Xenophile is a four-piece progressive-thrash metal band based out of Jersey City, New Jersey. Our current ensemble is made up of Anthony Bianco on bass, Matt Pavlik on drums, and the guitar team of Leart Begolli and Ron Iglesias, the latter of whom provides the soaring vocals. We have performed dozens of shows across the New Jersey and New York area. Our past venues have included Mexicali Live, Blackthorn 51, The Blue Room, Dingbatz, Championship Bar, and The Stone Pony.

Our music combines technical riffs, time signature changes, and solid harmonies to create an emotionally provocative sound, and thereby an outlet for others to share our expressions of joy, rage, and relief. We aim to marry the stylistic complexity of prog to the delightfully reckless execution of 80s-era thrash metal. As a result, our songs allow listeners to sing along and mosh while simultaneously dissecting the many intricacies in the songwriting.

The seed for what would become Xenophile was planted in the mind of guitarist Leart Begolli, whose teenage dream of joining a metal band was realized in late 2010 upon meeting Ronald Iglesias on the campus of New Jersey City University, where the two shared classes in classical guitar. In mid 2011, the pair along with then-drummer Marc Pappalardo separated from an unfulfilling project to form a new band, and Xenophile was born. Drummer Matthew Pavlik was recruited in February of 2012, following Marc Pappalardo's amicable departure, and Anthony Bianco joined in December of 2012, adding a soulful jazz influence on bass.

Source: ReverbNation