NEPAtoday.com (www.nepatoday.com) has issued the following report from Mark Uricheck:

NORTHEASTERN, Pa. - They call him Kong.

His name is John Bunucci, and he's the bassist for the power metal band OVERLORDE.

He also happens to be a resident of Lackawaxen.

Bunucci's band Overlorde, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, are metal to the bone. Their sound blends the classic galloping rhythms of IRON MAIDEN, the soaring vocals of JUDAS PRIEST, and the sonic wallop of BLACK SABBATH's best work.

Just like his nickname implies, Bunucci is a big part of that sound, bringing a bottom end that's been compared to the intricate noodling of Maiden's Steve Harris and the sheer thunder of THE WHO's John Entwhistle.

Over the past several years, Overlorde has been revived from near extinction. The band originally formed in 1985 playing the New York/New Jersey area scene. A 5-song EP was produced in 1987, which garnered major label interest for the band, and eventually became a hot collectors item among metalheads worldwide. The band decided to part ways in 1988-89, but it was actually this EP that led to the band's reformation in 2000.

The European appetite for metal, most importantly Greece and Germany, fueled the want for more music from Overlorde. The EP from '87 had popped up on want/trade lists and word had spread as far as Denmark about the now "classic" music from Overlorde.

You won't find any Behind the Music type negativity or bitterness when talking to John Bunucci about the band's history. He's out to spread only positive vibes about the band.

Bunucci looks back on the mid 80's birth of Overlorde fondly.

"We had fun" Bunucci says of the band's early days. "We had nights where we played to a lot of people, and we had nights where we were playing to our girlfriends and the bartenders." Bunucci stresses that the band's heyday was the era of what he calls the "copy bands."
"People would go out to see these bands, and those bands were the only ones making money" he says. Overlorde from the beginning was proud to be bringing their brand of original metal music to live audiences.

Even with the late '80's breakup and reformation, Bunucci says he always thought Overlorde was meant to be a great band.

"We always knew we had a good unit" he says. Bunucci refers to the band's core of himself, guitarist Mark Edwards, and drummer Dave Wren, who are all original members.

More importantly he says, "We knew the music was good. At that in the 80's we had some label interest, we'd made some contacts and they were kind of interested. But people just kind of grew apart."

By 2000 though the band was back together, with the addition of former SEVEN WITCHES frontman Bobby Lucas handling vocals. The revamped band has recently released Return of The Snow Giant, a powerful CD of classic flavored metal that will appeal to the Maiden/Priest sect, as well as fans of newer power metal bands like HAMMERFALL and EDGUY. It’s ripe with soaring vocal prowess, biting guitar, and sledgehammer rhythms – basically everything you could ask for in a good power metal offering. The CD was released on Sonic Age Records, a label based in Athens, Greece.

"They were the first people that really got in touch with us when they'd heard about us getting back together" says Bunucci of Sonic Age Records. "When they heard the Overlorde 2000 demo we did, they loved it. They loved the old EP, and they loved what we were doing with our new singer Bobby Lucas. As time progressed, we had a couple other offers from other labels. Then 9/11 happened and it got washed away, and the labels were being tight with their money, not taking a chance on anything. But we were one of the bands they (Sonic Age) took a chance on."

Bunucci says he's pleased with Sonic Age's commitment to Overlorde. "We're very happy with them. They're a whole bunch of nice guys" he says. When we played in Germany, they brought a busload of their people up to see us. They were fun guys. They had their fists in the air right along with the crowd."

That show in Germany was at the Keep It True Festival in April of 2005, Overlorde's debut European performance. John Bunucci was bowled over by the response the European crowd had to the band's music. "There were a lot of other bands that day people came to see, but to have that many people, and have ¾ of them know every word to every song is mind numbing" he says. "It was like going back to the early 80's metal shows." The response to the band at this festival has not gone unnoticed by promoters. Bunucci says the band is in consideration for more European metal festivals like the famous Wacken in Germany.

On their 20th Anniversary, the band is savoring the fruits of past glory, while also looking to the future. They're contemplating some shows in New Jersey, one interestingly enough with a band they played with in Germany. Overlord also was recently featured on WDHA, one of New Jersey's biggest rock stations. WDHA was one of the first stations to play the band's EP back in 1987. There is also talk of the European festivals, "Hopefully next summer" says Bunucci.

The musical climate in the U.S. for a power metal band may not keep Overlorde on an endless tour, but regardless the band is more resilient than ever.

What keeps Overlorde alive for John Bunucci? "Having people appreciate the kind of music that I've appreciated all these years" he says. "To get a great response to music that you've had a hand in writing, it's definitely gravy."

Check out Overlorde at www.overlorde.com.