With a line-up rounded out by Rich Parris, Tim McDonnell, and Benji Rogers, M4 Messenger is in possession of a chemistry that can only come from years of friendship. "We pretty much go back over 20 years. At one point, Rich, Tim and I were roommates, remarks Otis. "Rich and I played together for years in Animal Bag (signed to Mercury in the 90's and recorded three albums), but we split in '97 after our deal expired." In the aftermath of that demise, Rich dipped his toes in the waters of electronica as Treephrog, while Otis switched from bass to guitar and wrote idiosyncratic folkadelic "silly drug songs" with Throes Like A Girl, Pinkwood Flat, and Jackacid. Tim recorded two albums with Colorblind, did some time in the Degenerate Kings and a myriad of Charlotte bands. Benji, (a sky-diving martial artist) graced the skins with Eric Lovell, as well as the Essence. Combining the sound of a dark, more powerful U2 with the atmospherics of Pink Floyd, M4 Messenger easily shifts within a wide spectrum of classic styles. "I see us gradually becoming more electronic and trippy, while keeping an anchor in classic songwriting, Otis said in closing. "I'd like us to grow old gracefully like& Peter Gabriel or Tom Waits."

No doubt these guys will be around for a while stretching and re-defining their brand of "new" classic rock. "I've seen M4 Messenger four times now, and this is one high-energy band. Driving rhythms, timeless riffs, impressive solos, compelling lyrics, classic melodies. These guys clearly demonstrate fluency in a wide range of styles, and I could probably categorize them in any number of ways. The important thing, though, is that every time I see this band, I'm singing their songs for the next week and looking forward to their next gig!" John Amen The Pedestal Magazine