Authority Zero

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Authority Zero

Authority Zero is a punk rock band from Mesa, Arizona. The band has skate punk and reggae influences, with Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Sublime as heavy influences for the band. There is also an obvious Spanish/Portuguese influence in the band's music.

History

Authority Zero was started in 1994 when Bill Marcks met Jason DeVore at Westwood High School. Marcks didn't actually meet DeVore until the summer of 1995, until then Authority Zero was 2 guitarists (Marcks & Jerry Douglas) and a drummer J.W. Gordon, all from Westwood. This trio put a few songs together without lyrics or basslines. When that summer rolled around Douglas was expecting the yearly visit of his friend Jason DeVore from Wyoming. Douglas introduced his long time friend and Marcks jokingly asked if he wanted to be their singer, soon later it was no joke.

Marcks was impressed with DeVore's ability to "write catchy songs in fifteen minutes with really sticky hooks". The two quickly enlisted Jeremy Wood on bass and he was no regular bassist. His experience with lead guitar and musical theory separated his bass playing from others'. Not just a "follow along" his baselines were independent and yet fluid with the music. (Wood actually taught Marcks & Douglas how to play guitar). After a few drummers Gordon for some time had a prior commitment to the Air Force and his replacement was inevitable. Fellow classmate, skateboarder, and drummer Daniel Darcia fit the empty stool like a missing piece. He brought a new charge and tempo that evolved Authority Zero's music into a faster, more complex, punk rock style. Eventually, however, differences and family obligations led to Garcia's exit from the group.

Marcks, Douglas, DeVore, and Wood finally came upon Los Angeles native Jim Wilcox formerly of Welter/The New Militia who's tragic events ended the group, and he fittingly completed the Authority Zero's lineup. Later Douglas also left the group and joined the Air Force.

After releasing a local EP that sold very well, Authority Zero released their debut album A Passage In Time in 2002 on Lava Records. The album featured a blend of genres including punk rock and reggae, with obvious Spanish and Portuguese influences. A Passage In Time included the hits "One More Minute" and "Over Seasons".

The success of A Passage In Time propelled the band into new popularity. Authority Zero appeared on many tours, such as Warped Tour, the No Use for a Name/The Starting Line tour, and Sum 41's "Sum on Your Face". The band has also toured with the likes of Everclear, Guttermouth and H2O.

In 2004, Authority Zero released Andiamó, again on Lava Records. "Andiamó" means literally "We go" in Italian, but can also be read as "And I am Zero", the title of their live DVD released following Andiamó. The album again featured a blend of genres and Spanish/Portuguese influences. Andiamó is somewhat politically charged, evident in the songs "Revolution", "A Thousand Years of War", and the cover of the song "Mexican Radio", originally written by Wall of Voodoo (the version that appears on Andiamó has lyric changes in order to make a statement against the 2003 invasion of Iraq). In the summer of 2006, Authority Zero released a live acoustic compilation album titled Rhythm and Booze on Suburban Noize Records.

The band's next album, entitled 12:34 was released on January 30, 2007. The track "Courage" has been released as a single. The band recently toured with Rehab on the "Lack of Luxury" 2007 tour. This album is the final one featuring Jeremy Wood on bass, leaving in November 2006 due to personal differences within the band.

Current Lineup

  • Jason DeVore - Lead Vocals
  • Bill Marcks - Guitar and Backing Vocals
  • Jim Wilcox - Drums
  • Bryan Sandell - Guitar and Backing Vocals
  • Dean Farmer - Bass

Former Members

  • Jerry Douglas - Guitar and Backing Vocals
  • Jeremy Wood - Bass and Backing Vocals
  • Danny Garcia - Drums
  • J.W. Gordon - Drums

Discography

Appearances in Other Media

Trivia

  • During the Vans 2007 Warped Tour, in Denver, Colorado, lead singer Jason DeVore crowd-surfed his way to a "street-sign" and completed all of the single "One More Minute" from atop. He was to be arrested for this feat, but removed his shirt and managed to evade local authorities.
  • The album Andiamó contains a live cover of the celtic folk song "Rattlin' Bog", while their newest album 12:34 covers the celtic folk song "Drunken Sailor".

External links

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