Iliad & the Beast is striving to become more than just a creative band name.
Oscar Moreno, 19, broke off from the band hopeforthestars and started a musical journey alone. The Hidalgo guitarist and singer played a few solo shows to test the waters, but ultimately decided to flesh out his sound by adding more band members.
Emmanuel Arambula, 21, also a former member of hopeforthestars, joined Moreno and plays bass for Iliad & the Beast.
While they planned to be a duet, they still felt they needed something more. Shortly after Arambula was added, they picked up fellow Hidalgo resident Adrian Barajas, 23, to be their drummer.
Gilbert Brunnemann, 19, who lives in McAllen, filled in with violin and keyboard.
Iliad & the Beast is the first band Barajas has ever been in, though he used to practice drums with a metal band.
Brunnemann was recently a member of the Valley Symphony Orchestra, but chose to give rock a chance.
Now the four are pooling their varied influences, from indie rock to metal and classical to folk, to create music they say is new to the Rio Grande Valley.
“Expect something subtle, but with a twisted violin,” Moreno said.
Lead singer Moreno has joined the Navy Reserve and will be leaving soon, but the band plans to pick up where they leave off when he returns.
Recording an album is first on their list of things to do before they perform in July at The Incubator in McAllen alongside local favorite They Mean Us.
The band seems to all be on the same page.
“We just want to have as much fun as possible … play as much as we can,” Moreno said, while the rest of Iliad & the Beast smiled and nodded in agreement.
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What: Omnicon
Where: Holi-dome (200 W. Expressway 83), McAllen
When: Tonight, 6 pm
Amy Nichol Smith is a freelance writer for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.
