Gabe Cortez: My life as a musician began at an early age. When I was about three, I would drag out all my mom's pots pans and Tupperware bowls and beat the hell out of them with wooden spoons. It was awhile before I graduated to coffee cans and buckets, then finally to a real drum kit. Music had always been a constant in my life and is a key component of who I am.

I became involved with Solemn Black after Jerry and I were introduced through a mutual friend at a local bar. I asked if he would sing a few notes and as soon as he did, I had goose bumps. I had been looking for a band that had some dedication and level of commitment that I did. I hadn't heard anyone locally with his level of vocal talent, and the potential to become something great sparked a new sense of creativity in me. Soon after we began practicing and collaborating with Luis and Billy and Solemn Black was created. The four of us meshed so well together musically, we soon had enough material for an album (Xenophobia).

Luis is an amazing bassist and is by far the best I've ever played with. Some of the same can be said for Billy. He and I can often visually communicate in the middle of a song and throw in breaks and tempo changes effortlessly. I am so thankful for the opportunity to play with such high caliber musicians, and I think of us as brothers. We have had our fights and disagreements (women related, of course!) but they are all great guys and I am honored to be associated with them and the music we have created.

Gabe Cortez - 2006