Kemikalfire Ignites With a Fiery Live Debut

Kemikalfire is a brand new band started by drummers Taylor Carroll of Lit and Arejay Hale of Halestorm. This side project has been in the works for a few years now. The duo have been friends for over a decade, but more recently decided to take their musical endeavors to the next level by forming Kemikalfire. Their sound was truly a mystery, as no music has been released yet — would it be rock? Indie? Metal? Could this be a surprise pop punk project? Maybe some electronica aspects? We really weren’t sure what to expect, but believe me when I say we surely were not disappointed when we attended their live debut show at The Knitting Factory in North Hollywood last week.

**Taylor Carroll** *(Photo: Nikki Phillips)*

With Taylor on guitar and Arejay on drums, these two proved themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Taylor served as lead vocals on most songs, while Arejay was mic’ed up providing some stellar background vocals as he played drums simultaneously. The sound itself was heavy yet melodic, with high octane drum solos and power guitar riffs. The balance of scream to vocal ratio was flawless. It was almost hard to believe their output was coming from just the two of them together — considering just how commanding and dynamic their performance sounded. Both Taylor and Arejay carried the crowd with their effortless onstage presence and vitality. The room was packed with friends, family and other industry faces including DIAMANTE and Ash Costello of New Years Day. Supporting bands Centershift and Lip Candy were also part of the night’s lineup.

**Arejay Hale** *(Photo: Nikki Phillips)*

We are stoked for Kemikalfire’s official music release, which is still yet to be announced. Show #2 has already been briefly touched, so naturally we will be there, ready to rock. We are highly anticipating their next show — keep up with the band at the links below for the latest. Until then, check out some photos from the night:

Follow Kemikalfire: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Facebook