Despite the reggaeton and club beats streaming from cars up and down Bergenline Avenue, hard rock music isn’t dead in Hudson County.
And if it ever were, West New York Memorial High School grad Marc Bernuy and his bandmates would still be playing at the funeral.
Bernuy, who now lives in North Bergen, is one of the guitarists for Nuclear Harvest – a north Jersey “alternative metal” band hoping to live long after the fallout of the recent music scene has settled.
Brought together by a love of the genre and respect for mutual talent, Bernuy, 30, is joined by singer Matthew Boutillier (37, from Union), guitarist Anthony Gomes (23, from Newark), drummer Thomas Finch (24, from Franklin), and bass player Jonathan Barris – better known as “Johnny B” (50, from Brooklyn).
“It’s not just good music. It’s a good performance.” – Anthony Gomes
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But it is where Nuclear Harvest gathers weekly to perfect their sound and plot their dreams of worldwide musical domination. Or at least to change a few minds in New Jersey.
Bringing it all together
The band has been working on their debut album, set to be released by beginning of fall. Right now, they are selling a three-song CD on cdbaby.com. Their first single, “Abandon,” has just gone into rotation on WDHA 105.5.
On May 16 they will play at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, opening up for Taproot.
Bernuy, Gomes, and Johnny B are familiar faces on the Hudson County music scene. They played together before in the West New York band Capstone and recorded at Mad Max in Union City.
The three later transformed into their own band, Nuclear Harvest, which has been around for about three years.
When Bernuy (who used to sing), decided he wanted to give 100 percent of his attention to guitar playing, a search for a front man ensued.
“It was like American Idol,” said Gomes.
After auditioning dozens of hopefuls, Boutillier was the obvious choice as soon as he opened his mouth.
The new guy in the band, Finch, was added about three months ago to replace the prior drummer and complete the lineup.
The name Nuclear Harvest was created by Johnny B years ago. He hung onto it for the right opportunity.
“The government has gone to different energy solutions [like nuclear],” he said. “But they don’t consider the repercussions. We’re going to be harvesting that.”
Making a name on the scene
Though they have the support of their friends and family, all of the band members agree that it’s been hard to create a name for themselves.
“It’s difficult because everybody’s into the club scene,” said Gomes. “Nobody wants to listen to live music anymore.”
“Why leave your house if you have a computer,” added Barris.
Ironically, despite the vanishing local music scene, the band has exploded in popularity in Europe thanks to the Internet.
Fans on their MySpace page hail from across the globe from Japan to South America, but that doesn’t create a following fan base for live shows in New Jersey.
Though they sometimes find themselves playing only to other bands at the shows, the guys said they bring 150 percent to every show – whether it’s at the Blue Room or Six Flags.
“It’s not just good music,” said Gomes. “It’s a good performance.”
Behind the music
In addition to practicing, the band has also become well versed in promotion. They’ve become adept at using social networking sites, flyers, and friends to get the word out about their music.
“We’re all trying to do something to market ourselves,” said Bernuy, who spends his days as a client care specialist at Mercedes Benz promoting his band with the help of his boss.
Finch, who is currently unemployed, spends most days at his local Dunkin’ Donuts using the wi-fi to look for a job and promote the band to any customers who will listen.
Additionally, they’ve split up all the administrative tasks of making the band work.
“If we don’t, then one person is going to do all the work,” said Boutillier. “It’s money and time and sometimes we don’t have both.”
Boutillier, who works in IT at Loreal during the day, spends nights handling the graphics, technology, and copyrighting for the band.
Gomes, a graduate of Kings College with a degree in marketing, is a real estate agent by day and revives his promotional skills after work on the social networks for the band.
“Johnny B” is a full-time musician who acts as the “older brother” of the band. With years of experience he points out flaws until they’re tweaked to perfection.
He also works as a “glass mechanic” creating artistic and commercial neon signs for his own company, Planet Neon.
His bandmates have been urging him to create a special sign they can use in their shows.
Next steps
Although the guys said they’d welcome fame and fortune the same as another band, they’re focused right now on realistic expectations – they just want to play.
“It’s about getting your pain and your passion out in small doses,” said Boutillier.
For more information visit www.myspace.com/nuclearharvest.
Lana Rose Diaz can be reached at ldiaz@hudsonreporter.com.