Grade (band)

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Grade
General information
origin Toronto , Canada
Genre (s) Hardcore punk , emo , post-hardcore , melodic hardcore
founding Early 1990s as Rebirth, 2009
resolution 2002
Current occupation
Kyle Bishop
Matt Jones
Shawn Magill
Electric guitar
 Greg Taylor
Matt Richmond
former members
Drums
 Chris Danner
Electric guitar
 Brad Casarin
Drums
 Charles Moniz
Drums
 Kevin Harris
Electric guitar
 Kent Abbott († 2013)

Grade is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto , which was founded in the early 1990s under the name Rebirth , disbanded in 2002 and has been active again since 2009.

history

The band was formed in the early 1990s by singer Kyle Bishop, guitarists Greg Taylor and Shawn Magill, bassist Matt Jones and drummer Chris Danner. Grade consisted of the members of the band Incision, minus the bassist. Incision again consisted of the bands Noise Patch and Reckless Youth. Grade, which takes its name from the song grade Curve of Lincoln had moved, had initially called Rebirth in their early days. In 1993 the group recorded a first demo . Appearances with Fugazi , Hot Water Music , Jimmy Eat World , Earth Crisis and The Promise Ring followed . In 1996/1997 the band held a US tour and a tour of Europe in addition to local and weekend appearances . In 1994 there was a split release with the band Believe on the small Canadian label Workshop Records and in 1995 the debut album … And Such Is Progress and in 1997 the EP Separate the Magnets . Then the group reached a contract with Victory Records . Originally the band had planned to work with Revelation Records . However, since the label had needed too much time to release a sound carrier, they had separated from him again. After a single under the name Triumph & Tragedy in 1999, which includes a cover version of Van Halen's Panama , the album Under the Radar followed later that year . In early 2000, the compilation The Embarrassing Beginning was released , which contains early recordings of the group. After that, the line-up changed almost completely to the front man Bishop. In addition to him and the already well-known bassist Jones and the guitarist Magill, the band consisted of the drummer Charles Moniz and the guitarist Brad Casarin. In October 2001 the album Headfirst Straight to Hell followed. In May 2002 they went on tour through Canada. After the release, the cast had changed again, so that Kyle Bishop was the only remaining original member who was supported by members of the band Somehow Hollow. This was followed by the dissolution in 2002.

In July 2009, the band, consisting of Magill, Taylor, Bishop, bassist Matt Jones and a friend of the band named Matt Richmond on drums, reunited to record songs for a split release for At Both Ends Magazine with Bane . However, no further concerts or tours were planned. On July 21, 2006, the band held a performance in Toronto , but initially no more followed. In 2011 the band was asked by a local promoter if they could play a farewell concert for him. Since this was successful, it was decided from now on to hold constant performances again. The band was seen at the 2013 Pouzza Fest . In 2014 the single Collapsed Lungs was released. Towards the end of the year appearances were made with Ensign in the northeastern United States.

style

Christian Graf assigned the group to the emocore in his Nu Metal and Crossover Lexicon and also described the music as a mixture of hardcore punk, metal , pop , punk and hard rock . Carlos Ramirez of noecho.net described the music as post-hardcore , the Screamo - dissonances with anthemic, melodic hooks mixed. In an interview with him, Bishop stated that he was musically influenced by his parents. His father, who promoted music in his high school , brought him closer to groups like The Animals , The Kinks , The Rolling Stones , Led Zeppelin , Roxy Music , King Crimson , David Bowie , Gary Numan , Pink Floyd , Japan , The Smiths, and The Cure while the mother was interested in Motown music. In addition, an uncle who played in a local band was an important influence by giving him albums such as Bad Habits by The Monks , Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by the Sex Pistols or Dynasty by Kiss . The band Chokehold brought Grade into the world of DIY hardcore punk. Grade was initially influenced by their peers, while groups such as Lincoln, Indian Summer and Rye Coalition were later influences. His singing came about when he tried to imitate Bob Mold , Black Francis and James Brown . However, since he is not a good singer, he tried to compensate for this by screaming . Joachim Hiller from Ox-Fanzine wrote in his review of Under the Radar that there was "hissing, new school singing" on it. The group play “driving hardcore” in the style of Avail and Hot Water Music. Among the emo bands that were new at the time, Grade was one of the most interesting and toughest. Two years later-reviewed Fabian Dünkelmann from the same magazine, the album Headfirst Straight to Hell and that to this metal influences noted in the form of Iron Maiden -like licks heard are. In addition to emocore, punk and hardcore punk influences are also processed. In addition, the band sometimes sounds like At the Drive-In . In another issue, Sebastian Wahle wrote that the group was one of the main representatives of the emo movement of the 1990s and was a huge influence on bands like Thrice and Thursday . … And Such Is Progress sounds rough and raw and combines hardcore punk, punk rock and metal riffs . Separate the Magnets is more sophisticated, more catchy in places and less metallic. Headfirst Straight to Hell is tricky and very metal-heavy while trying to break out of classic song structures. In an interview with him, Bishop stated that the band tried to build on Separate the Magnets while writing Collapsed Lungs . Robert Müller from Metal Hammer described the music on Triumph & Tragedy as classic, emotional hardcore, reminiscent of Verbal Assault . One issue later, Claudia Nitsche reviewed Under the Radar , whereupon varied Emocore could be heard, which was [“k] old-mad and hot-blooded at the same time” and “[f] iligree and brute” and had a metallic influence. In addition, the group creates "the bridge between metal, rock , hardcore and great freedom". Two years later, Elmar Salmutter discussed Headfirst Straight to Hell . He compares it with its predecessor Under the Radar , which is an "unconventional mixture of punk, hardcore, emo and metal" and comparable to the music of Boysetsfire , Hot Water Music and Snapcase . The music is now more melodic, with the singing still fluctuating “between melancholy melodies and hysterical screeching”. You now sprinkle in more gentle passages and are more willing to experiment, which makes the music sound more varied and dynamic.

Discography

  • 1993: Demo (demo, self-published)
  • 1994: Grade / Believe (split with Believe, Workshop Records )
  • 1994: Afterthought (EP, Workshop Records)
  • 1995: … And Such Is Progress (Album, Second Nature Recordings )
  • 1996: Grade (Single, Wheatfield Press )
  • 1997: Separate the Magnets (EP, Second Nature Recordings)
  • 1999: A Year in the Past (Forever In The Future) (Demo, Victory Records )
  • 1999: Triumph & Tragedy (Single Victory Records)
  • 1999: Under the Radar (Album, Victory Records)
  • 1999: Grade / Incision (Split with Incision, Workshop Records)
  • 2000: The Embarrassing Beginning (compilation, Victory Records)
  • 2001: Headfirst Straight To Hell / Playin 'To Live, Livin' To Play (Split with River City Rebels , Victory Records)
  • 2001: Headfirst Straight to Hell (Album, Victory Records)
  • 2010: Grade / Bane (Split with Bane , At Both Ends Magazine)
  • 2014: Collapsed Lungs (Single, Dine Alone Records )

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Carlos Ramirez: Kyle Bishop (Grade, Acrid, The Black Maria, The Swarm). noecho.net, accessed November 13, 2016 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Christian Graf: Nu Metal and Crossover Lexicon . Lexikon Imprint Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-89602-515-5 , p. 115 .
  3. ↑ a b c Jason Ankeny: Grade. Allmusic , accessed November 8, 2016 .
  4. ↑ a b c grade. victoryrecords.com, accessed November 12, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b Joachim Hiller: GRADE . Under The Radar CD. In: Ox-Fanzine . No. 36 , 1999 ( ox-fanzine.de [accessed November 13, 2016]).
  6. ↑ Grade to reunite in Toronto. punknews.org, accessed November 13, 2016 .
  7. ↑ Pouzza Fest announce final batch of bands, post schedule. punknews.org, accessed November 14, 2016 .
  8. ↑ Grade returning to NYC & Philly w / Ensign (and other dates). brooklynvegan.com, accessed November 14, 2016 .
  9. ↑ Fabian Dünkelmann: GRADE . Headfirst, Straight To Hell CD. In: Ox-Fanzine . 44, September / October / November, 2001 ( ox-fanzine.de [accessed on November 13, 2016]).
  10. ↑ Sebastian Wahle: GRADE . Under the radar. In: Ox-Fanzine . 119, April / May, 2015 ( ox-fanzine.de [accessed on November 13, 2016]).
  11. ^ Robert Müller: Grade . Triumph & Tragedy. In: Metal Hammer . September 1999, p. 95 .
  12. ↑ Claudia Nitsche: Grade . Under the radar. In: Metal Hammer . October 1999, p. 96 .
  13. ↑ Elmar Salmutter: Grade . Headfirst Straight to Hell. In: Metal Hammer . October 2001, p. 89 .