Coalesce is a 4-piece
metalcoreMetalcore is a fusion genre incorporating elements of hardcore punk and extreme metal. The name is a portmanteau of hardcore punk and heavy metal. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands like Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity. The earliest of these groups,...
band from
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County, the other being Independence, just to the city's east...
.
Formation and early years (1994-1996)
The band formed in January 1994, consisting of Jes Steineger (guitar), Stacy Hilt (bass) and Jim Redd (drums). During this time they were using the name Breach, and around Easter of 1994, Sean Ingram joined the band to fill the vocal position, and the four members opted to use the name Coalesce, to avoid confusion with a
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
-based band.
With the name issues amended, Coalesce entered
West End Studios to record a demo. This work was pressed to a 7" EP that sold out rapidly.
The UK division of
Earache RecordsFor the medical condition known as "earache", see otalgia.Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period...
was impressed by the unique and innovative sound featured on Coalesce's demo so they invited the band to record an EP for Earache's 7" series imprint,
New Chapter. The EP, simply entitled
002, was recorded in one day and released in 1995. "002" marked the beginning of Coalesce's relationship with Red House Studios and producer Ed Rose, who would go on to produce all of Coalesce's following material.
To promote
002, Coalesce embarked on their first US tour, which lasted 6 weeks, in the summer of 1995. They supported the bands
BloodletBloodlet was an American metalcore band that formed in Florida in 1992.-History:Forming in 1992, from the ashes of local Central Florida straight edge hardcore band, Solid Answer. As a five-piece band, Bloodlet started quickly by releasing two seven-inch singles in 1993. Even though the fledgling...
and
108108 is a hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflected the Hare Krishna faith of its members. Their name comes from the number of beads on the Japa mala, or mantra counting beads.- History :...
. This tour served as the catalyst of Coalesce's first break-up, as the clashing of personalities had amplified between vocalist Sean Ingram and drummer Jim Redd while on the road. Once Coalesce returned home from the road, Jim convinced the other bandmates to oust Ingram from the band. Sean showed up at band practice to find James DeWees undergoing his vocal replacement audition. Sean engaged in a confrontation with drummer Jim, resulting in Coalesce disbanding altogether in early 1996.
In mid 1996, guitarist Jes Steineger contacted Sean and the two decided to reform the band. Stacy Hilt was included in the reunion, resuming his bass duties, and the drum position was delegated to James DeWees, the same person who had attempted to secure the available vocalist position before Coalesce had broken up (original drummer Jim Redd decided not to pick up the drum sticks again because he was attending school in Baltimore). This incarnation of the band dusted off some older material and revised it so they could release it on the records
A Safe Place 7" on Edison Recordings and the Earache-distributed split EP with
grindGrindcore, sometimes shortened to grind, is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk.Grindcore is characterized by...
veterans
Napalm DeathNapalm Death are an English extreme metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1981. The band was formed in the village of Meriden , England in May 1981 by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge....
, entitled
In Tongues We Speak. This split was perceived as 'groundbreaking' within the
hardcore punkHardcore punk, often just called hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated primarily in North America in the late 1970s. The new sound was generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock...
/metalcore community due to the odd pairing of bands, which was beneficial in the sense that the fans of the respective bands would get exposed to two styles of
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
that they had never been privy to before. These releases also showcased a marked shift in Sean Ingram's vocal style from a full-voiced shout (typically punctuated by spoken verses) to a much deeper, guttural "bark." This, paired with the group's increasingly complex arrangements, became Coalesce's signature sound.
Give Them Rope and Functioning on Impatience (1997-1998)
In 1997, Coalesce wrote and recorded their first full length, entitled
Give Them Rope (released on Edison Recordings), as well as songs for several compilations and split 7" records with
The Get Up KidsThe Get Up Kids are an American indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music. As they gained prominence, they began touring with bands such as Green Day and Weezer before becoming...
,
Today is the DayToday Is the Day is an experimental metal band from Nashville, Tennessee.-Biography:The band was founded by Steve Austin and Brad Elrod in Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1990s. The band released its debut EP, entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 1992...
, and
ConvergeConverge is a four-piece band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and extreme metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the rudiments of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
on the other side of the vinyl.
After weeks of playing the new songs on tour, Coalesce entered Red House Studios in the spring of 1998 to record the album
Functioning on Impatience in a mere 3 days. Quickly following this, Coalesce recorded songs for a split 7" with Boy Sets Fire. Both the full-length and the split record were released that summer. It was during this period that bassist Stacy Hilt made his departure and was summarily replaced by Nathan Ellis, who was by trade a guitar player, but opted to switch instruments in order to join one of his favorite bands.
Coalesce once again entered Red House to record the album
There is Nothing New Under the Sun, a one-off release on Hydra Head that comprised
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
covers, which was released in late 1998. Coalesce attempted a US tour in support of this record, and did manage to play the east coast dates with
NeurosisNeurosis refers to a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, where behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic...
,
NileNile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian mysticism, history, religion, and art as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...
and
The Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape Plan is an American experimental mathcore band named after John Dillinger, and they are from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The band originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie...
, but the tour ended abruptly as unresolvable problems with their touring van brought tensions to a head and rendered Coalesce unable to complete the tour. They discarded the van, returned home in a
U-HaulU-Haul International, Inc. is a North American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen in Ridgefield, Washington, who began it in the garage owned by his wife's family, and expanded through franchising...
and subsequently disbanded once more.
012:Revolution in Just Listening, hiatus and return to touring (1999-2004)
The members recorded their final album,
012:Revolution in Just Listening, in separate sessions from each other. It should be noted that during Revolutions recording process, certain band members of Coalesce were working with other bands: bassist Nathan Ellis started
The Casket LotteryThe Casket Lottery is a three-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band started in 1997 as a side-project of the Kansas City hardcore band Coalesce. The band has toured across the United States numerous times , as well as released a healthy amount of records...
with former Coalesce bassist Stacy Hilt, and drummer James DeWees joined
The Get Up KidsThe Get Up Kids are an American indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music. As they gained prominence, they began touring with bands such as Green Day and Weezer before becoming...
as their keyboard player and also started his "solo" project
Reggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full Effect is a Kansas City indie pop band, the solo project for The Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees.-"Greatest Hits 1984-1987" - "Under the Tray":...
. Continuing his hands on tradition with the album artwork, a surrealist vision by Sean Ingram was developed into a cover painting by
Dan HenkDaniel Jonathan Henk is an American artist and writer, noted for his work in tattooing and painting. He has produced record-album covers, political cartoons, controversial articles, and a variety of other media....
featuring dual conjoined fetus' floating before a mammoth eardrum.
A lineup impervious to breaking up was something that would always elude Coalesce. The usual cause for a Coalesce breakup was either standard inhouse feuding between band members, lack of money, or intermittent bouts of leaving and rejoining Coalesce due to religious reasons. Coalesce reformed in 2002 sans Jes Steineger, replacing him with
The EsotericThe Esoteric is a hardcore/rock band founded in 1996 from Lawrence, Kansas. They are currently signed to Prosthetic Records. Following several self-produced EPs, the band's debut full-length, With the Sureness of Sleepwalking, came out on Prosthetic Records in 2005...
guitarist,
Cory WhiteCory White is an American guitarist from Lawerence, Kansas. He plays guitar and sings occasional back up vocals in The Esoteric and also plays guitar in a band called Theta...
, for a national tour and short recordings.
Recent developments and Ox (2005-present)
Coalesce was slated to play in Hellfest in 2005 with original guitarist Jes Steineger and new drumming addition Nathan Richardson, but a legal maelstrom against the festival's organizers prevented the festival from taking place. Since they had already made the travel arrangements, Coalesce booked and played 2 shows at small venues instead. One was in Philadelphia and the other in the Wilkes-Barre area.
The band played what they advertised as their 'final show' in
Lawrence, KansasLawrence is the 6th largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas Metropolitan Area which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in September 2005. During the Philadelphia and Lawrence reunion shows lead singer Sean Ingram announced that the band was going to begin writing new music but under a new moniker. However this idea was abandoned.
On January 3, 2007 lead singer Sean Ingram announced on his personal
blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
website that Coalesce had recorded 2 new songs on December 28 and 29 at Black Lodge Studios. The songs would be on an upcoming final 7" to be self released by the band along with a DVD and book sometime in 2007.
On February 9, 2007 Coalesce announced, via
MySpaceMySpace is a social networking website. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California, USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by News Corporation. MySpace became the most popular social networking site in the United...
, that they intend to do some touring in August 2007. Possible areas include Europe, Japan and the United States (East Coast).
On March 21, 2007 Ingram announced on the Coalesce website that the release will be titled Salt and Passage
. The tracks will be titled "Son of Son of Man" and "I Am This". It was also said that re-recording of the vocal tracks for There is Nothing New Under the Sun were completed for the re-release through
Hydra Head RecordsHydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
.
On May 26, 2007 on the official website announcements were made in regards to the upcoming 7" and DVD. Instead of releasing them together they will be released separately. The 7" to be released in a hand screened gatefold cover with limited different colors on September 11, 2007. The DVD will be a collection of as many complete shows that they could get and it is entitled No Business in this Business
. The DVD is scheduled to be released in late August to early September.
Coalesce's latest full-length record Ox
features 14 songs and was released on June 9 (North America) and June 15 (international) on Relapse RecordsRelapse Records is a Upper Darby, Pennsylvania-based independent metal record label.The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado, with the guidance of his good friend and mentor Kevin Kopp...
. The band has completed a two week headlining tour of Europe in support of Ox
. Furthermore, the band will release an EP entitled OXEP that features seven songs and will be released November 10.
Current members
- Sean Ingram – vocals
- Jes Steineger – guitar
- Nathan Ellis – bass
- Nathan "Jr." Richardson – drums
Former members
- Jim Redd – drums (currently a member of Tarentel
Tarentel is a band based in San Francisco, California which formed in 1995. Initially, the band consisted of Danny Grody and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma...
and The Holy See and formerly a member of SonnaSonna is a post-rock band from Baltimore, MD. The band formed in 1998, and have released two full length albums on label Temporary Residence, of which guitarist deVine is the owner.-Band members:*Drew Nelson – Bass*Chris Mackie – Guitar*Jim Redd – Drums...
)
- James Dewees
James Dewees is an American musician who has been involved in many musical projects including The Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effect, Coalesce, New Found Glory, My Chemical Romance, and, most recently, Leathermouth....
– drums (member of Reggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full Effect is a Kansas City indie pop band, the solo project for The Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees.-"Greatest Hits 1984-1987" - "Under the Tray":...
and LeathermouthLeathermouth is the post-hardcore side project led by My Chemical Romance's rhythm guitarist Frank Iero. The band formed in 2007, and in January 2009 released their first album XO.-History:...
, and touring keyboardist for My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
)
- Stacy Hilt – bass (member of The Casket Lottery
The Casket Lottery is a three-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band started in 1997 as a side-project of the Kansas City hardcore band Coalesce. The band has toured across the United States numerous times , as well as released a healthy amount of records...
)
- Cory White
Cory White is an American guitarist from Lawerence, Kansas. He plays guitar and sings occasional back up vocals in The Esoteric and also plays guitar in a band called Theta...
– touring guitarist (member of The EsotericThe Esoteric is a hardcore/rock band founded in 1996 from Lawrence, Kansas. They are currently signed to Prosthetic Records. Following several self-produced EPs, the band's debut full-length, With the Sureness of Sleepwalking, came out on Prosthetic Records in 2005...
)
Studio albums
- 1997: Give Them Rope
Give Them Rope is Missouri band Coalesce's debut full length album. It was re-released in 2004 in a remastered and remixed format.-Track listing:# "Have Patience"# "One On The Ground"# "Cut To Length"# "For All You Are"# "Still It Sells"...
- 1998: Functioning on Impatience
Functioning on Impatience is the second full length album from Missouri band Coalesce.-Track listing:#"You Can't Kill Us All"#"Recurring Ache Of Monotony Still Running"#"A New Language"#"On Being A Bastard"#"My Love For Extremes"#"Measured In Gray"...
- 1999: 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening
0:12 Revolution in Just Listening is the third studio album to be released by Missouri band Coalesce.-Track listing:-Band:*Sean Ingram - Vocals, Art Direction, Design*James Dewees - Drums*Jes Steineger - Guitar*Nathan Ellis - Bass-Production:...
- 2009: Ox
Ox is hardcore band Coalesce's fourth studio album, and first full length released since 1999's 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening. The album was released on June 9, 2009 in the United States through Relapse Records, and on June 15, 2009 to the rest of the world...
Side projects and trivia
- James DeWees was the keyboard player for The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music. As they gained prominence, they began touring with bands such as Green Day and Weezer before becoming...
and touring keyboard player for New Found GloryNew Found Glory is an American rock band from South Florida, that predominantly plays pop punk music. The quintet formed during 1997 and consists of Jordan Pundik , Chad Gilbert , Steve Klein , Ian Grushka and Cyrus Bolooki...
for a short time. He also performs in his solo project, Reggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full Effect is a Kansas City indie pop band, the solo project for The Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees.-"Greatest Hits 1984-1987" - "Under the Tray":...
. He performed as the touring keyboardist for My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
.
- Stacy Hilt and Nate Ellis compose music in the band The Casket Lottery
The Casket Lottery is a three-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band started in 1997 as a side-project of the Kansas City hardcore band Coalesce. The band has toured across the United States numerous times , as well as released a healthy amount of records...
, Stacy playing bass and Nate playing guitar.
- Sean Ingram stood in for departed Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Dimitri Minakakis and played Krazyfest with the band on July 28, 2001.
- Coalesce have recorded material for Earache Records
For the medical condition known as "earache", see otalgia.Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period...
, Edison Recordings, Hydra Head RecordsHydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
, Relapse RecordsRelapse Records is a Upper Darby, Pennsylvania-based independent metal record label.The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado, with the guidance of his good friend and mentor Kevin Kopp...
and Second Nature RecordingsSecond Nature Recordings is an independent record label based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It specialises in indie rock and punk and co-releases vinyl pressings for other labels...
.
- Vocalist Sean Ingram's day job is the manager of a screenprint house Blue Collar Press and guitarist Jes Steineger is a graduate student at the University of Chicago. Preceding this he was a lecturer in Humanities and Western Civilization at the University of Kansas.
- During the summer of 2006, Jes began work on a new project called ~.
- Sean Ingram has sung guest vocals on albums for The Out Circuit
The Out Circuit is an indie rock/post hardcore band/project by former Frodus co-frontman Nathan Burke currently signed to Lujo Records. The Out Circuit was originally based in Washington, DC but now resides in Seattle, Washington.-History:...
, Blessing The Hogs, The UsedThe Used is an American alternative rock band from Orem, Utah. Their sound has been classified under many sub-genres of rock. They signed with Reprise Records in late 2001 and rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their debut self-titled album, The Used...
, The Ocean CollectiveThe Ocean Collective is an experimental rock band from Berlin, Germany. Their work combines elements of progressive metal with classical music and electronic soundscapes to create their aggressive post-metal sound...
, Fall River, The Casket LotteryThe Casket Lottery is a three-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band started in 1997 as a side-project of the Kansas City hardcore band Coalesce. The band has toured across the United States numerous times , as well as released a healthy amount of records...
, Miasis, and Reggie and the Full EffectReggie and the Full Effect is a Kansas City indie pop band, the solo project for The Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees.-"Greatest Hits 1984-1987" - "Under the Tray":...
. On Reggie albums, Sean is credited as Hungary Bear. On Casket Lottery albums, Sean is credited as Sean-o-tronic.
- Sean founded Blue Collar Distro, which sells merchandise for bands such as The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music. As they gained prominence, they began touring with bands such as Green Day and Weezer before becoming...
, The New Amsterdams, and Motion City SoundtrackMotion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. Only two of the founding members are still a part of the lineup: lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre and lead guitarist and backing vocalist Joshua Cain...
.
- Sean (along with "the Anniversary" bassist James David) appeared on an episode of The People's Court
The People's Court is an American television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration. The People's Court was the first reality court show that did not use actors...
on behalf of Blue Collar Distro, who was suing the manager of a band for not paying on merchandise that he received, Blue Collar lost the case and has since decided to end it there. The band's manager was former Relapse Records radio promotion employee "Mean" Dean Edington (also a long time friend of Sean and Coalesce. At one point Dean claims they used to practice in his basement, but this is untrue), the band being sued is in fact The Esoteric.
External links