Beginnings|Justifide began at home, with the brokenness of distressed family relations, a circumstance that eventually led to experimentation with alcohol and other drugs. While they were only in their teens, the Moncivaiz brothers lived in a house that was stressed to the breaking point, with the parents separated. The problems started to spiral downward, and the situation might have ended up much worse. But one event changed the family’s direction: convinced of the family’s need for God, the Moncivaizes’ father became born again. That spiritual transformation turned the family’s life around. Music was a natural outlet for the family, since both brothers had started learning instruments as a young age. Second Stage|As a formal group, Justifide started with Ian Metzger as the vocalist, Jason Moncivaiz on drums, Sambo Moncivaiz on the bass, and Joey Avalos playing the guitar. They try to keep it real, not playing depressing songs all the time but not playing all “happy” songs either. In the words of singer Jason Moncivaiz: “We try to touch on all of the human experience. Life and death, |love and loss. We don’t just experience the emotion of joy. There’s |a lot of other stuff going on in us, too. So not all of our songs are |‘coming from a happy place.’ And not all of our songs are going to |be depressing and sad. We’re trying to write about all of life, all |of the things we’re feeling.” After about a year of touring and recording the band’s first indie EP, Life Outside the Toybox, Ian Metzger departed. Jason started singing as well as playing the drums. The remaining members toured a bit as a three-man band, but eventually they began hiring drummers to free up Jason to concentrate on vocals. Some of the drummers the band worked with were Jaren Johnston of Bang Bang Bang and Jeff Irizarry of Dear Ephesus. Guitarist Joey Avalos left Justifide in 2003. He has since gone on to work with Pillar and an independent project called Stars Go Dim. Reform the Resistance|After years of recording, touring, and switching drummers and guitarists, the band finally acquired a permanent drummer, Ryan Dugger of Nashville, Tennessee, and renamed itself Reform the Resistance. The new three-person group has released an EP titled “And It Begins” and its first single “Tonight” to Christian rock radio. |
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