Local music is a good thing. No, it's a great thing. It also happens to be something I do not take advantage of as often as I would like.

However, over the years I have seen some great bands, some mediocre bands, and, unfortunately, some really bad ones. During that time I have also made some lasting friendships and met some very cool people. I hope to keep that streak going for years to come. That said, I have, for the most part, been able to remain objective when reviewing those who I have come to call friend.

How? Well, believe it or not, these guys appreciate honesty. They learn about their performances and can work to improve, and the more pandering the review, the less helpful it actually is. That brings me to this Friday night performance at The Barking Frog bar, featuring a band that I have come to call friend, Audible Thought.

Now, this night was a special one for the band, as they arrived with a new bass player and relatively new drummer in tow for their first live performance since October of 2007 when they opened for Overkill. Debuting a new line-up can be a frightening proposition, especially when a few former members are in the audience. Anyway, I have been looking forward to seeing this quartet back on the stage ever since that October show. While I would not call Audible Thought one of my favorite bands, there is no denying their ability and their improving performance and songwriting.

I arrived at the bar just after 9:00. I quickly bumped into Lou (vocals) and Ryan (guitars), was thanked for coming and chatted about the upcoming set, the development of the new line-up and in general, we just caught up. I observed their sound check, with no mixing board or tech, they were doing everything themselves through their equipment. I have to say that the mix they ended up with sounded quite good, considering how they had to do it, plus the fact that the building was not exactly built for acoustics.

As show time approached, the crowd grew to a pretty good size, filled with friends, family, bar regulars, former band members, and myself. The band was a little nervous, but quite anxious to dive into their set, comprised of older tracks, new creations, and a few covers.

Before going any further, this is specifically for Mikey P. (formerly of Section 18): Audible Thought was absolutely terrible. They can't hold a tune if their life depended on it. As for that Ryan guy, he should put the axe down and take up the triangle, it would better suit his, um, talent.