Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 18/05) - It has been a long time coming but for fans of homegrown rockers State of the Art (formerly Mother Divine), but according to drummer Jamie Chabun the band's debut CD will be worth it.

"I think it's what people have been waiting to hear," said traps man Chabun from the band's 60th parallel hideaway in Fort Smith. "It will sound refreshing to people."

With the band ready to hit the road this week for what it hopes will turn into a cross-country promotional tour, Chabun's confidence is just what the doctor of rock ordered.

"We want to build up our fan base and hopefully sell a few thousand CDs along the way," he said.

After finding musical kinship with the folks in Fort Smith following the band's appearance at the town's South Slave Friendship Festival in 2001, bandmates and brothers Chabun, Brandon Kikoak and Aaron Kikoak - born and raised in Inuvik - decided to relocate there. They picked B.C. transplant and budding musician Craig Allard to round out the quartet.

From there, the group has been honing their live performances by playing locally and popping in and out of town periodically for gigs in the Northwest Territories and around Western Canada.

As for their skill in the studio, the debut CD was self-recorded in the band's loft studio/practice space and farmed stateside for mixing and remastering.

With AC/DC and Deep Purple as influences, State of the Art earned a devout following by playing laser-guided hardrock and metal covers peppered with original material.

Similar to the band's other musical role model Metallica, learning other people's music served two purposes: it refined the band's craft and got them gigs in places where patrons prefer to hear the familiar rather than the unknown.

"We play music of the bands we like and admire," said Chabun. "Sure, you'll hear the influences (in our new CD), but I think we've got something new to offer."

Not forgetting the band's Arctic fans, Chabun says State of the Art's CD will be available next week at Northmart and Video Effects. Unfortunately, the band that has graced the Mad Trapper and Frosty's stages won't be in town anytime soon.

"Maybe we'll be able to come for the End of the Road Music Festival next summer," Chabun said adding he couldn't make any promises.

In the meantime, the boys have been hard at work rehearsing their new material and are eager to showcase it.

"We're looking forward to heading out on the road with an album to sell instead of turning away countless fans when we were a cover band without one."