When I was young my parents got divorced. Because of that I was very rebellious growing up. Typical things like, my hair,music,drugs,theft and a lot of time suspended from school. On my 15th birthday they both wanted to know (Brian what is it going to take for you to change) I remember telling them both that I'd like to learn how to play guitar. So with a doubtful yes they agreed to rent me a guitar and amp from concord music (thanks Marge). After hours of killing cats ha ha ha and other weird noises I wish I could do now they agreed to guitar lessons. I spent a few months learning each basic blues,rock and some classical guitar. After that I spent time learning different cover songs and played along with them on the stereo. As time passed my mom and friends told me how I've gotten pretty good and should look for a band to join. Through an old drummer Dave Sakowski is how I met Roger Holcomb who got me my  first audition for a band Black Rose. After playing with Black Rose for awhile I decided to move on and formed a few bands Stonehenge, Satyre and No Mercy. Through that period is when I got an audition in Black Onyx to play lead guitar. I met Benny for the first time along with his brother (Randall) on bass and the other members.For years the three of us played together along with multiple singers. Nearing our mid-twenties we felt maybe it's time to let the dream go and find career jobs and at that point we decided to call it quits. After about a 10yr. lay off  I got a call from Benny (I've got to play again). So with that call and some practice we formed Blessed Realm. Wanting to further my guitar playing I sought out theory lessons from Ernie Carletti who I admire and respect for what he taught me (thanks man).

       

 

 

    

 Hello, my name is Benny and I am the drummer of Blessed Realm. From as far back as I can remember I have loved playing the drums. My dad and uncle's had a country band (Midnight Special) and at about the age of 4, I would get my pillow and lay in the bass drum of my dad's set while they were practicing ( I think that is where my good sense of timing came from.)My dad gave me his sticks and set me on his set at about 5yrs. old and I  haven't stopped playing since. I was in my first band by the age of 10 (Destiny) in which my brother (Randall) played bass (I miss playing with him alot.) My first show was a party in my old neighborhood and there were about 25 people there yelling and cheering us on...it was so cool. From that point on I knew that playing and creating music was going to be a must in my life. After years of playing with so many different guitarists I asked Brian to come and try out for my band (Black Onyx.) He came over and I could tell from the first time we jammed together that me and him had a connection and we clicked from the first song. That same day I replaced the old guitarist and the journey began. To this day we can read each others minds when we jam or put music to our songs...it's sometimes scary...haha... After years of playing, the band split up and I found myself bouncing around jamming with alot of guys but missed the guys in Black Onyx. I finally called Brian and let him know I was interested in jamming again and he said "yeah cool" and we have been together ever since molding this band to what it is today. We created alot of music and went thru alot of bassists and singers until we finally found Scott and George and now Blessed Realm is complete. This is the best group of guys to jam with and create with and if you come to see us or talk to us you will see how dedicated we are to our music and keeping the fans head banging ,singing and cheering until they lose their minds. Thanks for checking us out and keep rockin...see ya at the shows.

I didn’t begin playin an instrument till my friend Dave Mather came over one day with his acoustic and a Gene Leis ‘how to play guitar’ lp..yep vinyl..I was maybe 17 at the time.. I was so taken by how good he was that I borrowed the record and guitar so I could learn and get chics lol..Months later we began our own two man band called Silent Wisdom..I had progressed over to bass guitar since Gene Simmons was my role model at the time..

So we had our band 'Silent Wisdom' from 1978 – 1980 writing all originals and never knowing how to actually tune the guitars...I actually bought my 1^st guitar which was a Hondo copy of a Les Paul.. Between '80 and '83 I played rhythm guitar in cover bands 'Renegade' and 'Feedback'. I took some guitar lessons during this time from Dan Graper at Guitar Repair Center in Newark, Delaware..During ’82-'83 played as only guitarist in original band 'Syrenz' while still playing the local circuit with Renegade I met some great guitarist like Tommy Keiffer (pre-Cinderella) and Vinnie Moore, also became a proud father my 1^st born, Wayne. I also started a long working relationship with Dana Sutcliffe of Guitar Repair Center, he custom built 2 guitars for me, one a starbody shape with floyd rose and Duncan pickups and his Detonator designed tone pot. Another was an offset ‘v’ shape with all the same electronics and floyd rose..he shipped the ’v’ to me while I in midst of a mini tour in mid 80’s. Maybe late June ‘83 I auditioned for an original band out west called 'August Rain', I got the lead guitarist position and we layed down some tracks for an ‘EP’, but never released it. I made good friends with guitarist, Eric Marderwald  from a band called Shok Paris. We both were big fans of german band Accept. I mentioned to him about looking for a band to expand my playing abilities..so Eric came down to one of our shows (August Rain) and checked out my playing..later on I was contacted by a band called 'Purgatory'. They were a 4 piece looking to add a guitarist and from what I was told they had tried a lot of them, but none seem to fit.. I remember around March or April of ’84 members of Purg were in the audience at one of our shows and afterwards was approached by their guitarist and bassist and asked if I’d like to audition..Well it all worked out and Purg had a big underground following releasing several EP's, LP’s including "Tied To The Trax" and “Dr. Pain”. Tied to the Trax  was re-released last year on CD by Steam Hammer Records in Germany. 'Purgatory' opened for many metal bands, including 'Metal Church', 'Lizzy Borden' and 'Fates Warning'. In late mid ’86 our main guitarist Greg had left Purgatory and we auditioned guitarist for awhile, none really ever fit the mold and the band was taking a new direction in music style..more hardcore Thrash as opposed to our melodic speed metal and I finally departed in mid’ 86. From 1986 – 1988 I opened a record and tape store called MSM Records and Tapes..it was doing very well, but I opted to join the police academy to support my son and new child on the way..well 20 yrs later my youngest son Randy Jr. had taken on playing drums and we actually started a cover band called ‘FBI’..he inturn joined a hardcore original punk band called the Familiars and was playing all over New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania..He inspired me so much that I picked another axe and began practicing my arse off..finally playing in 3 bands doing covers and originals till I finally found a permanent home with Blessed Realm. Jammin with Brian, Benny and Scott is such a ‘high’ of all highs..Being in ‘Blessed Realm’ I feel like the lost child who has finally been adopted..it’s a great home.. and when we’re jammin’ I feel like I’m back in my 20’s again (watch it guys I heard that lol)….

 

               

I started out in a band called Devastater in 1988. It was an original band name which I created, I now use the name in novels that I write. I started out playing rhythm guitar in the band at first but couldn't get the picking technique going in my hand. So one day while at Mid Atlantic music I decided to pick up the bass guitar and play, it came pretty natural. I just transferred all the covers we where playing to bass. We kicked out about  six cover songs and had a small crowd in the store cheering for more ever  since then I have been playing bass. Then I went to a band called Certain Death. When I left that band I hunted for a band for a while and ended up in a band called Big Gunz. I then went from that band to a band called Areial Attack in 1993 there I met a really good friend there who's name is Dez Smith. He just passed away in Sept of 2003 he will be missed. After that I found a band called Dispair in 1995 which I stayed in for about a year. I then met Brian and Benny who answered my ad in Accect Music. I jammed with them for a little bit in 2000. After that I decided to call it quits, and do some writting during that time. In August of 2001, I joined a couple of cover bands before I went back to see what Brian was up to. When we first started talking again he had just came out of  the hospital from mouth surgery, so we wrote notes from across the dinning room table. I started jamming with the band in mid 2002, in early 2003 I joined a band called Destructive Nature now called Klaw. Trying to play bass for both bands became difficult to do. I decided to make a choice and ease the pressure by staying with Brian and Benny.