al1112510 + Musician in Chicago, IL

SEEKING

ABOUT

After leaving The Chasm in 2003, bassist Alfonso "Poncho" Polo felt that after almost twenty years of playing in different bands, the whole "music thing" had begun to feel more like a chore or a job. Rather than quitting the music business for good, Poncho decided to take a long break from music completely. In the spring of 2009, Poncho's passion for his music resurfaced and he decided to work on his own project instead of joining another band. Harnessing musical inspiration from bands like Root, Candlemass, Mercyful Fate, Solitude Aeternus, Trouble, Black Sabbath, My Dying Bride, Cathedral, and Bolt Thrower, Poncho incorporated lyrics based on reality, fantasy, and personal experiences into his songs. After forming the basis of the sound he was after, Poncho named the project Question of Madness. Within a few weeks, a four-song demo was completed and a deal was secured with Lux Inframundis Productions, owned by Daniel Corchado, a former band mate from
The Chasm. By the end of 2009, Poncho had written nine songs for what would eventually become the debut CD for Question of Madness. Since the beginning of the project, Poncho toyed with the idea of recording the entire album himself by playing every instrument but drums (which is why he asked for help from Antonio Leon, another former band mate from The Chasm). Being aware of his limitations as a lead guitar player and vocalist, he sought out assistance from Julio Viterbo (The Chasm) in the lead guitar department and Albert Rybka (from progressive metal act Katagory V) for the singing duties.
The recording process for the album began in January 2010 and continued on and off that year. The drums were tracked at The Ensomberoom Studios (Fort Wayne, IN) with engineer Geoff Montgomery. All of the remaining recordings and mixing took place at Lux Inframundis Studios with Daniel Corchado as producer. In addition to playing bass, Poncho also provided rhythm and some lead guitars for the CD. The debut CD entitled “The Dark Corners of the Mind,” was released in December 2010. A heavy doom concept piece in ten parts, the album takes the listener inside the mind of a psychiatric patient suffering from depression, anxiety, and an overactive imagination. Question of Madness was able to perform a handful of shows until April 2012 with the addition of Luis Ceja on rhythm guitar and Clint Davis on (live) lead guitar. Due to health reasons, Julio Viterbo was able to perform just once on stage for the band's last show with Earthen Grave at Reggie’s in
Chicago.
Due to their numerous commitments with their own bands, Poncho's back up musicians quit the project leaving Poncho with the hard task of finding replacements to keep his vision alive. Working solo again, Poncho managed to create four new Doom anthems for the next Question of Madness album, all while looking for replacements (not an easy job in the Chicago area).

Screen name:

al1112510

Member since:

Feb 08 2016

Active over 1 month ago

Level of commitment:

Very Committed

Years playing music:

30

Gigs played:

Over 100

Tend to practice:

2-3 times per week

Most available:

Nights

Influences

Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Trouble, Manilla Road, Fates Warning....

EQUIPMENT

Enough to make A LOT of noise!

MUSIC