Joe - Lead Vocals, Bass and Keyboards
Bill - Guitar and Vocals
Ed - Drums
Frank Ferrari plays one of the alternating lead guitars on "Halftime Show" and "The Devil Himself"
Influences: Black Sabbath, Metallica, Led Zeppelin
Band Website: www.chronicunderground.com
Chronic Underground was a Miami-based hard rock band formed in 2003 by Joe Levis (vocals, bass, keys), Bill Duncan (guitar), and Ed Garcia (drums). Frank Ferrari (guitar), a close friend and agent for the band, is featured on two recordings. The band has a hardrock edge with a blues-based classic rock sound.
Levis, an avid songwriter, wrote the lyrics for many of the songs employing a self-parodying, satyrical style which pokes fun at the stereotypes and lifestyles exhibited in popular music. Nevertheless, the songs carry deeper literary connotations as well. For example, the song "The Devil Himself" examines the role of the devil character from the bible, to his humanization by John Milton and William Blake, on through the devil's legendary affiliation with blues singers like Robert Johnson, and finally to the exploitation of his graven image in heavy metal music. Other pieces are more clearly philosophical explorations of the human condition such as "Only Human" and "Killing Watson."
Duncan, guitarist and sound engineering graduate, is a collector of vintage studio gear. He continues to play local music venues with the band Drunk Monkey Express.
Before joining the band. Garcia played drums for the Temptations and Supremes during a European tour.
After a 3-song demo garnered interest from a major record label. The band recorded two albums worth of material during extended studio sessions: (1) The Marriage of Heaven and Hell; and (2) Mausuleum, which was a compilation of songs deemed unworthy to be submitted for inclusion on the main album. Ultimately, the major label interest did not materialize into an offer, and the band decided to release the albums independently. The band later recorded an unreleased 5-song demo CD with drummer Louis Rodriguez after Ed Garcia left the band.
The band struggled to find a significant following in the stagnant South Florida rock music scene. They disbanded in 2007.
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