You’ve heard of garage-rock bands: the term was coined to hail the jam-space of choice for a generation of burgeoning rockers. But have you ever heard of a barn-rock band? If you have, it almost certainly hasn’t been like this one. True, Hundredfold may jam in a barn outside of Steinbach, Manitoba (fittingly, the curious rehearsal pad is decked out more like a neighborhood pub than a livestock shelter), but the sound that bursts out of that barn would be more at home on the airwaves or the stage. Balanced between the spiritually conscious and personally revealing lyrics of front man Rejean Labelle, and the fiery, crashing performances of band mates Cody LeRoy (guitar), Darcy Wall (bass), and Clint Plett (drums), the quartet is taking aim at the trails blazed by icons like Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, and ready to make their own mark. Modern rock, melodic-heavy rock, metal... call Hundredfold what you will, but you won’t ever make the mistake of calling the band mates “slackers.“ Ever since coming together in early 2003 (Labelle and Plett have played together for years; LeRoy and Wall were old friends), the four have torn through their ambitions in a way befitting of up’n’coming rock royalty. While less than a year of together-time would seem brief with any other band, the boys of Hundredfold managed to pack a career’s worth of experience into its first ten months, racking up devastatingly evocative live performances and landing a recording and development deal with Juno award winning Winnipeg producer Brandon Friesen. To get all of these goals accomplished, Hundredfold has had to become a de facto Renaissance band. Whether it be booking their own tours, networking with other bands and industry representatives, or merely rehearsing at every opportunity, the band mates do it all, working off of a solid unity and commitment that all of the band members share. No matter how hard you work, of course, it has to come down to the tunes... and Hundredfold delivers. From the first riffs they played as a band, they “felt comfortable creating in front of each other,” as Labelle puts it. What has evolved from that initial comfort is a sound rooted in both the melodic-heavy rock of the early 90’s movement and the vicious metal of the 80’s... bands like Metallica and the Deftones bear equal influence. It is a sound that is both aggressive and emotive, born from slashing guitar riffs and dark vocals. But while the music packs a powerful punch, Labelle’s lyrics show a gentler side. It is this dichotomy that defines the band. Drawing from an electrifying emotional place where deities and distortion pedals meet, Labelle is thoughtful about how spirituality has shaped his life and his music. Perhaps it shows best through the songs themselves: unflinching and honest when confronting the darker aspects of life, but infused with positivism that offers a fresh perspective... a voice of hope in the darkness, the strength to carry on. With recording underway for its debut CD, the sound of Hundredfold will not go unnoticed. First they took over the barn... next, the nation.