Nonpoint frontman Elias Soriano lets fire during the band’s set at Piere’s Saturday night. (Photos by Mike Deak)

FORT WAYNE — To some, the October drop of Nonpoint’s ninth studio release, the self-titled Nonpoint, was just another release from a good band they may have seen on tour before. The release to others, including the members of the band and a rabid fan base, was a regeneration of energy, creativity and fusion of life.

Since October 9th when the album officially hit the streets, Nonpoint has been promoting its latest lease on life. The additions of guitarist Rasheed Thomas, guitarist Dave Lizzio and bassist Adam Woloszyn has infused a new feel to what fans have sworn is the old school sound that pulled them in going back 15 years to when Nonpoint began in 1997.

Putting the pieces together with the new trio along with founding members Elias Soriano, vocals, and Robb Rivera, drums, in early 2011 as well as joining the Razor and Tie label, Nonpoint began to dig into old roots for its latest release.

“When we met the guys and we saw their style of music they were coming with and the riffs, it was exciting,” Soriano said in a pre-show interview in the fabled Piere’s band lounge. “It was a little bit different of a style, and a lot more technical. Dave is very technical. It’s insane. It got me singing a lot different. Just a really exciting time. Those guys really brought a lot to the table.”

As the band officially took to the road in late July to begin promotion of the impending album, Piere’s in Fort Wayne became ground zero to present the tunes live to the familiar audience. Then headlining with Eye Empire and Call Me No One, Nonpoint began a tour that has basically been ongoing since that spicy July night.

Nonpoint’s Rasheed Thomas rages through ‘What A Day’.

As the train has kept rolling, and the album now having a couple months to have marinated in the fan’s hands, Soriano and the boys have been overwhelmed with the response.

“We are one of the lucky bands that have fans who know the lyrics to ‘Endure’, ‘Broken Bones’ and ‘Victim’, those songs have never seen the light of radio,” Soriano said. “I would say they know those songs as much if not more than the lyrics to ‘What A Day’. I feel like the majority, probably 70 percent of them, are going to just as familiar with the new stuff as they are with the old stuff and be just as excited.

“For us on stage, we just are trying to get into the groove of it. But for this record more so than any other record in my career, I definitely feel this music more than anything than I have ever done. All the new music is so much better than what we have ever done.”

The record itself, even by admission of Soriano, has a rhythm that doesn’t stray far from the first few ripping growls he releases on the opening track ‘Lights, Camera, Action’. With a progressive radio and internet push of ‘Left For You’ and ‘I Said It’ along with super catchy tracks ‘Another Mistake’ and ‘That Day’, the album rarely takes a breath.

As the band began to wind down its final leg of the 2012 tour schedule, which had them in Fort Wayne and at Piere’s again Saturday night supporting with Charm City Devils ahead of headliners Hinder, the vibe from the ever-adoring Indiana crowd was hot. Taking a breath just doesn’t seem to fit.

The set opened with ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ and included ‘That Day’ and an acoustic version of ‘Another Mistake’ along with the single, ‘Left For You’ which was well-received. Of course, the band mixed in main course staples like ‘What A Day’ and the closing ‘Bullet With A Name’, but it was certain the reception for the newer material has Nonpoint pointing in the right direction.

John Allen of Charm City Devils welcomes in the night before the band’s set at Piere’s.

“The reaction from the fans is the real payday,” stated Soriano. “There are a hundred other jobs I could be doing and make the same amount of money. I don’t do this because I love to be away from my daughter and my fiancé. I do this because at the end of the day I have just as much pride in my job as a doctor or lawyer or judge or anybody that wants to wake up in the morning and feel accomplished. The real payday is the product that I’m spilling out to the world isn’t toxic, it’s more of a support system.”

Charm City Devils, riding off the momentum of its latest single, ‘Unstoppable’, from their sophomore record Sins, opened the night. The sometimes bluesy, sometimes heavy, but always aggressive five-piece from Baltimore also kept a very accepting crowd busy with with ‘Devil Is A Woman’ and ‘Man Of Constant Sorrow’ which is getting heavy spins on internet music outlet Sirius Octane Radio.

The headliners, of course, had the boys feeling rowdy and the girls feeling randy.

Austin Winkler of Hinder entertains the crowd at Piere’s Saturday night.

Hinder brought its excessive bottle of excess to the legendary Fort Wayne club and rode its way through 17 songs in a virtual greatest hits package from their four studio albums, including their latest album Welcome To The Freakshow. Plowing through monster hits included ‘Lips Of An Angel’, ‘American Nightmare’, ‘Better Than You’, ‘What Ya Gonna Do’, ‘Use Me’ and capped off the 90-minute set with ‘Get Stoned’.

Hinder will continue to tour through Dec. 16 while Nonpoint will bounce between dates with Hinder and Charm City Devils or shows with Candlelight Red through Dec. 20. After a month off, Nonpoint will take to the west coast with a swing of dates beginning Jan. 20. Charm City Devils will jump around with Hinder and Nonpoint as well as dates with Pop Evil through Dec. 22 before heading home for the holidays.