After a spectacular Season 39, the APMD have gone back to work in ensuring that this season will continue each group's path to becoming legends of FMA through their own blood, sweat, and tears.

Drum Corps: Legion Tamburo Corpo
Hometown: Rome, Italy
Show: FNAF (Five Nights At Freddy's)
This show starts off on the familiar motif of the 4th movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony with only the Winds, Pit/Drumline Percussion, and Drum Majors on the field. After a fermata note that will feature the corps' continuously-improving ensemble intonation and sonority, the stadium lights cut out briefly before introducing the crowd to a giant, 60-foot animatronic, surrounded by mini versions of itself (Colorguard). Each movement has its own animatronic (Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie, and Chicha) and color guard team, changing out after each movement and subsequent blackout. The ending features a massive brass arrangement of The Living Tombstone's "Five Nights at Freddy's" followed by a sudden black out on the last note, a muted trumpet solo glissando. When the lights come back on for the final time, the drum corps will be strewn about as if dead, with only the 4 animatronics eerily staring at the crowd. Legion Director Mario Kostastovich hopes that this production will please the masses -- and the judging elite!

Marching Band: Der Reich Blaskapelle
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Show: The Third Reich: The German Perspective
A show that, if performed in their home-land without proper context, could earn the management hefty jail sentences, details the dark history of Germany and bears the namesake of the marching ensemble. This year's show will first feature the corps' Waffen-SS inspired uniforms, the swastika armband, of course, replaced by a simple red armband instead.
The intro starts off with the familiar motif of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana's 'O Fortuna,' showcasing high brass and high woodwinds on the sideline. On the 50 is the rest of the band, kneeling in defeat as the assistant drum majors, intended to signify the victorious allies, make their way from backfield to frontfield and on their podiums. Once the drum majors take their places on the podium, the high brass rejoin their brethren and cover the entire sideline to perform their first fanfare of the night, "Fanfare Canzonique," as the woodwinds march back to the field with the color guard, who drag onto the field a cart carrying the head drum major, obviously made to look and signify the infamous Hitler himself. The procession lasts the span of the entire fanfare, with "Hitler" slowly making his way towards his own podium. After the fanfare, and with "Hitler" saluting his "army" with his baton, the marching truly begins through Acts II, III (a, b, &c), and IV. On Act V, a tribute to Phantom Regiment's "Spartacus" will take place. The head drum major, true to historical context, will reenact the real life Hitler's suicide, falling off his podium to be caught by the other drum majors, who will bring him to the rest of the band, who, at this time, will be kneeling in defeat along the 50 once more. The band will then send off their leader along with the color guard, with a pit percussion soli at this point.
To end off with a more positive note, the head drum major returns by the finale portion along with the color guard to cover the field with a giant modern German flag as the band spans the sideline to perform another tribute this time to the Bluecoats, with "The Boxer," to signify the strides the nation has made since their last military defeat in joining the rest of the world to progress into a modern age ruled by peace and prosperity.

Drumline: IJD (Imperial Japanese Drumline)
Hometown: Tokyo Japan
Show: Essential Dubstep Tracks I
With their entrance into FMA late last season to clinch a semifinal berth, this season, Axis Drumline, now IJD, will perform a rather simple show in order to test the waters of competition, per se. It features prominent Dubstep artists such as Nero, Doctor P, and Hudson Mohawke.


((I truly hope, especially with Der Reich's case, to appreciate the ideas I have decided to make a show of this season. I know some people may get offended especially that my German-based group is doing a show themed on WWII, but I simply believe that with the right choreography and music, can truly be brought to life on the field. Merry Christmas and God Bless.))

P.S. Legion is hosting the first annual Red East Classic on January 2. Sign up today!