Illinois Entertainer - December 2004
Star Newspaper - September 16, 2004
Midwest Beat Magazine - February 2004
Autoface Ink Magazine - Fall 2003 Edition

Illinois Entertainer - December 2004

Thursday, September 16, 2004
By Jessi Virtusio
Star Newspaper - First Look

It's not a word you commonly see, and a cubed notation attached to the word forms the logo for a local band.

That local band is Triptych (pronounced trip-tik), which drew its name from drummer Jeff Wickman, who was an art major when the group formed in the fall of 1999.

"The idea with the name was that three of us were the core of starting the group," said vocalist and guitarist Nickolas Blazina of himself, Wickman and guitarist and backing vocalist Mark Tatara of Chicago Ridge.

"A triptych is a three-panel painting. The three (for cubed) has nothing to do with anything. It was just a logo idea. People wonder and they ask and remember it."

Triptych has had its share of memorable moments, including playing the Metro in Chicago several times, and performing at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park.

"The coolest thing we've done, thus far, is we went on a three-day thing with Local H last October," said Blazina, a Hometown native who now lives in Chicago.

Triptych and Local H hooked up partly through bassist and backing vocalist Tony Martino of Oak Lawn. He had served as a tour tech and backing vocalist for [the band].

The two bands played together at The Rave in Milwaukee, Wis., and at venues in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Carbondale.

"Going out with Local H was awesome because that was one of the bands I grew up listening to and playing guitar to," said Blazina, who comes from a musical family.

"It was surreal because I got to sing with them on stage and hang out with the guys."

The Local H connection will continue when Triptych's members dress up and perform as Local H for an Oct. 30 Halloween performance at the Wheaton Grand Theatre.

"It's such a rich character base to draw from, so it's easy to do something funny with it," Blazina, 20, said.

"It's going to be as authentic as it can be. We're going to have the garb, and everything they say. On stage, it will be amazing."

Meanwhile, Triptych is gearing up for a close-to-home gig at Champs Rock Room in Burbank, where the band has played many times.

"It's really close to home so a lot of our family can go," Blazina said of the well-known venue, which is down the block from the band's practice spot at Wickman's Burbank home.

With a strong all-ages fan base, Triptych has been moving more into the 21-and-over market since there are more venues catering to that audience than the all-ages set.

Triptych's sets consist of heavy melodic rock, some of which has aired on Q101's Local 101 and 94.7 The Zone's Local Zone radio shows.

And band members are often writing new music.

"We recorded 'Next Thing You Know,' and it's been about a year since we released it," Blazina said. "Even the month after we released it, we came up with a bunch of new songs.

Much of Triptych's music has been recorded by Andy Gerber of Million Yen Studios in Chicago. He's worked with several bands, including Local H, Liftpoint and Caviar.

"He's always been very supportive. We used to be very heavy, with no point in the songs we were writing because they were a collection of riffs," Blazina said.

"He wound up producing us on some songs and keeping the attention on what went into the song. He's definitely been very helpful for us."

In addition to Friday's gig, myriad opportunities exist for those who want to check out Triptych's music.

Other upcoming gigs include Mike & Denise's Pub in Aurora Sept. 25 and the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago Oct. 7. The band also offers nearly all of its material for free download at www.triptych-online.com.

"The most important thing is to have people hear the music," said Blazina, who added that both the full-length "Next Thing You Know" and a three-song demo released in June are sold at shows.

"Not enough bands are striving to be more than that radio package," Blazina said. "The best music is a mix of every little thing.

"We want to make sure what we're doing is interesting, both lyrically and musically."

Jessi Virtusio may be reached at jvirtusio@starnewspapers.com or (708) 802-8854.

February 2004 - Midwest Beat Magazine
author : Rachel Komar

"I would first like to start off with an amazing four-piece rock band, Triptych. With their great breakdowns and cool effects, this band is anything but simple. In their release, Next Thing You Know, the creative drumming really stood out to me, as well as the angelic vocals. The entire CD is very clean-cut, with many heavy riffs throughout. This is truly a quality recording of pure rock."

Fall 2003 - Autoface Ink Magazine
author : John Terrell

"Holy fucking shit! Next Thing You Know is Triptych's third release, and it is a beautiful progression. This is what rock has been longing for; a rock album that kicks you in the teeth with style. Triptych³ is definitely a band that makes me proud to be from Chicago. This disc is a mixture of balls out rock and buckets o' melody; a true artistic masterpiece. The lyrics are phenomenal and lead you down the path that portrays a vision of reality, passion and hope. Triptych³ is on the rise. RATING : 5 out of 5"

"File these guys under 'up and coming!'"
~James VanOsdol, Music Director for 94.7fm "THE ZONE", Summer 2002