FINGERCHAIN: Combos, Switcheroos, and Nu Metal

Fingerchain is a hard hitting Nu Metal band from Tacloban with a history of metamorphosis like no other band from Leyte. Throughout their years of rockin’, they’ve been loyal to each other even with all the changes they’ve experienced. Fingerchain is composed of Jason Ilao (Guitars), Victor Romualdez (Guitars), Glenmore Silvano (Drums), Timoteo ‘Tots’ Prisno (Bass), and Michael Joseph Fontanilla (Vocals).

Fingerchain was first formed sometime during 1999. The members came from different bands and their name is the embodiment of the etymological evolution of what came before. In other words, it is a composite of the names of the previous groups they’ve been in. In essence, Fingerchain is a chain of names, switches, combos, patterns, events, and awesome riffs.

Case in point, Glen was a guitarist for a band called Tragic War before becoming a drummer. He listened to a lot of Wolfgang in their heyday while gradually tilting towards the drums. In 2003, he left the band and then took a job abroad in 2005. He learned a lot in his travels —and in 2014, he returned to his hometown of Tacloban and gladly reunited with Fingerchain.

Victor joined the band around 2001. Before that, he dreamed of becoming a drummer, and in truth, he did become one, but then he moved on to become a guitarist when he connected and got himself hitched with Fingerchain. His first influences happened to be Death Metal music while at the same time scrounging for some obscure metal bands back during the day.

Jason had been influenced by Rage Against The Machine, Korn – and the like – back in the 90s and that was the kind of music his band played back in High School. He also credits Jimi Hendrix as having an effect on his guitar playing. Curiously though, he’d been a vocalist for a while before helming the guitar. He usually initiates the songwriting process for Fingerchain.

Michael is the newest vocalist in the fingerchain of events [Ahuh]. Rage against the Machine was a huge influence on him as well as Limp Bizkit. Before taking over as frontman for Fingerchain, he was in a few different bands as well. Joining the troupe was easy enough due to the fact he’d been schoolmates with some of the members as well as being their friend.

Timoteo ‘Tots’ Prisno was a guitarist long before he became a bassist for Fingerchain. He’d been with Tragic war alongside Glen. Most of his influences were Korn, Limp bizkit, etc. He learned to love playing bass over time, and even got into playing an upright bass for a Rondalla group in his school —which was eventually invited to Manila to play for some shows.

Their songwriting process is a mirror unto themselves as a band. Jason starts up the whole thing with his riffs and then Glen joins in with some hard hitting attacks. Tots pitches in with his ideas and basslines and they incorporate it into the song. Victor eventually weaves his own riffs into the mixture while Michael finally ties it all up with his lyrics to complete the whole song.

Before finishing their KBoxTV interview, they left parting words of wisdom for the next generation of musicians. Glen advocates practice as the key to a band’s success. Michael declares that unity as a band can help with any adversity. Jason preaches perseverance and some beer drinking sessions to help cement bonding moments. Tots recommends passion alongside practice to perfect one’s skills. Victor counsels patience, and the will to “just keep rocking” no matter what. That’s Fingerchain for you — an awesome band filled with transitions, distortions, breaks, and reconstructions – not just in the musical sense, but both literally and figuratively.