Restless were formed in the summer of 2016 by founding members Michael Minor (bass), Rich Gualtiere (drums), and Q (lead guitar). Previously the three had a brief stint with a band known as Wicked Detour, but after their original singer left the band, they found themselves looking for a new vocalist and a new band name. With that, drummer Rich Gualtiere called up his childhood buddy, Mike Cottis and asked him to come in for a jam session. From the first day, things clicked and Restless was now complete.
Restless began as most bands by jamming covers in the basement. The synergy in the band came together pretty quick and by November of 2016, Restless performed their first gig at the local American Legion. From there things just kind of took off for the foursome. They began playing several venues around their local area and getting quite the following. The more they played covers, however, the more they wanted to start incorporating originals into their sets.
By the fall of 2019, Q and Cottis had collaborated on enough material to begin recording guitar and vocal tracks to be sent to the others to complete the recording process. With that, ‘Superload’ was quickly developing. As Minor and Gualtiere put their spins on the tracks, it was very clear that the album would be a great reflection of the influences that drove the members of Restless to pursue music.
The four members of Restless took the road less traveled to get to where they are today. They are not kids fresh out of high school or pounding the college circuit. All four members are, what many would call, “mid-lifers”. They have careers outside of music and are also juggling the family life with wives and children that range from 5 years old to 25 years old. As a result, Restless bring a unique spin on what it means to be in a rock band trying to get their music out there for the first time. They are very proud of ‘Superload’ and they look forward to putting more music out in the near future.
Band Line-Up:
Mike “Coach” Cottis: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Q: Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Rich “Earthquake” Gualtiere: Drums, Backing Vocals
Michael “The Kraken” Minor: Bass, Backing Vocals
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I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!