Novocaine (8)

Mike Morris Guitar/Vocals Mike Barnes Drums DJ-23 Tables Juan Garcia Bass / Vocals At first listen, local metal band Novocaine might appear to be another Korn knockoff — but they're not. Where new-metal rap-rockers such as Crazy Town and Linkin Park seem to aim for the 13-year-old crowd, Novocaine aligns themselves closer to thinking-man's metal (the Pantera and early-Incubus crowd). Put simply, no one wears a backward red hat in this band. But the group made up of DJ 23 (Chris Kazmarek), bassist Juan Garcia, guitarist Mike Morris and drummer Mike Finney, has had glimpses of the same exposure afforded bands like Korn. In 1997, Novocaine was invited to perform on the Vans Warped Tour, and since then has shared the stage with Suicidal Tendencies, Atari Teenage Riot, Biohazard and The Jesus Lizard. One reason the group resembles the rap-metal bands that dominate popular airwaves is their use of a DJ — a move Garcia says is an innovation ahead of its time. "A lot of bands have been wanting DJs lately but we had [Kazmarek] in 1998," Garcia says. "He doesn't do scratch work with us — we wanted him for his soundscapes and effects and we use him like another instrument, almost like a keyboard player."