PAUL BENTO
Guitar, vocals, bass, misc.
instruments
A multi-instrumentalist, Paul
has been singing and playing music since grade school in New
York City. He began his musical training singing in church
and school choirs while studying classical trumpet in a
private music school. He then took up electric bass,
guitar, sitar, while studying various vocal styles.
Paul has played the role of
sideman, artist, and producer. He currently is playing
guitar with Carnivore, Peter Steele’s pre-Type O Negative
band. They just finished a German tour, appearing at the
Wacken Open Air festival, and the Markthal in Hamburg, as
well as a Northeastern tour that included B.B. King’s. A
follow-up European tour is expected in the Summer of 2007.
Paul has added guitar, sitar and tambura to four Type O
Negative albums (1 of which had attained platinum status,
and 2 had gone gold). His sitar embellishments and guitar
solos have lent a distinctive style to these albums. Paul
has studied sitar with three sitar masters, has performed
with, and recorded, many notable Indian musicians. He has
also recorded sitar tracks for AT&T radio ads and cable
submissions.
Paul has also been a session
guitarist/writer/producer for Variety Recording Studio, Full
Moon Studio, Sandy Pearlman (The Clash, Blue Oyster Cult)
and Mark East (Pink Floyd). Paul played guitar with the
Brooklyn hardcore band, ‘Gas,’ who had been endorsed by
Jagermeister. He has played and recorded rock duets with
Ronald Shannon Jackson as part of the Decoding Duo,
culminating in a European tour, and has performed with
various other bands and artists. Peter Steele (Type O
Negative) has recorded with Paul’s band, Metal Health
Association, on their upcoming album. They are presently
seeking management and label interest. Paul also teaches
guitar at Norm’s Music in Brooklyn, NY (for over eight
years) and is accepting students at many levels.
Paul’s equipment is all
modified and customized (with both electronics and art
work). From guitars down through the pedal chain to the
amps and speakers, everything is reworked for tone and
voice.
Paul uses: Schecter guitars,
DiMarzio Norton and Air Norton pickups, Peavey 6505 amps,
4x12 Peavey XXX bottoms, Eminence speakers, pedalboards by
NYC Pedalboards, Area 51 super wahs, Analog Man Clone
Chorus, Skreddy Pedals (the Zero), TRex Replica, Exotic RC
boost, Planet Waves instrument cables, DR Highbeam .010g
strings—standard tuning,.012/.013g—C#/baritone
tuning, Clayton Custom 1.26mm picks.
His endorsements include
Schecter, Peavey, DiMarzio, Area 51 Tube Design, Skreddy
Pedals, Coffin Cases, Wilkinson, JT Custom Shop.
Toben Project Studio: Paul’s
personal analog/digital project studio, and Metal Health
Association’s home base. Centers around 3 networked
computers: Sonar 5.0 for multi-track DAW, (with Echo Audio
Layla converters/2 UAD-1 cards), SoundTrax 56-input console
(modified by SG Custom Sound), Sound Forge 8.0 for mix-downs
and editing, and a third computer for Pro Tools LE,
sampling, midi and back-up. 16 track analog with Dolby S
and Otari ¼ inch mix-down machine. Various converters by
Lucid, Lexicon, Benchmark, Echo Audio, M-Audio, and a wide
selection of quality microphones (over 40), and outboard
gear.
His influences include Black
Sabbath, Type O Negative, Pantera, Black Label Society,
Ozzy, Nine Inch Nails, Sevendust, Nevermore, and Metallica.
