Daysend
Encyclopedia
Daysend was a metalcore
/melodic death metal
band from Sydney
, Australia
, assembled in 2002. Their debut album, Severance
, was released the following year.
Aaron Bilbija, bass player
Meredith Webster and drummer
Matt Lamb. All three had previously been together in a thrash metal
band called Psi.Kore that had been founded by Lamb's brother Chuck, guitarist Adam Boyle and bassist Lex Dourian in 1996; Lamb had joined in 1997 and Webster took Dourian's place in late 1998. The band recorded an EP with Chatterbox Records
in 2000 and toured Australia widely before Bilbija was recruited in early 2002. Relations within the group pushed Chuck Lamb out and the remaining members decided to continue in a slightly different musical direction. In 1995, Bilbija had formed a death metal band called Deadspawn and with the eventual line-up of himself plus Dave Micallef (vocals, guitar), Bob Latsombath (bass) and Wayne Morris (drums), that group had released an album on Warhead Records
in 1999 before eventually splitting up when Micallef left in mid-2001. Bilbija now recruited Micallef into his latest band, and Daysend was formed with guitarist Michael Kordek (from a death metal act called Automation and then, briefly, Infernal Method
with Bilbija) also coming into the group. The line-up was only together briefly before Matt Lamb left, his place taken by Morris. Lamb has since played in a variety of Sydney rock and metal bands.
A debut live show with Melbourne death metal band Earth was booked but Micallef quit Daysend before the show; the band played regardless as an instrumental act. Inheriting Psi.Kore's manager, Chatterbox owner Nik Tropiano, who had helped push that group to the verge of major success, Daysend was listed on the bill for the 2002 Metal for the Brain
festival and slated to open for Austria
n extremists Pungent Stench
shortly afterward, both without so much as having either a recording or a vocalist. However, Metal for the Brain was cancelled due to an insurance cost blow-out and Daysend had still not found a singer in time for the Pungent Stench tour. In January 2003, Simon Calabrese was recruited as lead vocalist. Calabrese had previously been with a nu metal
act called Redsands that had recorded an EP before disbanding.
With Calabrese in place, Daysend immediately found themselves supporting Sweden
's The Haunted
in March and then on a national tour with the reformed Melbourne grindcore
band Damaged
. After that, Daysend spent ten days recording the debut album Severance, which was released by Chatterbox in October. Severance was voted Best Australian Metal Album in a Triple J
listeners poll soon after, an honour it shared with Renascent Misanthropy by Brisbane black metal
band Astriaal.
2004 saw Daysend touring heavily. They supported Slipknot
, In Flames
, Shadows Fall
and Machine Head
and toured nationally with Entombed
. Severance was released in the US by Metal Blade Records
and by Locomotive in Europe
in November. When the Metal for the Brain festival added two extra shows in Brisbane and Perth
along with its regular Canberra fixture in February 2005, Daysend appeared at each. Two days before this, however, Kordek suddenly left the band. His replacement was Andrew Lilley, who had most recently served a brief spell with Melbourne thrash band Atomizer. Lilley's addition to Daysend caused some initial surprise as he had been fired from Psi.Kore in mid-2001, then coincidentally joined Infernal Method after Bilbija had left to join Psi.Kore. However, after learning the band's entire set in one emergency rehearsal, he slotted into the Daysend line-up.
In May 2005, Daysend toured the US for six weeks with Otep
. On returning to Australia, the band split with both its management and with Lilley. Michael Kordek rejoined and some work began on a second album. Further activity was stalled however when Simon Calabrese left Daysend in May 2006. Within a short time, however, ex-Headcage vocalist Mark McKernan joined the band. Playing just two shows with him, Daysend began recording The Warning in November 2006 with DW Norton, who had also produced the debut. Norton signed the band to his label Faultline and the album was released on 28 May 2007 ahead of Daysend's appearance at Sydney's two-day Come Together Festival
. A national tour began soon after but at least one show was cancelled when Morris received an eye injury from a broken drumstick during a show in Sydney on 13 July.
In late November 2007, Michael Kordek left the band to follow "other musical and non-musical interests". He was replaced by Jason Turnbull in late 2007, playing his first show with the band on New Year's Eve. In July 2008 Daysend then travelled to New Zealand
for a small tour with Subtract. August saw Daysend play a string of shows with Perth band Dyscord
, and be the direct support for Trivium
's one off Australian show at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. In October, Daysend supported UK thrash metal legends Carcass
at Sydney's Metro Theatre, before playing a string of New South Wales shows with Dyscord, Psycroptic
and the US deathcore band Whitechapel
in early January 2009. Following this, Daysend began recording their third album as a four-piece since Turnbull had left the group. Within the Eye of Chaos was released on 19 February 2010, on the Stomp label. A national tour followed with Braithe Selby as a touring member. On 10 July 2010, the band played Utopia Records 30th Anniversary show which marked the return of Jason Turnbull to the line-up.
Daysend played only a handful of shows throughout the year. In 2011 it was announced that Daysend would be touring Australia with Nevermore in June; however, that tour was cancelled. On 5 May, Daysend announced through their Facebook
page that they were disbanding: "The reason is not due to artistic differences or personal issues but rather that we feel we cannot continue with the band any longer. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to our family and friends who have supported us over the years and most of all, our loyal fans". The announcement was carried by various Australian metal websites.
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
/melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
band from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, assembled in 2002. Their debut album, Severance
Severance (album)
Severance is the debut album by Australian melodic death metal band Daysend. It was released by Chatterbox Records in Australia on 3 November 2003 and in the US by Metal Blade and Europe by Locomotive Records in November 2004. The song "Beggars With Knives" was included on the Faultline Records...
, was released the following year.
History
The band was formed in mid-2002 by guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Aaron Bilbija, bass player
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Meredith Webster and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Matt Lamb. All three had previously been together in a thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band called Psi.Kore that had been founded by Lamb's brother Chuck, guitarist Adam Boyle and bassist Lex Dourian in 1996; Lamb had joined in 1997 and Webster took Dourian's place in late 1998. The band recorded an EP with Chatterbox Records
Chatterbox Records
Chatterbox Records was an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia, founded in 1997 by musician Nik Tropiano and Sebastian Chase of Phantom Records. The label boasts an eclectic mixture of artists across various genres. Its first release was a vinyl EP from Sydney electro-goth band Cult 45...
in 2000 and toured Australia widely before Bilbija was recruited in early 2002. Relations within the group pushed Chuck Lamb out and the remaining members decided to continue in a slightly different musical direction. In 1995, Bilbija had formed a death metal band called Deadspawn and with the eventual line-up of himself plus Dave Micallef (vocals, guitar), Bob Latsombath (bass) and Wayne Morris (drums), that group had released an album on Warhead Records
Warhead Records
Warhead Records was an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia that specialised in releasing albums by Australian heavy metal bands. It was formed in 1992 by British migrant Brad Sims and Julie Martin who began by selling demo tapes of local bands at heavy metal shows at Sydney's...
in 1999 before eventually splitting up when Micallef left in mid-2001. Bilbija now recruited Micallef into his latest band, and Daysend was formed with guitarist Michael Kordek (from a death metal act called Automation and then, briefly, Infernal Method
Infernal Method (band)
Infernal Method was a melodic death metal band from Sydney, Australia. Despite the volatility of its line-up, the band was a dominant presence on Sydney's live metal music scene between early 2002 and late 2006 and notable for featuring an array of members who came from or later joined other bands...
with Bilbija) also coming into the group. The line-up was only together briefly before Matt Lamb left, his place taken by Morris. Lamb has since played in a variety of Sydney rock and metal bands.
A debut live show with Melbourne death metal band Earth was booked but Micallef quit Daysend before the show; the band played regardless as an instrumental act. Inheriting Psi.Kore's manager, Chatterbox owner Nik Tropiano, who had helped push that group to the verge of major success, Daysend was listed on the bill for the 2002 Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain was Australia's largest heavy metal music festival. The event was held in Canberra annually, usually towards the end of the year, and featured Australian bands almost exclusively...
festival and slated to open for Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n extremists Pungent Stench
Pungent Stench
Pungent Stench was a darkly humorous death metal band from Vienna, Austria, which formed in 1988. Their last known lineup consists of Martin Schirenc , El Gore , and Alex Wank...
shortly afterward, both without so much as having either a recording or a vocalist. However, Metal for the Brain was cancelled due to an insurance cost blow-out and Daysend had still not found a singer in time for the Pungent Stench tour. In January 2003, Simon Calabrese was recruited as lead vocalist. Calabrese had previously been with a nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
act called Redsands that had recorded an EP before disbanding.
With Calabrese in place, Daysend immediately found themselves supporting Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...
in March and then on a national tour with the reformed Melbourne grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to 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....
band Damaged
Damaged (band)
Damaged was an Australian deathgrind band from Ballarat in Victoria, Australia, active from 1989 to 2004.-History:The band was formed by drummer Matt "Skitz" Sanders...
. After that, Daysend spent ten days recording the debut album Severance, which was released by Chatterbox in October. Severance was voted Best Australian Metal Album in a Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
listeners poll soon after, an honour it shared with Renascent Misanthropy by Brisbane black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Astriaal.
2004 saw Daysend touring heavily. They supported Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
, Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
and Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
and toured nationally with Entombed
Entombed (band)
Entombed is a Swedish death metal band which formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Though Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal which initially differed itself from its American counterpart with its distinct guitar tone, by the early 1990s their sound had...
. Severance was released in the US by Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
and by Locomotive in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in November. When the Metal for the Brain festival added two extra shows in Brisbane and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
along with its regular Canberra fixture in February 2005, Daysend appeared at each. Two days before this, however, Kordek suddenly left the band. His replacement was Andrew Lilley, who had most recently served a brief spell with Melbourne thrash band Atomizer. Lilley's addition to Daysend caused some initial surprise as he had been fired from Psi.Kore in mid-2001, then coincidentally joined Infernal Method after Bilbija had left to join Psi.Kore. However, after learning the band's entire set in one emergency rehearsal, he slotted into the Daysend line-up.
In May 2005, Daysend toured the US for six weeks with Otep
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
. On returning to Australia, the band split with both its management and with Lilley. Michael Kordek rejoined and some work began on a second album. Further activity was stalled however when Simon Calabrese left Daysend in May 2006. Within a short time, however, ex-Headcage vocalist Mark McKernan joined the band. Playing just two shows with him, Daysend began recording The Warning in November 2006 with DW Norton, who had also produced the debut. Norton signed the band to his label Faultline and the album was released on 28 May 2007 ahead of Daysend's appearance at Sydney's two-day Come Together Festival
Come Together Music Festival
Come Together is an all-ages Australian music festival performed at Luna Park Sydney. Beginning in 2005, it was originally two separate events, one in April and one in September. In 2006, a two-day festival was held in June , and the festival was again on the same long weekend in 2007...
. A national tour began soon after but at least one show was cancelled when Morris received an eye injury from a broken drumstick during a show in Sydney on 13 July.
In late November 2007, Michael Kordek left the band to follow "other musical and non-musical interests". He was replaced by Jason Turnbull in late 2007, playing his first show with the band on New Year's Eve. In July 2008 Daysend then travelled to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for a small tour with Subtract. August saw Daysend play a string of shows with Perth band Dyscord
Dyscord
Dyscord are a Metal band from Perth, Western Australia, Australia. In 2006 they released their debut E.P. Arming Within through independent label Prime Cuts and toured this release extensively around Australia on runs with such International bands as God Forbid and The Black Dahlia Murder.2008 seen...
, and be the direct support for Trivium
Trivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
's one off Australian show at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. In October, Daysend supported UK thrash metal legends Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
at Sydney's Metro Theatre, before playing a string of New South Wales shows with Dyscord, Psycroptic
Psycroptic
-External links:**...
and the US deathcore band Whitechapel
Whitechapel (band)
Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, Zach Householder; bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Ben Harclerode. Their band name is derived from a district in the built-up inner city of London, known...
in early January 2009. Following this, Daysend began recording their third album as a four-piece since Turnbull had left the group. Within the Eye of Chaos was released on 19 February 2010, on the Stomp label. A national tour followed with Braithe Selby as a touring member. On 10 July 2010, the band played Utopia Records 30th Anniversary show which marked the return of Jason Turnbull to the line-up.
Daysend played only a handful of shows throughout the year. In 2011 it was announced that Daysend would be touring Australia with Nevermore in June; however, that tour was cancelled. On 5 May, Daysend announced through their Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page that they were disbanding: "The reason is not due to artistic differences or personal issues but rather that we feel we cannot continue with the band any longer. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to our family and friends who have supported us over the years and most of all, our loyal fans". The announcement was carried by various Australian metal websites.
Members
- Mark McKernan (Halcroft) – vocals (2006–2011)
- Aaron Bilbija – guitars (2002–2011)
- Meredith Webster – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2002–2011) - Wayne Morris – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2002–2011) - Jason Turnbull - guitars (2007–2010, 2010–2011)
- Simon Calabrese – vocals (2003–2006)
- Adam Nobilia - vocals (2002)
- Dave Micallef – vocals (2002)
- Andrew Lilley – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2005) - Matt Lamb – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2002) - Michael Kordek – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2002–2005, 2005–2007)
Discography
- SeveranceSeverance (album)Severance is the debut album by Australian melodic death metal band Daysend. It was released by Chatterbox Records in Australia on 3 November 2003 and in the US by Metal Blade and Europe by Locomotive Records in November 2004. The song "Beggars With Knives" was included on the Faultline Records...
(2003) - The Warning (2007)
- Within The Eye Of ChaosWithin The Eye Of Chaos (Daysend album)Within The Eye Of Chaos is the third full-length studio album by the Australian melodic death metal band Daysend, released on Feb 19, 2010 by Stomp Entertainment.-Track listing:# See You In My Nightmares - 4:30# Mindless - 2:51...
(2010)