The band: Tom Shelton, lead vocals and guitar; Matt McCartney, bass and backup vocals; Spencer Anemik lead guitar and backup vocals; and Mike Berg on drums.
Formed: 2001 in Tampa
Where they live: "The Tampa Punk House" on Huntley Avenue, the street name that inspired the title of their CD. For the past two decades, the Seminole Heights house has been a residence to various musicians and a music venue.
What an audition: Berg tried out in 2003. "We were at the band River Chicken's house, and 15 to 20 people showed up," McCartney said. " He had been watching us play for years and tried out in front of a crowd of people and did great."
Only somewhat metallic: Fellow musicians and scenesters have made the incorrect assumption that the band's mythological name and devil goat logo indicate a traditional metal band.
McCartney: "We're not. We're really not."
Shelton: "We're not very 'solo-y.' We don't do weird angular rhythms. We actually know d--- about that stuff.'
Anemik: "Some of our songs have metal influences. A lot of it is punk rock. We run the gamut. We do some hardcore thrash songs. We have some metal breakdowns."
Influences split the difference: "Me and Spence pretty much grew up on punk and the others on metal," McCartney says.
The next generation: "The ADD guys - the Dukes of Hillsborough, the Tim Version, Vagina Sore Jr., Watson - they all are coming to the house to come to shows," McCartney says. "We're booking bands - a lot of Gainesville bands and out-of-state bands. They're, like, really accepting us, and it's like the older generation accepting the younger generation. The Seminole Heights scene is getting tight."
Shelton: "We've been having shows once maybe twice a month. The next one (at the punk house) is Feb. 24th."
Words above: Shelton writes the songs, and he does a better job than the average punk-hardcore band of balancing the topical and personal. "I don't see a lot of lead singers connecting," he says. "I mean really connecting. They don't take their time with the lyrics. ... You've got to be smart enough where people get something they don't get anywhere else and sincere enough so that people are going to call your BS."
Keeping it real: "Some bands are like puppy dogs in the window: 'Sign me! Sign me!' Shelton says. "We don't want to fall into that."
What's the punk house like now? "Dirty!" Shelton says.
Berg: "Lots of pornography."
Anemik: "And art."
Check 'em out: At 9 p.m. Saturday with Degenerate Elite, The New Threat and Stranded and a special appearance by the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins at Crowbar in Ybor City. $3. 18 and older. (813) 241-8600. www.elysiumband.com.
