"I hear you tellin' me you think I'm too young / I got so many things I wanna get done / I can't slow down / It's not my way / I see the whole world comin' / Startin' today" â_" Time Is Now The lyrics are a prophetic understatement. The young Coweta, Oklahoma quartet known as Crooked X is on hyper-speed, musically and career-wiseâ_¦and the world is indeed coming their way. Even before scoring their 2008 deal with EMI, the intense but melodic hard rockers were opening for KISS in Europe, touring with Ted Nugent and chronicling their lives on the MTV special `"Start A Band - Rock The World." Crooked Xâ_Ts 10-song debut for MPM/EMI/Capitol (out January 13, 2009) features such gems as the dark, riff-tastic "Nightmare" (featured in Rock Bandâ,¢ ); the edgy and classic heavy modern rock tunes 'Time Is Now', 'Gone', 'Adrenaline', the powerful driver which is the subject of a Wayne Isham directed video made with Red Bull and MPM, plus the first single, "Rock & Roll Dream," buoyed by an instantly memorable chorus and universal aspirational and inspirational lyrics. Listening to and influenced by everything from Pantera to Hank Williams Sr. to Metallica--"as long as it has great musicianship" says singer Forrest French--Crooked X share songwriting and lyrical duties for a true full-band collaboration. "We locked ourselves in our practice space and wrote 'Gone' in one day," recalls French. "Songs on our record are very meaningful to us and come from our souls, even the more upbeat songs like 'Rock & Roll Dream' are about our lives and dreams." Adds guitarist Jesse Cooper: "Our music will rip your head off." Notes Spencer Proffer (Quiet Riot, Tina Turner, WASP), who oversaw the album on all facets and produced Crooked X along with Michael Wagener (Ozzy, Skid Row, Poison): "Theyâ_Tre pure to rock & roll, a magnet back into classic rock thatâ_Ts direly missing these days. They write melodic, timeless, powerful rock with elements of Zeppelin, Metallica and AC/DC. But it's fresh and from their perspective; for today's generation. That rang my bell loudly, being a fan who is steeped in rock & roll and has made my life's work in it. I knew I had to get involved." Crooked X channeled their youthful agro-energy, confusion, hope and hormones into a 10-song debut rife with searing guitars, passionate vocals and ultra-intense, radio-ready heavy rock thatâ_Ts inspired by the '70s, but sounds decidedly new millennium. It's an organic sound honed over years--the members of Crooked X have been friends and playing music since fifth grade, going only by what their guts tell them is "cool." In fact, Crooked X wrote their first-ever song, "Nightmare," (track 8 on Crooked X) when they were only 11 years old. If it seems odd to dwell on the long ago pre-teen days, the thing isâ_¦it wasnâ_Tt that long ago: The members of Crooked X are only 14. High school freshmen. A few years from getting drivers licenses. Playing on the drum line in school band. Studying algebra. Playing laser tag. Kid stuff. Except for their music. Cooper emphasizes: "We donâ_Tt want to be looked at for our age, because our music is good for any age. We want to be known for our music, not our ages. And YES, we do write our own songs!" Cooper's wishes are already coming true. Urban Tulsa noted that Crooked X "melds the modern and classic, and prepares for the long haul. Although the band is young, and unwitting crowds initially view them as a novelty, by the fourth song of the evening, Crooked X has won the audience over and has them eating out of its hand. Credit that not only to the band's amazing musicianship, but also to a foundation in staples of the metal and classic rock canons."