Vocal eccentricity over instrumental experimentation. Technical guitar playing, subliminal resonant bass lines and purposefully understated rhythms. Lyrically and emotionally introspective, socially decisive, but with an absolute and genuine humanity.

6 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Progressive Rock, ROCK: Modern Rock



Details:
The band Scryer was originally formed in 1988 by Jerry McGowan (of Sunset Garage Studios, Walk Like Shaggy, and The Disguise.) Jerry had tried to form a band with some friends from high school during their senior year, but it wasn't until the following fall (during a tumultuous start to college) and the addition of guitarist Rick Diehl (of Nazirite) that the project achieved any serious focus or direction. At the time, Rick was the most experienced musician in the band and his skill and creativity helped to inspire them to become a more cohesive unit. The other members of the band included Bill Ryan on drums, Jon Walborn on rhythm guitar, and Ron Andrae on bass. At that time Jerry played keyboards and was the main lyricist and vocalist for the band.

Personality conflicts arose which eventually caused Rick and Jon's departure. Jerry, Bill, and Ron pressed on and attempted to find new guitar players to fill the spots left by their former bandmates. They eventually filled the spot with Ron's brother-in-law-to-be, Shawn. It was short-lived however. The band was scheduled to play a benefit gig on June 1st, 1990. Shawn missed the gig and they had to cancel. He left the band shortly thereafter.

Upon Shawn's departure from the band Jerry decided that instead of depending on another moody unreliable guitar player he would take over the position himself (including the moody part.) So the band continued onward as a trio, with Jerry on guitar and vocals, Ron on bass, and Bill on drums. The new line-up brought about a prolific change in Jerry's song-writing and the band soon had a dozen or so songs in their set list. Jerry signed the band up for an open mic in October of 1993 at the Pandemonium Bar in Shermansdale, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the gig did not go very well and the morale of the band suffered and the creative relationship deteriorated. Scryer finally called it quits in 1995...unofficially.

In August 2003, Jerry decided it was time to record a few of the songs he had written for Scryer and contacted his friend Bill to see if he might be interested in playing drums again for the project. This CD is the result of those sessions. Jerry and Bill still jam together from time to time in between day-jobs, families, and a few pints of beer.

Currently, Jerry McGowan is pursuing his music career as both a solo artist and audio-engineer and stays busy recording new material of his own and that of other local musicians at the aforementioned Sunset Garage Studios in Central Pennsylvania.