A Valiant Effort – The Beast in Me
A Valiant Effort is a self-made band from Orlando, Florida. Yes, another sick band hailing from Florida (seriously, what do they put in the water there?). It seems like every single week I’m hearing of a new band from Florida. A Valiant Effort is a hardcore band that combines hardcore screaming and melodic verses with amazing singing and hardcore instrumentals. Their most recent EP, The Beast in Me, released in March of 2017, has a little something that everyone can enjoy.
Recently I had the chance to speak with Michael Myerson (vocals), the founder and co-creator. Myerson met the producer and co-creator, Jacob Hansen through a friend and together they created the band’s EP, The Beast in Me. From there on, the other members of the band joined and were taught the parts. “The music scene is very competitive. We are very energetic during our sets. Luckily the scene is also supportive and the bands will stick together and play shows together. So entering the scene is a little scary, but now we just look forward to the next big show.” As I have been going to local shows almost weekly for the past 6 months or so, I have noticed that they scene is very supportive of one another. You always see a familiar face in the crowd, and every band is out there rocking out to the other bands on the bill. It’s good to hear that the sense of community I’ve noticed in the Long Island music scene is common place!
The name A Valiant Effort comes from a personal place for Myerson. “A Valiant Effort at first was kind of a joke between some of my close teammates during college lacrosse. A valiant effort jokingly on a good attempt at a catch or something. But it means a lot more than that for the band. It can mean you gave it your all and coming up short. Or triumphantly winning. Or whatever. It just kinda fits perfectly.” Upon playing the first song of The Beast in Me, it is obvious that the band “triumphantly won” with their debut EP. For any fan of bands like Of Mice & Men, Escape the Fate, Falling in Reverse and A Day to Remember, A Valiant Effort is undoubtedly for you!
The Beast in Me starts off with “Coming out Swinging”, the perfect introduction to A Valiant Effort. With the sound of the starting bell of a boxing match to cue the mayhem, the band comes out fast and hard. The heavy guitar chords had me head banging like a mad man the very first time I heard the song. Myerson proves that he can scream like a pro and sing with the same intensity and talent. “Coming out Swinging” incorporates every aspect of what make people love this genre of music; amazing screaming, singing, and a killer breakdown that will send people running to the pit at their shows. The song is followed up by “Calm Before the Storm”. The verses in this song are heavily screaming, showing off Myserson’s impressive vocal range.
The first two heavy songs are followed up by “Not Your Average Love Song”. This song veers from the screaming path that the band took with the first two songs, being a fully singing song. I always love when a band is able to include a full singing song on their album/EP and are able to preserve the heavy undertones that make the band who they are; A Valiant Effort achieved that masterfully. The band was also able to change the chords of the guitar to be a little more upbeat while still upholding their sound and style. “Not Your Average Love Song” will be, if not already, a fan favorite on the EP. The Beast in Me continues with three more songs that encompass exactly what A Valiant Effort is. “Vices”, “The Beast Within” (my personal favorite song on the EP, check out the breakdown on this one, GOD DAMN!) and “A Voice for the Silent” all come at you with hard hitting vocals and extreme breakdowns that will make you want to jump around and go nuts whether you’re seeing the band perform live or you’re driving home from work.
A Valiant Effort is a band that shows a ton of potential. Their debut EP has proven that they have the skill set to compete with the greats of today’s music scene, and the band shows no signs of letting up! I can’t wait to get the chance to catch them live! Make sure to check out their social media pages and listen to their music on the blog’s Spotify playlist, After Hours Review!