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“Certainly not for the faint of heart, CORTEZ THE KILLER is committed to producing aggressive hard rock that requires physicality by both, the band and its listeners. Composed of Justin Parker, Jun Lyle Kamesaki, Joe Nerve, Ricky Wells, and Jeff Ballantyne, CTK will seduce you with absolution and without hesitation. For those of you who harbor a pool of resentment underneath a business suit or wear your angst on the tips of a spiked collar, this band is a voice. A voice to remind us that moments of freedom are not to be expected, rather proactively sought, taken down, and finally, indulged with full abandon. These flashes of light, so few and far between, are what drive them to pick up their instruments, time and time again, in the hopes of tasting that space within the music.”

[ Genesis & the Early Years ]
Justin met Lyle in the Dick’s Hills school system circa 1990. As is usually the case with pre-pubescent teens, music and “Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition” provided a well needed source of something exciting to do. At this point, Parker was already a learn-ed musician and went on to use his drum trickery with the likes of Durijah Lang (Glassjaw, Classic Case, Saves the Day) to excite the girls at band camp. On the other hand, Lyle, in his attempts to be more “Asian”, found the “Suzuki Method” unfitting and was quite sure music was not in his loins. It wasn’t until Lyle’s “break” or “academic probation” from a certain Ivy League school did he muster the courage to return to music on his own terms. By this time, Justin was touring the nation with Stage (Warner Bros.) led by Ryan Star (Atlantic Records) but did not forget to check in with his buddy at home to provide proper encouragement when needed. Eventually, Lyle indulged his band desires and formed Jun (Weener Bros.) with yet another Dix Hills superstar Randy S. Slavin (Group Sounds). Cutting his teeth on a series of raw performances in the Lower East Side, Lyle cultivated his unruly voice into something bearable as Justin truly became a professional drummer on tour, in cities across the country. As all great things must come to an end, Stage disbanded in late 2004, leaving a legacy amongst those lucky enough to experience their epic live performances.

After the split, Justin found himself on the west coast playing for a multitude of bands that may or may not have deserved his talent. But before leaving for Lost Angeles, Justin and Lyle found themselves in the throes of an impromptu writing session in the basement of a Hauppauge condominium. Not sure as to why or how they got there, the two somehow knew they simply had no choice. The songs demanded it. The results of which were later to become the 2006 EP and with it, the birth of CORTEZ THE KILLER. So after a year of funtastic filth in L.A., Justin decided to return home to Long Island and before long CTK sessions resumed in full force with additional members Freddy X. Vasquez (Pain Distribution) and Erik Brescher (Souls Release). The newlywed foursome ravished their audiences time and time again, but the configuration didn’t hold. “Irreconcilable differences” set them apart and the future of Cortez seemed unlikely. Then, without discussion or conscious deliberation, Justin and Lyle were drawn back to the rehearsal studio and quickly became addicted to the new songs they were writing. A blink of an eye, a flash of light, and five songs later, “Car Crash Music” was born complete with a stellar video by Videethis (Randy) for the first single “Make a Move.” This time around, the duo will not be shaken. Whether it’s just the two or they choose to bulk up to six, three laws hold true: no expectations, make sure it’s fun, and make damn sure it’s exciting. This is the business of Cortez.

[ The Here and Now ]
Determined to bring the new tunes to the masses, Justin and Lyle began the arduous task of auditioning new peeps to round out the live crew. This is undoubtedly the point where Lyle formulated his hatred for Craig’s List dealing with posts like “Established metal band with serious label interest seeks god-like shredder, must like Split Wet Beaver, Burning Dogs of Hell, and Infidels of Crimea, emo-fags need not apply.” Regardless, the dynamic duo spent six months trying out too many people from too many places only find Shangri-La in two local Brooklynites. Besides their ability to play in the pocket, Joe Nerve (The Nerve!) with his bulging biceps and Rickey Wells (Kung-Fu Grip, Good Grief) with his dashing good looks were an immediate end to the audition process and a hopeful new beginning for Cortez. The fantastic four immediately jumped into the international battle of the bands known as the Emergenza Music Festival in the hopes of picking up a few warm-up shows. What they got instead was an overwhelming reaction from the people at large pushing them to the National Finals at Webster Hall on June 28th, 2008. Where they go from here is any one’s guess, but if good starts account for anything, certainly this is one of them and it most certainly will be taken advantage of.