By Justin McKinney, Staff Writer

This week’s band spotlight features a group of former UMass Dartmouth students known as Sic Vita. Sic Vita is an alternative rock band that grounds itself in heavy guitar as well as hard hitting lyrics that bring the music to life in the listener’s head. I took my first listen to the band this past week and I was simply blown away. While the band is alternative the hard-hitting guitar riffs reminded me a lot of the sound from Guns n’ Roses Appetite for Destruction album, I was extremely impressed with the hard and fast tempo that the band kept up through several of their songs that made for a very intense listening experience. It is extremely refreshing to see a young local band carry the amazing energy that this group carries themselves with. While I cannot say I have ever had the pleasure of seeing this group live, I can say with confidence that the show must be amazing. The music is extremely up-tempo and the vocals are impeccable, these guys are a ticket worth buying. What is even more remarkable in my mind is the fact their lyrics carry meaning. What I have found is that often times in any music genre, lyrics can lose meaning and simply be used as filler in a song. However, with Sic Vita this is not the case, they have lyrics that carry real weight and tell a story throughout the song. When asked about where they get their lyrical inspiration from Sic Vita responded by saying, “A lot of our lyrical content stems from the experiences we’ve had and finding ways to portray the emotions we went through but still leave them open to allow the audience to interpret them in the way that suits them the best. We’ve heard so many different interpretations of our previous songs that really open up the spectrum to things that are so unique, yet vibrate so close to the core subject matter.” As a listener it means the world to me that the band gives their listeners a sort of liberty with their lyrics. In music, lyrics can mean so much to a listener and the fact is that every listener has to an extent a different interpretation to what they mean. In my opinion when bands make comments that stifle lyrical interpretation from fans, it takes away from the fan’s listening experience. The whole point of music is to get lost in and find its meaning to you. When songs carry a concrete meaning, this is essentially lost. The band released its first album, History, in 2013, on the website Bandcamp.com and has released two since, including this October’s single “Ghosts of Spring.” The band has been playing together for a little while and as one could imagine it is tough to keep a band together for an extended period of time. However, Sic Vita would beg to differ. When I questioned what was the most rewarding thing about playing together they claimed, “Honestly, it’s a bit of a cliche, but it’s the energy we share with the crowd when we’re on stage. It’s a connection you can’t describe or feel in any other fashion. Also, the fact that you get to share that time with some of your best friends makes it all the better.” As I read this statement over and listened to the band play it made so much sense. Call me crazy but you can feel the connection of the band as they play in their songs. Their music and energy is something that can only be done when people who share a true bond play together. Sic Vita’s music is available on the website Bandcamp.com as well as Sound Cloud. Take a listen these guys are very talented individuals and should be in on any rock playlist.

Photo Courtesy: bandcamp.com