A PURE MOMENT: Members of Sacred Impurity relax in early morning sunlight. From left are drummer Chris Carlson, singer Derek Hofheimer, bassist Joe Carucci, singer Kelly O’Leary, guitarist Nick DiPace and guitarist Anthony Muhlig.

Bellmore Life photo by Douglas Finlay

Hot off a second consecutive win as the top band in Mepham’s spring Battle of the Bands, and off a second extended play CD recorded to help them demo their music to interested record labels, five Mepham graduates – and one senior Mepham student – are intent on showing the “adult” world that they are indeed in the “game”  and not wasting their youth. They say they are working, in fact, toward the American dream of success their way.
   
Their band Sacred Impurity has come a long way since being showcased at the Jones Beach bandshell during the autism walk two years ago, when singer Derek Hofheimer, drummer Chris Carlson, and guitarists Anthony Muhlig and Evan Kuriga took the stage and played a set of metal and ‘90s grunge standards to curious onlookers. Bellmore Life highlighted the quartet on Page 4 that week.
   
But with Kelly O’Leary on vocals and guitar, and Nick DiPace – a Mepham High School senior – on guitar both having replaced Mr. Kuriga, the band has added depth and flexibility to the lineup. Ms. O’Leary, heading to Nassau Community College in the fall to study vocal performance – and an admirer of both Adele and the band Evanescence – helps mix the band’s presentations up. Having performed solo, she’s “happy to be in the band” that provides back up to her strong vocals.
   
Mr. Hofheimer says of the new vocal additions that “we can now experiment with our new range of vocals” and get broader sound with the additions. He also admits to being more comfortable on stage these days than when the band first started performing.
   
Mr. Hofheimer’s influences include Scott Weiland of STP and Sean Morgan of Seether. He will attend Nassau Community College in the fall, though he is undecided on what course of study he will pursue.
   
The band doesn’t shy away from its grunge leanings, saying it plays a mix of both ’90s metal and ’90s grunge, a la Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Metallica and others. During a lighter moment bassist Joe Carucci, a junior at Five Towns College studying broadcasting, and original guitarist Anthony Muhlig, who will attend an electrical trade school, appear to show their differences as to who is the best band in the world. “Kiss!” blurts out Mr. Muhlig.  “Pantera!” counters Mr. Carucci.
   
Any differences are nowhere to be seen when the band is in top form. Mr. Carlson, whose influences include Stu Copeland of The Police, says the band has played at such venues as Vibes in Rockville Centre, and Broadway Bar and Ollie’s Point, both in Amityville. The band has also opened for The Misfits at Crazy Donkey on Route 110 in Farmingdale, and has played that venue quite often.
   
As proof of the band’s growth, Mr. Carucci told this newspaper the band is looking to reach into other venues out of state, such as New Jersey and points south, as well as venues in Connecticut.
   
“We feel we have a good following here now, and we don’t want to oversaturate ourselves,” said Mr. Muhlig. The plan would be to travel out-of-state and play extensively, building anticipation for their followers on Long Island for their return.
   
Anywhere they play in the future will feature new music they are writing, such as the new songs that can be heard on a  new five-song EP CD the band cut recently at the Music Palace in Franklin Square. This newspaper noted there are studios in Bellmore also up to the task of recording their songs.
   
“We’ve made some good contacts during our gigs,” said Mr. Muhlig, and are making good on their potential musical capital by recording there. There may be a record label in their future from the outcome of their recordings, Ms. O’Leary suggested.
   
The creativity of the band in writing songs appears to be not so much a magical, mystical  element coming from on-high at all hours of the night or early morning, but a more collective approach from simply hearing a melody or grabbing a lyric and sharing it with the other band members to flush it out more comprehensively, until each of them is satisfied they have a new song.
   
“No one member makes one song themselves,” Mr. Muhlig revealed. “Everyone contributes to the process.” Fair enough.
   
Of their new extended play CD called “Wasted Youth,” this newspaper was struck by the irony of the title explained by Mr. Carucci. What youth is being wasted? this newspaper wanted to know. “It’s more about showing adults that we are into the dream of being successful, that we have the dream inside us, the dream they always tell us we can achieve once we get out into the real, working world, that we ‘get it,’ that we aren’t ‘wasting our youth’ on nonoriented goals.
   
“We want to get somewhere with this,” he said.
   
Sacred Impurity will play at Bellmore’s Friday Night Car Show east of the train station on  October 7, and is working toward appearing at the Bellmore Family Street Festival in September.
   
To hear the band go to www.myspace.com/sacredimpurity, www.facebook.com/sacredimpurity or http://nextmosh.com/bands/sacred-impurity.

By Doug Finlay

Doug Finlay is the assistant editor for Bellmore Life newspaper. He is also an award-winning writer for L&M Publications.