Whatever Happened To...#15: Failure Anthem

 Failure Anthem was a fun rock band that I got to see live in concert a couple of times. The first time I met the band members after a Nonpoint show in a now-closed venue that used to be a bowling alley in south St. Paul. The second time was at Rock USA in Cadott, WI. I enjoyed their sets, but it doesn't look like the group will be releasing any new music or hitting the road any time soon.

The group originated in 2013 in Greensboro, NC. Guitarist Kile Odell and singer JD Eubanks had the initial desire to start working together. They took their talents to Hollywood and enlisted the assistance of drummer Zane Frye, bassist Ryan Nimmo and guitarist Wil Andrews. They formed Failure Anthem, which was signed to Sony Music Entertainment's subsidiary Razor & Tie.

Failure Anthem released their full-length album First World Problems in January 2016. They soon went on tour with Like A Storm, Megadeth and Shinedown to support the record. The title cut and the song "Paralyzed" were the only singles from the album. The group also underwent a few personnel changes while they were on the road. Chris Pierson replaced Eubanks in June 2016, followed by the departure of Andrews and Frye (who would be eventually replaced by drummer Troy Surratt). 

There hasn't been anything new posted by the band since 2017 and I know that Odell has since gone on to work on other projects. This leads me to believe that Failure Anthem is no more, but that's not to say that they might never reform again. The album is still quite enjoyable and I have the memories and photos to look back on whenever I want.

Next up will be Emphatic, a group that is still around...but not as it once was. I'll explain in more detail in that article. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#14: Neverset

 Neverset was another band I saw open for Sevendust at the Myth in Maplewood, MN in 2008 along with Overscene and Black Stone Cherry. They were another Texas band that had a great stage presence. Unfortunately, much like Overscene, Neverset didn't last for very long. 

Guitarist/singer Ryan Ray and vocalist Shawn Hamm were two members of Neverset. They are not to be confused with the Canadian pop-rock group Neverest which was active from 2007 to 2014. The band originated in Dallas in 2004. They released the EPs For The Pain in 2004 and Outta Control in 2009 along with a full-length album, Behind Every Door, in 2006. The group toured locally and nationally before finally breaking up officially in 2015. 

This is another group with limited information on the Internet. I will update this post as new details are made available. especially if I learn more about the band members and if the group reunites at some point. For now, their fans will still have their albums and concert memories to return to whenever they want. 

Well, this wraps up my synopsis of Neverset for now. Next up is Failure Anthem, a group I was lucky enough to see live in concert a few times and even meet once at a Nonpoint show at a venue that was formerly a bowling alley. I'll tell you about that next time. Until then, have a great weekend!

Whatever Happened To...#13: Overscene

 Overscene was an up-and-coming rock band I saw open for Sevendust at the Myth in Maplewood, MN in 2008. It was one of Clint Lowery's first shows back with the band shortly after the group released their Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow album. I never did see Overscene live in concert again, but their performance was still rather memorable. 

The group started in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas back in 2001. The lineup changed a few times before they made a splash on the national scene. Its most noteworthy lineup consisted of guitarists Aaron Korta and Justin Hold, bassist Rrin Dennis, drummer Michael Glass, and singer JR Munoz. A ten-song album entitled The Moment of Change was released in 2008. An EP called Bringin' All My Friends debuted in 2010.

Overscene toured in support of bands including Sevendust, Chevelle, Three Days Grace, and Trapt through at least 2013. There isn't a lot of information online about the band, so I have to assume that they have called it quits. Time will tell if they ever reform, but if they do, I'm sure their followers will welcome them back with open arms.

Well, that's all for this article. Next up is the band Neverset. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#12: Eye Empire

 Eye Empire was another fun, short-lived band I was fortunate enough to see live in concert. I only saw them once, when they opened for Sevendust at the Myth in Maplewood, MN, but it was a memorable show. Sevendust members Lajon Witherspoon and Clint Lowery contributed to the group's first album, and Lowery played guitar for a bit with Eye Empire during their set. I also remember waiting for Sevendust's post-show VIP hangout and chatting with bassist Corey Lowery for a few minutes. 

The group formed not long after Dark New Day went on hiatus. Dark New Day was created by Clint and Corey Lowery, Will Hunt, Brett Hestla, and Troy McLawhorn. Guitarist BC Kochmit replaced McLawhorn in 2008. When Dark New Day went on hiatus in 2009, Corey Lowery and Kochmit joined forces with drummer Dan Richardson and vocalist Donnie Hamby to form the band Violent Plan. The new quartet eventually recorded a nine-song demo.

At the same time, Kochmit and Lowery also started working on another project, this time with guitarist Dixie Duncan and former Submersed members Garrett Whitlock and Donald Carpenter. This new group would be known as Eye Empire. Eye Empire was announced in November 2009, along with the breakup of Violent Plan.

Demo versions of the songs "More than Fate" and "Victim" were released on MySpace and Eye Empire started touring with Sevendust in late 2010 and early 2011. After that tour, the tracks "Ignite" and "I Pray" were also released on MySpace as the band resumed touring. Work soon began on their debut album Moment of Impact. Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose wound up playing drums on multiple tracks on the record after drummers Whitlock and Hunt departed the band. Duncan also left the group before the record was released in 2010.

Drummer Ryan Bennett joined Eye Empire before they went on tour with Wayne Static in 2011. A two-disc edition of their debut album (known as Impact) was issued in 2012. It contained all of the songs from the initial release along with acoustic and Iive versions of several album tracks. 

Eye Empire's second disc Evolve was released in 2013. The group announced that Carpenter was no longer in the group in 2014. They later went on to say that they had planned to continue on as a group with Carpenter as their frontman. However, nothing new has happened with the group since. Carpenter has recorded new music with the band Apollo Under Fire and as a solo artist. Bennett is currently the drummer for Mark Tremonti's solo band, Lowery is the second guitarist in Seether and Kochmit went on to be the lead guitarist for Nonpoint before retiring from touring. 

Even though an Eye Empire reunion sounds unlikely with all of the band members' current commitments, we still have the memories and recordings to return to whenever we need a bit of nostalgia. The next article in this series will concentrate on the group Overscene. Until then, have a happy and healthy holiday weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#11: Revis

 Hi everyone,

I'm back after a winter hiatus. I broke my right ankle after I fell on solid ice on my driveway in December and decided to take a break from blogging until I was fully healed. I had surgery right before New Year's and had a pair of splints, a cast, a removable boot, and flexible wrap on the ankle during my recovery. It was a long, cold winter here in Minnesota, but it seems like spring is finally here. Now it's time to resume this series with Revis, a band I saw perform and met at a Mississippi Music Fest in St. Cloud a few years ago. I still have the set list and a signed DVD copy of the song "Caught in the Rain" from that show in my memorabilia collection.

Revis was formed in Carbondale, Illinois in 1999. The group originally went by the name Orco. Drummer Marcus D'Marco, guitarists Nathan Cox and Robert Davis, bassist Dan Scronce and singer Justin Holman rounded out the initial roster. The group relocated to Los Angeles in 2001 and had to find a suitable replacement for Scronce. That spot was soon filled by Bob Thiemann. 

The band recorded demo versions of the songs "Straight Jacket Labels," "Seven" and "A Gift" with producers Jeff Pilsen and Tommy Henriksen. Revis also employed John Zagata as their manager. More demos were soon recorded for the tracks "Caught in the Rain" and "Spin" before the group signed a contract with Epic Records in 2002. Revis became the band's new name while they worked on their debut record after finding out that a European group had already been performing under the Orca moniker for longer than theirs. They settled on the name Revis as a way to financially compensate their guitar tech and good friend Jason Revis.

Revis' debut album Places for Breathing debuted in May 2003. It plateaued at #115 on Billboard's Top 200 chart. "Caught in the Rain" was the first single from the album. It was also included in the Daredevil movie soundtrack. The second single "Seven" wasn't quite as popular, but both songs helped the band land spots on the Nintendo Fusion tour and concert stops with Evanescence, Oleander, and other similar rock bands.

The group had intentions of recording a sophomore album in 2004. However, they were dropped by Epic Records before that could happen. Another complication was the fact that their current drummer David Pribauer and Davis had decided to join the group Hensley. Cox and Holman returned to their home state in 2005 to start writing and recording new Revis tunes. The duo had at least a dozen songs completed with Henriksen before the news surfaced before the end of that year that Revis was no more.

The band members participated in different projects following the breakup. Thiemann went on to start the groups Deep Space Radio, Dove Lane, and TJ Brown. Holman participated in the group Aujalyn and Cox and Davis formed a group called Maryandi, which would later be renamed The Yelling.  In 2010, stories surfaced regarding a reunited Revis (without Thiemann and Cox). The group reportedly planned on releasing a full-length album entitled Gone So Long after issuing an EP called Fire and Ice. Neither release happened, but the group did create an album entitled Do We Have to Beg? in 2012. 

"Are You Taking Me Home" and "A Better Day (Relief) were released in advance of the album. The first single from Do We Have to Beg? was "Save Our Souls." Unfortunately, touring issues prevented Revis from hitting the road to support the album. Legal problems also prevented the new album from being properly advertised and marketed. 

The song "Fire and Ice" was the last single released before the group disbanded once more. Contractual concerns with the record label and a need to re-record the sophomore disc complicated matters for the musicians. It remains to be seen whether or not Revis will return in some format, but the group was an energetic onstage presence during their heyday. 

Well, that's all for now. The next article in this series will focus on the group Eye Empire. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened to...#10: Stereomud

 Stereomud was an up-and-coming rock band with a very talented roster. I saw them play a headlining show at the now-defunct Del-Win Entertainment Center in St. Joseph, MN the weekend before 9/11. I was impressed by their set and got to chat with the band members a bit that evening. It's too bad that they didn't last very long. 

The band consisted of guitarists Joey Zampella and John Fattoruso, bassist Corey Lowery (Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery's brother), drummer Dan Richardson and lead singer Erik Rogers. Stereomud began in 1999 and released their first full-length album Perfect Self on Columbia Records in 2001. Singles such as "Pain" and "Steppin Away" were released as the group hit the road to promote themselves.

A sophomore album, Every Given Moment, debuted in 2003. Even though Stereomud had gained popularity by touring with artists including Saliva, Breaking Benjamin, Hed PE and others, Columbia dropped the group from their label shortly after discontinuing their tour support. Stereomud disbanded in July 2003, just 3 months after their second album had been released. There have been a handful of reunion shows here and there, but it's very doubtful that the group will ever reform on a permanent basis. All of the founding members are actively involved in the other bands that they're now in. Time will only tell if we'll see Stereomud announce a national or world tour someday. 

I still listen to Stereomud's albums every now and then and sometimes get lyrics to the songs "Breathing for You" and "Steppin Away" stuck in my head sometimes. That's a nice problem to have when you enjoy music as much as I do. Well, that's all I have for this weekend. Next time, I'll be writing about Revis and Eye Empire. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Whatever Happened To...#9: Vyces

 Vyces was a modern rock band that I was fortunate enough to see a few times in concert. They brought a lot of spirit and energy to the stage each time. I became friends with all of the band members, and still see them pop up from time to time on social media.

The group was formed in 2014 by drummer Russell Ray and singer Dave Naruszewicz. Former Breaking Benjamin bass guitarist Mark Klepaski, keyboardist/vocalist Evan Seidlitz and guitarist Shawn Patterson eventually joined the band. Vyces released an EP entitled Devils in 2016 (I still need to track down that CD on eBay or Amazon) and toured in support of their debut recording. 

"Devils," "Paralyzed" and "Thin Luck" were some of the singles that Vyces distributed in 2016 and 2017. They toured regularly around the country and issued other singles, such as "Nocturnal" and "Paralyzed." "Paralyzed" was the last song that Vyces released, on Imagen Records in 2019.

A few founding members have since left Vyces, and the band has been largely dormant since the last single was introduced. I'm not sure if the group will return to recording and touring again, but I wish all of the past and present members the best of luck in their current ventures.

That's all I have about Vyces for now. Next up is Stereomud. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!