Local band cites many influences BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer PHOTOS BY KATHY CHANG Left: The local band Amercy will perform at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark on Feb. 29. Cody Bissette, 17, (top l-r) of Metuchen, plays the drums, Nick Nalepa, 17, of Metuchen, is the lead singer, and Mike Bray, 19, of Metuchen, plays bass guitar. Ino Corrente, 17 (bottom l-r), of Edison, plays rhythm guitar and sings back up vocals, and Drew Nahrebne, 20, of Colonia, plays guitar. Above: Members of the band Amercy "This Cage of Ours" during one of their regular practices on Feb. 17 at Nalepa's home in Metuchen. The band will perform in the semifinal round of The Break Contest, the official contest for The Bamboozle 2008, at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on March 22. METUCHEN - Over the past eight months, neighbors may have heard a mix of screamo, hardcore, and metal sounds emanating from the walls of an Aylin Street home. The music comes from the newly formed band called Amercy, consisting of Nick Nalepa, 17, of Metuchen, who is the lead singer, Ino Corrente, 17, of Edison, who plays rhythm guitar and sings backup vocals, Mike Bray, 19, of Metuchen, on bass guitar, Cody Bissette, 17, Metuchen, on drums, and Drew Nahrebne, 20, Colonia, who plays guitar. "Imet Ino in downtown [Metuchen]," said Nalepa, a senior at Metuchen High School. "Ino was part of another band called Hollow Truth and he was looking for a new band, and we just started hanging out. I already knew Cody, who was friends withMike, and then we met Drew." The band officially came together in July 2007 and played at the Galaxy Café and Stage in South Plainfield twice in September and most recently at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park as part of "The Break Contest," the official contest for The Bamboozle 2008. "For the shows, we switch up our songs so when our fans come back they can hear each song," said Corrente. "There's two different shows for Bamboozle, and whoever makes it to the top, you get 10 hours of free recordings, you get to play on the main stage, a press kit is made for the band, a compilation CD is made, and also there is freemerchandise that ismade for the band." Members of the band said their first time together on stage in 2007 was a little nervewracking. "I was a little nervous before we first went on stage [at the Galaxy Café and Stage], but once you are on stage, it's fun and exciting," said Nalepa. The other members agreed. "It's like a rush … you get so pumped," said Bissette, a senior at Metuchen High School. The band has released four songs, "This Cage of Ours," "Cast Along Like the Shadows," "Tainted Accomplishment" and "Venom" and is working on three more. "I have this obsessionwith vampires, and our songs follow the story of two vampires," saidNalepa,who said he attributes his ideas to the Atreyu band, which made it in the metal scene in 1998 and has sold over amillion albums. Amercy will be performing at the New Jersey Institute of Technology inNewark on Feb. 29 and will perform in the semifinal round of "The Break Contest" at the Stone Pony onMarch 22. "Our music is streaming on the campus radio atNJIT," said Bray, a sophomore at the college. Nalepa came up with the band's name Amercy, and the name stuck. "The name really just grew on us and we just kept it," he said. The group practices every chance they get at Nalepa's home, and they got together for a regular practice on Feb. 17. "We usually work on writing our new songs and then we practice our old songs," said Bissette. Since the space the band uses for practices is under construction, the group may move their practices to Bissette's father's home in the Fords section of Woodbridge. "My dad has a studio in the basement," Bissette said. Corrente said the band has been told that their sound is unique, and he credits that to the influences of various metal bands that each member brings to the band. Nalepa brings the sounds of Atreyu and Silverstein, Corrente brings the sounds of Bless the Fall, Nahrebne brings the sounds of Tool, Bissette also brings the sounds of Tool along with Slipknot, and Bray brings the sounds of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nalepa's father, Richard, said he's proud of the boys. "I really had to get used to their music, since I came from the music of the '70s and '80s," he said. "But they enjoy it. These are good kids and they like to have fun." Nalepa said the group's goal is to just get their music out there. "We want our music to move and influence our listeners, and we want to click on someone's MySpace page and hear our song," he said. For more information about Amercy, visit www.myspace.com/xamercyx.