Burn Unit

Location: Orlando
Years Active: 2008-2009
Website: www.myspace.com/burnunithc

Another project from the mind of Matt Pickler, Burn Unit began late in 2008. A lot heavier than previous Pick bands, Burn Unit features Khann guitarist Andrew and drummer Josh (who also played with Pick in Make or Break) and first time vocalist Jack. The band played a few shows around Central Florida and put out a seven song demo in 2009. Unfortunately, like most bands from the area, Burn Unit did not live up to their potential and parted ways. Jack moved to Philadelphia. Andrew and Josh are busy writing a new record for Khann. Pick will more than likely appear in another band soon. Download the demo if you can.

Third and Long

Location: Winter Park/South Orlando
Years Active: 2005-2006
Website: www.myspace.com/thirdandlonghc

Third and Long was a melodic hardcore band from Orlando which played out around '05/'06, comprised of Asya Han on vocals, Emelio on guitar, AJ on bass, Maika on drums, and myself (Gil) on second guitar. The sound was basically post-In My Eyes guitar-octave 2000s hardcore played by 17 year olds. The band was started between Asya Han, Emelio, and Maika who had written a few songs and were looking to nail down a full lineup, which would be brought together when I was asked to play upon meeting Asya Han, and I brought a friend Chris who would be our first bassist. Our first gig was a 5 minute set opening up the first show which Sammy Triple-B booked, which also ended up being in a park resulting in us playing outdoors with our drums and amps on the grass. Chris didn't play this show because he didn't know the songs, and subsequently only played one show with the band before quitting via a message board - cool (no hard feelings here, this kind of move is part of Chris' appeal). AJ was brought in on bass, and we wrote a couple more songs sometimes bordering on genre confused (our intro sounded kind of like Biohazard, and we played a "We Gotta Know" intro multiple times). The music was recorded for a demo to be released on Triple-B towards the end of the band, during the summer before Asya Han and I graduated high school, yet this recording never saw the light of day because Asya Han never got around to recording vocals. Not sure if Sam cared whether or not this demo ever really came out. A final show was booked, which took place at the AKA Lounge in Downtown Orlando, Years From Now and Make or Break both played and were awesome. It was a good note for the band to go out on, and while TnL wasn't much to be missed at least we got to finish our run properly.

All in all, Third and Long wasn't so bad and helped to compensate for the lack of young bands coming out of Orlando at this time. I think that if we finished the demo, nailed the Turning Point cover, and if Asya Han was a better singer that the band actually woulda been pretty ill. As of today, Maika sings in There For Tomorrow on Hopeless Records, Emelio is in Guilt Parade, Chris is doing who knows what, AJ moved back to the midwest and is doing something somewhere, Asya Han attends college in Boston and sold me Division One Champs on blue for $5, and I sing in a hardcore band called Free Spirit out of Boston which actually does have a demo on Triple-B. Reunion - never.

- Gil Sayfan