October 2001, in a local punk scene filled with bands all playing the familiar sounds of late 90's pop punk, a different sound made it's debut.
Everything sounded so happy and melodic back then. I had been a part of a pop punk band for several years. It had gained enough local attention that we had made the local news, been featured on the local college radio station, and made the newspaper's top local bands list, but songs about girls and funny stuff was played out. It was time to change the local music scene forever.
After working queitly for 6 months, The Faction was ready to show Waco something they had never seen, or heard before. Fusing the speed and raw power of punk rock with the crunch and heavy chunk of metal, along with screaming vocals, the crowd stood jaws dropped. Soon the energy was released and a swirling torrent of bodies slammed together in a dance of chaos.
This new sound brought Waco a renewed passion for music. The pop sounds of many other bands began to change into the many variations of Waco punk rock, street, thrash, speed, pop, hardcore, experimental, and melodic. The Waco music revolution was in full swing, with new bands, promoters, and venues all coming together. With this, the crowd stayed energized, weekends were always filled with plans to go to the next Punk Rock show.
In 2003, The Faction said goodbye to the stage. Eventually every member would join the Army, but our passion for music never faded. Now 15 years later The Faction has started the path to reformation. All but one original member has come back to bring the energy and power that only The Faction can channel.
With this new chapter, we reflect on the past. Young and energetic boys have become family men. The experience of life will soon fill the pages of songbooks, the good and the bad. Stories molded by becoming fathers, witnessing war, failed marriages, successful love, politics, faith, and lives lost. This will be more than a reunion for us, this will be a relighting of the flame that once burned so bright, all of Waco burned bright. Reforming on the same foundation that we were built on, we are ready for that fire to burn bright once again.
