The Times - March 16, 2002

Braincage is a loud and proud band with nearly a decade-long history in the region, but only in the last couple years have members been really pushing to get their name known in area night clubs.
Formed as a quartet in 1993, today the modern hard rockers have morphed into a trio consisting of co-founders Chris Yonkman (lead vocals/bass) and Jack Bos (guitar), along with drummer Matt Gritters, who joined two years ago.
Yonkman said the lead vocal duties just sort of fell upon his shoulders when their original frontman/vocalist left the band in 1997.
"I had done some of the vocals when we had him and so when he was gone, I just sort of stepped up and started doing them all," he said.  Matt Gritters is the band's third drummer, having taken over the spot from Mike Roberts, who in turn inherited the position from the original drummer Josh Gritters, who left after the first year.
"Matt and I knew each other from attending high school (Illiana Christian) and college (Trinity Christian College) together," said the 27-year-old Yonkman, who lives in Highland.
While a typical braincage set will find the lads kicking out a good deal of cover songs by Godsmack ("Awake"), Staind ("Mudshovel"), Tool ("Stinkfist") and other heavy chart contenders, they always manage to slip in a few of the dozen or so originals they have written.
We always do 'Devils and Glass Angels,' Yonkman said.  "It's the first song on our CD and it's become kind of our trademark song."
Their self-titled 1999 CD features Roberts on drums and still sells well at the band's shows and via its Web site, but only three of the five songs it contains are ever played live these days.
"We've written a lot more songs since then," said Yonkman, who co-writes the music with Bos and being the band's singer, generally authors most of the lyrics.
The group is wrapping up work on a new six-song CD at Perfect Sound Studio in Bollingbrook, IL.  Bos is co-producing the tracks with studio owner, Joe Kasko.  Being thier first sessions with Gritters behind the kit, Yonkman said he expects a different sound than heard on their last release.  Gritters is not the double-bass drum power hitter style slammer as Roberts, but rather more of a finesse and groove-oriented drummer.
"I don't think we've sacrificed our heaviness, but his playing is more technical," said Yonkman, who adds Gritters has made the writing process more productive as well.
Their shows are high volume, high energy and played hard.
"We are very much a live band," said the bassist, which is why the band had been able to hold its own at such noted heavy music rooms as Champs, Sluggers, Bohica, Riley's Rock House and others.  Tonight, they add J.J.  Kelley's, to that growing list.

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Illinois Entertainer
Around Hear: Terrence Flamm

Braincage's hard rock arsenal on their self-titled CD includes a versatile singer in vocalist/bassist Chris Yonkman.  His raw power underscores the monster imagery in "No Solution," but he takes a more subtle approach on the tuneful "Mind's Eye."  Guitarist Jack Bos and drummer Mike Roberts also impress on this solid five-song effort.