Josh Dodrill - Vocals; Evan Michael - Drums; Nino Mancino - Bass; Jared Gaminde - Cognition hail from the wild, wonderful state of West Virginia. Despite being tucked away in Fairmont, which is nestled in the northern part of the state, near the college mecca that is Morgantown and which is typical Small Town America, Cognition make a thoroughly deadly and metallic racket, the kind that makes you wonder what, exactly, is in the water and/or the soil down in the W-V. Their self-titled debut is abrasive and corrosive, which is just how extreme Consequently, Cognition are looking to bring their music to the masses and beyond. While all of the members of Cognition are incredibly young –each player is under the age of 21‐ they are impressively talented and keenly aware of what they want to do and that's get their brutally focused music out to as many people as possible. It's almost unthinkable for players this good to Cognition may have been born in a small town, but there they won't remain. The core of the band consists of friends that met in high school and have been playing together for so long that they have an unspoken understanding. They know each other, personally and musically. That sturdy backbone is the foundation on which the band is built and is that which will keep this musical train moving, along with the scaled-the-bowels-of-hell vocals and heavy "We were all friends through high school," says drummer Evan Michael about the band's humble beginnings. "I had started playing drums in seventh grade. Between our bassist, myself and one of our guitarists, we began getting our music together freshman year. Throughout high school, we played. We had more fun than anything. It was an outlet for which we could play instruments. Around the end of high school, we met Jared, our other guitarist, who was a transfer student. Someone mentioned that he played. I was initially skeptical, but he ended up being on the best What started out as fun lead to something more serious. The band spent time gigging locally with other well-known regional acts in West Virginia and in the Pittsburgh area, honing their skills and "One thing about our band is that we have all managed to keep a close friendship while we do this," Michael says, making a critical point. "Bands get so caught up things and have issues that spill over into the music writing, since they stop getting along. But the fact that we are all comfortable with each other helps us with our writing." While many rock bands are built on the rising and releasing tension between members, it's the yin and the yang and the personal connection that makes Cognition just...work. "We all have different metal tastes, but we come together and our music is a hybrid of a few different types of metal," Michael explains. "We have some aspects of progressive metal and we like to keep things rhythmically technical. We have some hints of unexpected things. Some of our parts are more 'rock,' but they are mixed in with the new technical hardcore and death metal The band will release its first official album on October 21. It's a nine-track, self-titled album that the band worked on for an extended period of time and represents Cognition's current sound and where they plan to go. "It wasn't like we sat down and said, 'We're going to write this album this month and record it,'" Michael recalls. "Some songs were written three or four years ago and some were written just about a year ago." Because of that, the album is a broad representation of COGNITION Guitar; Tyler Vincent – Guitar the band, as well as a hint of what's to come. "The song 'Plethora' has a much different sound than the rest of the album but it gives a taste of the direction we are moving towards and the progression of our abilities, as opposed to the second song on the album, 'The Countdown,' which we wrote in the early days," Michael says, offering insight into key songs. Indeed, since "Plethora" was written more recently, it is indicative of what they where the band's sound is going. The song "Attila the Gun" was also written during the formative days of the band and demonstrates their breadth and scope. Then there is "Words of Insanity," which is admittedly angrier. Michael explains, "We have a tendency to diversify our writing on each song. We don't want redundancy. But with this song, opposed to 'Plethora,' it's a darker and a meaner sound. Our songs can be musical, lyrical, flowing and pretty. But we also write songs that are heavy and in your face." Working with producer Jeff Westlake (Hydrogyn, Tracy G of Dio, Craig Goldy of Dio, The Godz) was an invaluable and unforgettable experience for Cognition as a developing band. The members absorbed everything they could during the process and learned about what it is like to be in a Additionally, the album is incredibly authentic, since all of the drums are real. "There is no triggering and it's very bare bones and it's also as real as it gets. We didn't use metronomes," Michael says. In a day and age where so many bands rely on so many studio tricks and software while making albums, it's beyond refreshing for a band to rely on natural skill and talent. Clearly, Cognition's self-titled debut charts the band's sonic course and their progression, and it marks where they were, where they are and where they are going. It's almost like a sonic history in album form. It is also that which will put the band on the metal scene's radar as a band to It's pretty scary to think Cognition are only just beginning...