views in the first month. Because of the success, 95.9 WRAT radio named it "MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK" and gave Blue Lizard 3 straight nights of airtime. Blue Lizard has been on radio stations in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Massachusetts, Great Britain, Ecuador, France, and California. They have opened up for ill Nino at the Starland Ballroom and are opening up for Crazy Town in March. Blue Lizard has no signs of stopping and will do whatever it takes to get their music recognized.

They are currently working on their Sophomore Album and will be releasing singles very soon. "This album is more dynamic, lyrics are way deeper, but the message is still the same" says the band