Long Live Eken is Dead: South Bay’s truly alternative rock
From left to right: Vic Arevalo, Chris Navarrete, Simon Johnson, and Gagg Green. Photo by Dipan Desai Put down the mandolin, flip the distortion, and turn up the Marshall: South Bay’s truly alternative rock band by Ed Solt Have bands with any traces of metal been left to rust in the previous decade? The marques don’t lie. Currently, popular music playing at South Bay venues tends to fall on the softer side. Who would have thought grandaddy’s bluegrass would make a resurgence? Yet the South Bay’s own hard-touring Eken is Dead (say it like wreck, not eek) has been sneaking in our local dose of metal with two spoons of sugar since 2008. Under the guise of “alternative rock,” EID brings in the thrash, with those heavy riffs that melt your face. Frontman duties go to Torrance native Chris Navarrete, whose vocals range from melodic to in-your-face, his gruff, baritone delivery engorged with passion and rage. His style is just a natural extension of his musical background. “I remember hearing Jim Morrison for the first time when I was eight years old,” Navarrete said. “I love bluesy singers. Growing up, I loved classic rock like the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin.” And then…
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