Victim to Victor is not the average metal band.

The vocalist of the Charleston-based group, Joe Amato, is also a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School.

Amato describes the band’s genre as “modern roots metal” because of his classic rock-influenced style of singing combined with the band’s modern instrumental approach.

“I like to say it’s like if Black Sabbath and System of a Down had a baby—and the singer went to grad school and the guitarist makes coffee,” Amato said.

The current lineup has been together almost a year, including Amato, bassist Trevor Terrell, drummer Daniel Ray and guitarist Shea Keating.

The guitarist and bassist met at a show at Friends and Company, and a few months and member changes later they met their drummer.

After two years of playing songs as an instrumental trio, the group finally found its current vocalist at a karaoke night.

Keating said the group’s previous vocalist sang with a deeper voice, so the lyrics were not always clear.

He said he appreciates Amato’s style because listeners can understand the words more easily.

“I’m very proud that, like you know we have a very talented singer that can actually express all these lyrics and make them heard and make them very powerful,” Keating said.

Lyrically, Victim to Victor expresses the same themes of self-empowerment and positivity that inspired the band’s title.

Keating said he was sitting with previous band members trying to think of a name.

“They were pitching really bizarre names, like names that you don’t want your mother to hear,” he said.

He said he had been thinking of the band’s present name because he liked the meaning behind it.

“It’s kind of taking all of the negative experiences that someone may have gone through and just trying to come out of them in a more positive light,” Keating said.

Keating said one of his favorite lines is “take strength from scars,” from the song “Overcoming” on the band’s debut self-titled album.

Amato said some things that come up on the album include breaking free from limiting people and situations, finding the strength to move on and find something new, and choosing the right path when faced with difficult decisions.

However, Amato said they are not trying to be “preachy.”

“It’s not a self help album; it’s just not negative,” Amato said. “It isn’t putting anything down; it isn’t wallowing in self pity or anything like ‘woe is me;’ it’s just—bad stuff happens and you’ve got to get through it.”

Victim to Victor is going to be promoting the release of its first album with a show at 8 p.m. Friday at Top of the Roc. Other groups playing during this show will include Mustache, The Fancy Boys and Spinning Chamber.

Amato said the band members goof around with one another and the audience during live shows; they just try to make sure everyone is entertained and having a good time.

“We take our music very seriously, and that’s where the seriousness ends,” he said.

However, he said something usually goes wrong at every show, whether someone’s instrument is messed up or someone is late or forgot to ask about something.

“I call them the ‘Spinal Tap’ moments, and every band has those,” he said. “And so because of those, we can’t take ourselves too seriously because then we wouldn’t survive.”

Keating said he is proud of the band’s ability to win over crowds even when audience members do not seem to be into the music.

“Even at say this one show where people weren’t really receptive to us at first, because we were the band with vocals you could understand opening for bands with like intense, not-a-syllable-recognizable bands, even then like halfway through the set we started winning over a few people who started off by heckling us,” he said.

Live shows also allow Keating to open up.

He said most days he is reserved and laid back, but once the band goes on stage, he goes crazy head banging and performing for the crowd.

“It’s kind of letting me feel safe and more like myself,” he said. “Since I’m not really a talkative person, most days I go into work and I make coffee and I come home and kind of sit by myself and play music, so really getting to play music on stage is my release.”

Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or samarkham@eiu.edu.