DEATH

Location : Altamonte Springs, Florida
Website :http://www.emptywords.org/
Genre (S): Death
..:: Biography ::..
Unquestionably one of the most important and influential death metal acts to have ever emerged from the North American continent, Florida's DEATH came together in late 1983 when guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner and guitarist Rick Rozz (real name: Frederick DeLillo) got together with drummer/vocalist Barney "Kam" Lee to form Mantas. Drawing musical inspiration from Venom and Slayer, the trio (no bassist had yet entered the picture!) went about composing original tunes and making very rough, crude rehearsal recordings to send out to various tape-traders around the world. Out of these sessions came a completely unproduced five-song "demo" entitled Death By Metal (mid-1984), which --in spite of its primitive nature-- ended up establishing the group as one of most promising contenders for the American death metal throne, a status that at the time was being firmly held by San Francisco's Possessed. The recognition they received, however, was not enough to help Mantas along in their hometown of Orlando, where the group were still not being taken seriously by any of the clubs or fellow musicians.

"The local situation was fuckin' nearly impossible," Schuldiner later recalled. "A lot of people looked down upon us. We got a lot of shit from the local band scene; all the bands from around (Orlando) thought we were pure shit. We were noisy back then, but we were putting out brutal death metal, and it was too much for people to comprehend." This complete lack of local support for the band's music was at least partly to blame for the constant internal turmoil within the group and Mantas' eventual break-up in late 1984.

Vowing to carry on making music that was "faster and heavier" than anything he'd done before, Schuldiner immediately announced his plans to form a new band -simply called DEATH- and relocate to either Tampa or California after his 18th birthday (which was to occur in May of 1985), a move that he felt could improve his chances of securing a stable line-up for the group. Within weeks, however, Chuck reconciled with Rozz and Lee and commenced the writing sessions for what would become the legendary Reign Of Terror demo.

We have gotten so much heav"ier (since reforming), it's almost beyond comprehension," Schuldiner stated on the eve of the demo's recording. Laid down over a five-hour period during October 1984 "in the back room of a music store where they keep recording equipment", Reign Of Terror cost a grand total of $80 and was never properly mixed down due to a lack of time in a proper recording studio. In spite of this, the six-song tape was circulated worldwide through the vast tape-trading network and put DEATH on the map as one of the genre's most extreme and brutal groups.

On December 30th, 1984, DEATH performed with local Tampa heroes Nasty Savage at Ruby's Pub and made an audio recording of the show that they would later release as an "official" live tape. "We're going to trash the (Reign Of Terror) demo, because it sucks compared to our live tape," Chuck was quoted as saying at the time.

1985
Three months later, on March 9th, 1985, Chuck, Rick and Kam finally got the opportunity to record a "proper" studio demo, a three-song recording made specifically for the purpose of finding a record deal. Not an "official" demo release, the Infernal Death tape (as it would later become known) was to be the last recording made with this line-up, as Chuck slowly grew apart from the other members and began to set his eyes on a Michigan bassist by the name of Scott Carlson (then of Genocide, and later of Repulsion).

"Scott sent us a tape of himself jamming, and he absolutely kills," Chuck enthused. By the time Scott relocated to Orlando (replacing Rozz), he brought along with him Genocide guitarist Matt Olivo, and the two joined Kam and Chuck in a short-lived incarnation of DEATH that ended when Lee finally exited, leaving the remaining three members drummer-less. Several frustrating months followed during which Chuck, Matt and Scott atempted to find a replacement for Kam, but the task proved impossible, ultimately causing Scott and Matt to return to Michigan and leaving Chuck the daunting task of finding an entirely new line-up.

In September of 1985, Chuck relocated to San Francisco at the urging of ex-D.R.I. drummer Eric Brecht, and the pair soon hooked up in yet another version of the band, this time with the intent of their band "being the fastest ever". Ultimately, however, Chuck realized that a full-speed assault did not allow for the different musical shades and colors which made DEATH such an import muscial entity, and in December of that same year, he returned to Florida, bandless once again. It was around that time that he got a phone call from Toronto death metal upstarts Slaughter, who -just a few short weeks prior to entering the studio to begin recording their debut album, Strappado-- asked him to move up to Canada and join their ranks. Frustrated with his local environment.

1986
Chuck accepted their offer and in January of 1986 moved to Toronto to start rehearsing with the group. Although initially enthusiastic about the prospect of being in an actual "band", Schuldiner quickly realized the need to pursue his own vision and not follow somebody else's lead, and promptly left Canada to return to Florida, where he started plotting his next attack. Within weeks he was back in San Francisco where he hooked up with a promising young drummer by the name of Chris Reifert, and in April of that same year, the pair entered a California studio to record the infamous three-song Mutilation demo. By far the best-recorded tape Chuck had laid down up until that point, Mutilation rapidly made the rounds in metal circles, and the demo soon found its way in the hands of Combat Records, who proceeded to snap up the group to a multi-album deal.

In July of 1986, Chuck and Chris entered a Florida recording studio to start work on their debut album for the label, but due to various technical problems, the sessions didn't go past the initial basic tracks and the whole project was moved over to Hollywood's Music Grinder Studios. Paired up with producer Randy Burns, DEATH spent only a few days recording the LP before Chuck and Chris returned home, leaving Randy to mix the album. While waiting for the album to be mixed and mastered, Schuldiner and Reifert came in contact with a young Californian guitarist by the name of John Hand, whom they welcomed in the band, even going so far as to have his photo included on the back cover of the upcoming record. It was a decision that would later haunt the group, as Hand would leave the group prior to the recording of their second album and thus never recorded so much as a single note with DEATH.

1987
Released in May of 1987, DEATH's debut record Scream Bloody Gore was immediately met with praise and accolades, with magazines and fans hailing it as one of the most important death metal releases of all time. However, with Chuck once again having returned to Florida and Reifert basing himself in San Francisco, Schuldiner --in yet another surprising move-- decided to join forces with three-fourths of Florida's Massacre (including Rick Rozz). This marked the first touring incarnation of DEATH, which made its first major live appearance at that year's Milwaukee Metalfest. During the successful club tour that followed, DEATH aired three brand-new numbers ("Born Dead", "Open Casket" and "Pull The Plug") that Chuck had written for the group's sophomore outing, which showcased a more mature, focussed direction for the band while retaining the brutality that had become the group's trademark.

1988
1989
By April of 1988, DEATH had returned to the recording studio (Tampa's Morrisound facility) and, under the guidance of Dan Johnson, laid down their much-anticipated second album. A polished-yet-savagely-heavy effort, Leprosy, like it's predecessor, had its roots firmly in the Slayer/Venom/Hellhammer school of songwriting, but with an increased emphasis on the kind of melodic passages that would later become central to the group's sound. Not surprisingly, this powerful combination was an instant "hit" in the metal underground and became a major influence on hundreds of bands that emerged during death metal's "resurgence" in the late '80's, including groups such as Entombed and Napalm Death (who ended up recording their Harmony Corruption album at Morrisound Studios in an attempt to recapture Leprosy's distinctive production).

Although the DEATH line-up would change once again, the band had made an indelible impression with their first two releases. Indeed, it was albums such as Leprosy that help to forge a path for the hundreds of death metal bands which would soon rise in subsequent years, although none of them would be able to erase the importance nor savagery of tracks such as "Pull The Plug". The fact that some of these songs remain fan favorites even to this day speaks of their time-tested craftsmanship and the importance of the band, not only in the American metal scene but with an impact whose influence would soon be witnessed throughout the world.

An appearance at the Ultimate Revenge II video shoot (a live video/CD which also included Dark Angel and Forbidden, among others) took place in October, 1988, followed by more touring through much of 1989. By the end of that year, the volatile relatiosnship between Chuck and Rick had gotten virtually intolerable for Schuldiner and a parting of the ways became inevitable. "Rick was basically kicked out of the band due to the fact that we were all into progressing as a group and getting better as musicians, and he simply was not," Chuck was quoted as saying a few months later. "He was stopping me from writing the kind of material I wanted to write due to his inability to play the songs, and we all knew it was time for a change."

1990
In Rick's place, DEATH enlisted James Murphy, a Florida resident who'd previously spent time in Agent Steel and Hallows Eve, and began work on the all-important third album, entitled "Spiritual Healing". Produced by Scott Burns, Spiritual... represented yet another step forward in Chuck's quest towards incorporating an increased level of musicality into the group's songwriting, while at the same time shying away from the Satanic and low-budget gore movie-type lyrics that were becoming commonplace in the genre. "I think that Spiritual Healing is very much representative of what death metal can sound like when it's done with strong emphasis on musicality and less so on hyper-speed and stupid Satanic lyrics," Chuck said after the album's release. "We believe that we can turn a few more people into death metal with this record and change a lot of people's minds about what death metal is supposed to sound like."

In spite of some of the early criticism from the die-hard death metal fans who viewed the musical progression on Spiritual... as a negative one, the album went on to be a highly successful one for the group, with DEATH doing more touring and in front of larger crowds than ever before. Unfortunately, it also marked the last time the group would record with this line-up, as pressure in Chuck's personal life and internal band disagreements caused Murphy to be dejected from the group first, followed by drummer Bill Andrews and bassist Terry Butler a few months later.

In the decade that followed, DEATH issued several more critically-acclaimed releases while gradually gravitating towards a much more technical musical approach, one that would inevitably alienate some of the group's longtime fans. Along the way, Chuck came to be rightfully regarded as one of the pioneers of the death metal genre, while Spiritual Healing came to earn its place in the annals of death metal history as one the finest albums ever released under the banner.

Danzig

Location :New Jersey
website :http://www.danzig-verotik.com
genre(S)Heavy , Industrial


..:: Biography ::..
Glenn Danzig is a name that permeates, infects, and ultimately makes strong, the very soul of hard rock in the '90s. Through the legendary punk charge of his pre-Danzig outfits Misfits and Samhain, Danzig formed the backbone of today's mosh movement. Into the deep waves of the Danzig catalogue, and you've got a band that has created high-tension hybrids that are still being pondered and quietly adopted throughout today's metal community. Over eight million records sold, and Danzig is about to unleash a multi-media onslaught that will once again find disciples studying the master.

But first a little history.Danzig's early works took full advantage of what was initially a vital and productive working relationship ith Rick Rubin, resulting in a self-titled 1988 debut and a follow-up in '90 called Lucifuge that together enveloped the man's interest in punk,doom,gothic new wave and an intense California twist on black Satanic metal,culminating in a display of shockingly dark hard rock that sent chills the likes of which today's Norwegian churchburners could never know.

Danzig III: How The Gods Kill dropped in'92, rewriting the books on Sabbatherian doom metal; super charging the genre with molten guitar god riffs, foreboding but poetic lyrics,and above the fray, THAT VOICE. Glenn is a sonorious tenor blessed with the abilityto caress and terrorize all within a few short breaths.As the luck of the draw would have it, Danzig next found himself with an odd, unplanned Hit on his hands; a live version of the debut album's 'Mother' introducing the mainstream to this buffed-up, 'black leather powerhouse'. 1993's Thralldemonsweatlive EP went on to platinum status (following a similarly exalted fate for the debut),and Danzig's commercial legacy was ensured.

Never one to be complacent,Glenn rewired the band's sound into a frosty but intimate affair paradoxically rife with studio wizardry.Danzig 4P hit in '94,Glenn once more confounding the world with a record that would be a critically acclaimed masterpiece,casual but crafted,sinewy and insidious.

As relations with Danzig's label Def American broke down, so did Danzig's relationship with his band.Glenn found himself seeking fresh personnel and a fresh perspective, creating the darkwave industrial rhythms of Danzig 5: Blackacidevil, a record which, once again, was to re-engineer the cutting edge of hard rock in Danzig's imposing,muscle-strapped image.

But harsh circumstances have brewed, distilled, and unleashed a blistering counter punch by the name of Danzig 6:66 Satans Child, a record that is a visceral and aggressive statement of black intent,unafraid to clutch and grab from today's technologies, but more in tune with the frightening power of a well-juiced guitar.

Danzig 6 features essentially the same line-up as its predecessor, but there are a number of fresh pioneers associated with the project. Glenn's co-producer is Peter Lorimer, a remix king who has worked with the likes of Bowie, while engineer Josh Abraham has collaborated with Orgy, Coal Chamber and Korn. And speaking of Orgy, J. Gordon and Amir Derakh have stuck their hands into the pot and mixed fully seven of the record's twelve tracks. What the team has come upwirth is an inspiring and often trance-like Heavy Metal churn that understands the present and predicts the future, a record that re-writes the darkness of doom in the image of millennial technologies.

"Danzig 6 will have no problem living up to the hype, as well as the hyperspeeds at which that hype will spread through the net. One listen will confirm the often Sabbath- like authority of the record, coupled with a portfolio of unique Glenn Danzig voicings that astonish in their range, hue and suggestive malevolence. 'Five Finger Crawl' is a perfect example of Glenn's multiple deliveries within one song, Glenn whispering to a soundtrack of military metal countered with silken melody come chorus time. 'Cold Eternal' is a personal favorite of Glenn's, a song which he simply describes as "really, really sad." A treasure reveals itself within the closing track, '13', on which Glenn captures the classic but only occasional Danzig blues vibe, something that wraps Dylan's 'Ballad Of Hollis Brown', Robert Johnson's deal with the devil, not to mention Elvis and Johnny Cash in a dark blanket of woeful dirge rock that could only come from one band. Elsewhere, it's power chords a' plenty, fraught with drama, supported on a bed of subtle electronics, frighteningly doom-laden but infused with hook and groove

It's unlike any Danzig record you've heard. Not like any two from the catalogue have much in common. Unsurprising, says Glenn. "It comes back to something that I've always said. I don't like doing the same record over and over again. It's like, if I'm not going to do something different, I won't even do a rock record, I'll just do something else, you know; Like my comic book company, or a classical project. But I think the unifying thread is that basic punk rock attitude. I think it shines through on all of them, yes."

If Danzig 6:66 marks a majestic rebirth of the Danzig sound, this synthesis of the man's evil guitar rock and his selective pillaging of industrial conventions, it is a record that is only the beginning of a remarkable two year plan within the Danzig camp. Expect to see a Samhain box set, followed by individual reissues of the records, reissues of the entire Danzig catalogue, plus no less than three new projects cradling the millennium: the second installment of Black Aria, a massive Danzig b-sides collection, and finally a double live album, culled from years spent headlining stages in front of mod hotshots like Korn, Soundgarden, Type O Negative and Marilyn Manson.

It is a sinister time in the tired life of one world ending, and it unmistakably a time for the destructive and redemptive powers of the next century's man in black. Heed the warning: Danzig 6:66 Satan's Child is only the scabbard tip of what we can expect from Danzig throughout the birthing of a new rebel century. It is however, Danzig's soul crusher of a calling card, his coal-fired ebony heart made metal, the siren song soundtrack of two age in collision. Confront it now and feel your lifeblood drain and subsequently replenish truer than ever.

After Forever

Location :Netherlands
Website ://www.afterforever.com
Genre(s) :Power , Goth



..:: Biography ::..
After Forever. That is simply the title of the fifth album from Dutch metal band, After Forever. Why ? Because all their musical ingredients have been consolidated on this record. This makes After Forever, their debut for German/American label Nuclear Blast, a Seminole album in their catalog.

With After Forever, the band revisits all the styles they have showcased on their previous work while simultaneously hinting at things to come. “This album is a great summation of everything we have done,” says guitarist Sander Gommans. “You can hear the energy of Prison of Desire, the melancholy of Decipher, the progressive approach of Invisible Circles and the more catchy elements of Remagine. You can’t get more After Forever than that.” Gommans is also referring here to their patented metal sound which incorporates a real orchestra. There are also some prominent guest appearances on the record - Jeff Waters (Annihilator) and singer Doro Pesch (ex-Warlock). “We asked Doro to participate partially to show people that in the 80’s there were already female artists making this style of music.”

Whereas the music from this sextet is loosely based on these influences - with Floor Jansen, After Forever have their own shining front-woman – the band has never pinned itself strictly on any given style. They have the obvious combination of metal and classical themes, but can just as easily implement rock, pop, industrial and progressive styles into their songs.
That these genres naturally flow together on the album is a coincidence according to Gommas. “Yet at the same time very typical for a band like us. After Forever is the perfect document of who we are. From 1995 on we have created a style that we color in different ways. Not very different than you would expect from a metal band. Floor adds her unique flavor to the mix, but the rhythm section is also critical to our specific sound.” On After Forever, this sound is again very recognizable. This is mainly due to the fact that the recording process was similar to the previous albums, with one exception – the role of producer Gordon Groothedde. Gommans calls Groothedde “an a-typical metal producer”, who met each other through fellow band member Joost van den Broek.

The collaboration proved to be magical. “Gordon was our seventh band member for a while,” Gommans adds. “We never release a song that we are not happy with, but on this album I am also in love with the production as well as the order of the songs. The challenge is often to make an album that is better than before, while also keeping certain style characteristics in tact. In that we have succeeded.”

Having said all that, the record also provides a hint of things to come. That their future will be promising is already evident by their rigorous tour schedule that will take them through Latin America, USA, France, England, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and of course their home Holland. They are hereby following the successful road paved by their previous album, Remagine, where new musical boundaries were explored. While the production of that record had its speed bumps – drummer Andre Borgmans was operated on to remove a tumor – 2005 turned out to be their most successful year to date. Especially in South America, they turned on a whole new group of rabid fans. They played sold out shows in Chili, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico. Gommans looks for an explanation for this: “People experience music slightly diffently there, “ he speculates. “In general they have less there, and I suppose they are able to find added comfort with bands and their music.” Although he will not become jaded by these Beatle like events. “It’s great to be received like that, but we also enjoy it when its time to go home to Holland.” It was there that they had another highlight – performing with a philharmonic orchestra in the famous 013 club in Tilburg. After that, another successful European tour rounded out 2006.
At their inception in 1995, After Forever made waves with their mix of death metal and classical music. With the inclusion of Floor Jansen 2 years later, the music took on a more diverse theme without ever losing its roots in the classical influences. After 2 demos the band released Prison of Desire in 2000, followed by Decipher (2001). Along with their mini album Exordium, the full-lengths Invisible Circles and Remagine, all these records were released world-wide. Fueled by the raving reviews from many press pundits, the band dared to evolve more, while laying the groundwork by touring Europe and South America. In Holland, the band has played every stage there is, also together with the Finnish bands Nightwish and Charon. Meanwhile they were showcased at many major festivals, including Pinkpop, Lowlands, Dynamo and Ozzfest.

Now, in 2007, After Forever is ready to make their latest breakthrough. A new album, new production team, new label and a world-wide tour will make their upcoming 10 year anniversary a true milestone.

Cynic

Location :Florida, USA
Website ://www.cynicalsphere.com/
Genre(s) :Death , Thrash , Progressive , Technical


..:: Biography ::..
Cynic was formed in November, 1987 by guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert. To finish up the lineup, Mark Van Erp (later of Monstrosity) was added on bass and a friend named Jack Kelly was added on vocals thus making Cynic a four-piece. This early incarnation of Cynic was focused on making only brutal death metal with primary influence taken from bands such as Venom, Possessed, Kreator and Destruction. It is this lineup that would later be featured on the release of their first, self-titled demo in 1988.

After Jack left in 1988, Paul took over vocal duties, Jason Gobel was added on guitar and and in 1989, they cut their second demo, entitled "Reflections Of A Dying World", consisting of four songs. All of the songs on this demo were of the speed metal/thrash genre, with even some punk elements incorporated within. This lineup soon began touring the south Florida area and bootlegs exist of them as far back as May of 1988. Soon after, Mark left the band, Tony Choy was added on bass and in 1990, Cynic released their third demo (also self-titled). This helped to gain them a large following throughout southern and central Florida, as well as their constant touring and cameo appearances in the south Florida area. This new lineup would remain intact until at least 1991.

At this time, the bands' influences were already starting to change. While they were still listening to contemporaries like Atheist, and were still inspired by seeing how "sick" some bands would get to express themselves, their technical, musical and creative abilities were growing, and consequently, they began listening to more technical forms of music. Their primary influences soon included jazz and fusion, such as Chick Corea and Allan Holdsworth, but also bands such as WatchTower and Frank Zappa. This change in technical abilities had already made its way into their songs as the band took a great leap forward in musicianship for their second and third demos.

By the early part of 1991, Cynic had evolved into a progressive speed/death metal type band, although the band themselves didn't really consider themselves to be death metal. The music had the technicality of progressive speed metal, with the brutality and vocal qualities of death metal. They cut a fourth and final demo in 1991 (financed by RoadRunner Records) consisting of three tracks. Two of these tracks would, in a drastically different form, make it onto their debut album. In April of 1991, Paul and Sean played on the new Death record (at the time), "Human", with Chuck Schuldiner and Steve DiGiorgio of Sadus. They described their relationship with Chuck as "very laid-back", and were able to help Chuck with the writing by giving him input, which had been missing on the earlier Death records. The result was a classic record, and Death even got some MTV airplay. At the same time, Tony Choy was filling in for the late Roger Patterson on Atheist's "Unquestionable Presence", also a great album in its own right, and guesting on Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients". Paul did some work on Master's "On The Eighth Day, God Created Master", and Jason worked with Monstrocity, playing lead on their "Imperial Doom" album. All of this guest work helped to enlarge the fan base for Cynic, making them, according to RoadRunner Records, "...the most popular underground act to never record an album."

Cynic was planning to record their first full-length album on the RoadRunner label after doing the Death record, then tour with Death and come home briefly before going on tour again for their own record. For unknown reasons, this didn't happen and they went straight into the Death European tour for the rest of 1991. Their lack of touring the states lead to a decline in their apparent popularity, at least in the band's eyes...

Cynic was now scheduled to go into the studio in October of 1992 with Scott Burns to record their debut album. Unfortunately for everyone (especially us!!), Hurricane Andrew destroyed Jason's house which also housed the band's rehearsal facilities. Their plans to record were put on hold until March 1993. Incidentally, this also interrupted Chuck Schuldiner's plans for the next Death release, "Individual Thought Patterns", for which Sean Reinert was his first choice as drummer. Chuck instead got ex-Dark Angel drummer Gene Hoglan to fill in. During this time, Cynic was working with ex-Viogression vocalist Brian DeNeffe. Also around this time, a track from Cynic was finally released on CD. "Uroboric Forms" appeared in demo form on the RoadRunner compilation "At Death's Door II" in 1992 with a note that Cynic's debut album would be released in May 1993.

May 1993 came and went and no album appeared. Tony Choy left the band to become Atheist's full time bass player and the band had to scramble to find a replacement. After going through numerous bass players (including Chris Kringel more than once), the replacement they finally settled on was Sean Malone, an employee of Morrisound Studios where the band had recorded their previous demos. After putting together the songs for the new record, they were finally able to record, and on September 14, 1993, Focus was finally released. With over two years since their last demo, Focus was a remarkable change from the style of any of their previous material, and quite different than anything else as well.

After the release of "Focus", Cynic went on a European tour supporting Pestilence. By this time, they had added a fifth member again, lead singer/growler Tony Teegarden, who had actually sung the death vocals on "Focus" since Paul was in danger of losing his voice at the time. Tony also did the keyboard parts because Sean Reinert was too busy on drums to do them. Due to his schoolwork, Sean Malone could not tour with the band so Chris Kringel toured in his place. The tour was cut short, however, when Pestilence disbanded. Returning to the states in January 1994, Cynic did a few shows in the Florida area, playing the states for the first time in over two years.

Next, Cynic toured the States during the summer of 1994 supporting Cannibal Corpse. Their tour stretched over 3 months and covered most of the United States. During this time, the band parted ways with Tony and borrowed Dana Cosley (from a local Florida band called Demonomacy) to do the death vocals and the keyboards for the rest of the tour. At the end of the summer, Cynic had to back out of a scheduled appearance at the Milwaukee Metalfest, due to unfortunate circumstances with their record label, the details of which are still undisclosed.

After the tour, Cynic began work on a new album. Rumor had it that they were again working with ex-Viogression vocalist Brian DeNeffe. However, while working on their upcoming album, bassist Sean Malone left, citing those famous "creative differences". His split with the band was amicable, however, and he continues to work with Sean R., Paul and Jason to this day.

Sometime during the fall of 1994, while still supposedly working on the new album, Cynic disbanded. The members couldn't decide which direction the band should go in and ultimately decided to go their separate ways. The split was amicable and the members remain friends. Following the breakup of Cynic, however, a new musical concept was born and some of the members re-formed in Miami and created a new project named Portal. For more information on Portal and the continuation of this story, visit the Portal section of this website.

SEVENDUST

Location :Atlanta, GA
Website :www.sevendust.com
Genre(s) :Heavy



..:: Biography ::..
Sevendust is an American alternative metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. They formed in late 1994 under the name "Crawlspace" but later were forced to change their name when a group from the West Coast claimed rights to it. They struggled to find a new title but finally settled on Sevendust after bassist Vinnie Hornsby was looking through his grandmother's garage and found a can of plant pesticide called "Sevin dust." Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon's take on the name is that seven is a holy number and we are all made of dust. Their name has also been associated with the computer virus with the same name. They were originally signed to TVT Records, but then released their fifth album with Winedark Records (through Universal Music) in the US, and Roadrunner Records overseas. Currently, they are signed to Asylum Records. Their album Alpha was released on March 6, 2007.