Lions (band)
Encyclopedia
Lions is an American rock
band from Austin, Texas
, formed in 2005. The lineup consists of singer Matt Drenik, guitarist Austin Kalman and drummer Jake Perlman. Trevor Sutcliffe was Lions' bassist from their formation until his departure in 2009, where he was replaced by Mike Sellman. The band formed following the break up of The Good Looks, the previous band of both Drenik and Perlman.
To date, Lions have released one studio album; No Generation (2007), and two EP
s; Volume One (2006) and Let No One Fall (2009). Since 2007, their music has been licensed for television shows (Sons of Anarchy
and Californication
) as well as video games (Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
). The inclusion of "Metal Heavy Lady" in Guitar Hero III led to over 3,000 downloads of the song according to Nielsen SoundScan
.
-based rock band The Good Looks. When they later broke up in the middle of a summer tour, Drenik was told by a club owner that he would keep a Fu Manchu
support slot if he formed another band. After renting out an open space above a bar, to write and practice, Drenik and Perlman began working with guitarist Austin Kalman and bassist Trevor Sutcliffe whose bands had also broken up. They quickly formed a new group and, following a suggestion from Perlman, named themselves Lions, due to a large lion head that covered a whole wall of open space where they practiced. Lions went on to fulfill the support slots of The Good Looks while their later shows gained the band some notoriety for their high-energy performances.
To coincide with their appearance at SXSW '06, Lions recorded and released their debut EP Volume One in 2006. Reviewing the EP for Allmusic, Eduardo Rivadavia states that Lions "boldly attempts to straddle the hard rock decades" making comparisons to the bands ZZ Top
, Queens of the Stone Age
, Nebula
and Fu Manchu. He goes on to state that while "there's definite room for improvement" the EP "is a very promising first step [for the band]."
and Roadrunner Records
. Though Roadrunner helped to fund the recording of their debut album, they decided against signing the band. The band performed at SXSW '07, which led to the song "Metal Heavy Lady," from the Volume One EP, being licensed for use on the Activision
game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
in 2007. The song's inclusion on the game led to over 3,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan
. The band were also contacted by FX to write the theme song for Sons of Anarchy
, recording it with producer Matt Hyde
. Though "This Life
" was chosen as the theme, Lions music was still used prominently in the show while they would later record a cover of the Bob Dylan
song "Girl from the North Country
" for the Sons of Anarchy: North Country - EP released in 2009. The band's music was also licensed for use on the Showtime series Californication
.
Lions debut album No Generation was released independently on November 14, 2007, with "Start Movin'" chosen as the first single. The album received generally positive reviews upon release. Allmusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia states that while there are many positives on the album, "No Generation unfortunately lacks some of its predecessors' excitement and urgency, leaving listeners already aware of the band's potential hungering for more." Reviewing the album for The Austin Chronicle, Austin Powell states that the album "offers tighter production, heavier hooks, and the grooves" though he describes the end of the album as "a draining experience." Jordan Richardson of Blogcritics
made comparisons to Soundgarden
and Fu Manchu, stating that Lions "have come up with a heavy, bluesy, ultimately rewarding record." In 2008, the band toured in support of the album, playing shows in the US supporting the Toadies
and Local H
, while "Start Movin'" was re-released to capitalize on the band's exposure from Guitar Hero III The same year, the band gained some interest from Columbia Records
, though no deal went through.
and later included the song in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
in-game soundtrack. The band began working on new songs after deciding against using previous material. The band entered pre-production of their new album in May and began recording in June with producer Chris "Frenchie" Smith
. It was during this time that bassist Sutcliffe departed the band and was replaced my Mike Sellman for recording. Lions invited Scott Lucas
of Local H to write with them, eventually writing the song "Screaming Out," while they were sent a demo from Vaden Todd Lewis
, of the Toadies, that they reworked into "Poster Child."
The resulting EP, entitled Let No One Fall, was released on November 23, 2009, in the UK through Maybe Records. The EP received generally positive reviews. Reviewing the EP for Rock Sound
, Tim Newbound stated that it was "a wicked slab of bare-bones rock." Malcolm Dowe of Metal Hammer
states that they "prove that grunge
can be given a fresh twist, bringing in daubs of Velvet Revolver
and [Queens of the Stone Age]." Lions later supported Monster Magnet
and Karma to Burn
on their UK tour in December, making Let No One Fall available for free download to coincide with the tour. Drenik also launched his side project Battleme
, contributing the song "Burn This Town" the to second series finale of Sons of Anarchy as well as the series soundtrack Sons of Anarchy: Shelter - EP. He would later, in 2010, contribute a cover of Neil Young
's "Hey Hey, My My
" for the Sons of Anarchy third series finale and soundtrack Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone. In 2010, Lions performed at SXSW '10, and later performed one show in Austin, Texas in October, with Drenik focusing on his side project Battleme stating "I'm guessing we'll do a lot of back-and-forth [between bands]."
, Matt Drenik described the band's sound as "heavy riff-rock" that was "more in the hard rock
vein than in the metal
vein." Guitarist Austin Kalman described Lions sound, in Total Guitar
, as "the halfway point between straight rock 'n' roll and punk
and metal." Jason Bennett, if Nashville Scene
, describes that band's music as "a ferocious blend of fuzz, sweat and riffs, with a slinky Southern groove holding it all together." In an article for Billboard
magazine, Katie Hasty states that Lions "[combine] '70s hard rock and psych elements [...] with buzzing, stoner
guitar rifts and Drenik's strong wail." Houston Press
writer Christopher Henderson states that "Lions are the Eagles of death metal
, had they spent an entire adolescent summer with Black Flag
's "In My Head," or Wolfmother
for people who drink domestic beer." Eric Allen of Real Detroit Weekly
has describe the band's sound as "a heavy blend of metal, psychedelic
and hard rock that would make the former torchbearers of the genre happy."
Drenik has cited influences from Led Zeppelin
and Black Sabbath
, while guitarist Kalman cites Sonic Youth
, Elliot Smith, The Beatles
and avant-garde jazz
music as influences on his playing. The band have also seen their music compared to Queens of the Stone Age
, ZZ Top
, Soundgarden
, AC/DC
, Nebula
and Fu Manchu
among others.
Former members
EPs
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, formed in 2005. The lineup consists of singer Matt Drenik, guitarist Austin Kalman and drummer Jake Perlman. Trevor Sutcliffe was Lions' bassist from their formation until his departure in 2009, where he was replaced by Mike Sellman. The band formed following the break up of The Good Looks, the previous band of both Drenik and Perlman.
To date, Lions have released one studio album; No Generation (2007), and two EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s; Volume One (2006) and Let No One Fall (2009). Since 2007, their music has been licensed for television shows (Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
and Californication
Californication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
) as well as video games (Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 , is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's, and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , Wii, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the eleventh video game in the WWE SmackDown vs...
). The inclusion of "Metal Heavy Lady" in Guitar Hero III led to over 3,000 downloads of the song according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.
Formation and Volume One EP (2005–2007)
Matt Drenik and Jake Perlman were both members of the AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based rock band The Good Looks. When they later broke up in the middle of a summer tour, Drenik was told by a club owner that he would keep a Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu (band)
Fu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who released their debut single "Kept Between Trees" in 1990. They have been featured on compilations put together by Tony Hawk and ESPN's X Games, and invited to perform on the US television program Monster Garage...
support slot if he formed another band. After renting out an open space above a bar, to write and practice, Drenik and Perlman began working with guitarist Austin Kalman and bassist Trevor Sutcliffe whose bands had also broken up. They quickly formed a new group and, following a suggestion from Perlman, named themselves Lions, due to a large lion head that covered a whole wall of open space where they practiced. Lions went on to fulfill the support slots of The Good Looks while their later shows gained the band some notoriety for their high-energy performances.
To coincide with their appearance at SXSW '06, Lions recorded and released their debut EP Volume One in 2006. Reviewing the EP for Allmusic, Eduardo Rivadavia states that Lions "boldly attempts to straddle the hard rock decades" making comparisons to the bands ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, Nebula
Nebula (band)
Nebula was a psychedelic stoner rock band, formed by guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano after departing from Fu Manchu in 1997. Rob Oswald later replaced Ruben Romano on drums in 2007....
and Fu Manchu. He goes on to state that while "there's definite room for improvement" the EP "is a very promising first step [for the band]."
No Generation (2007–2009)
The band soon gained record label attention from Rock Ridge MusicRock Ridge Music
Rock Ridge Music is an independent record label based in Newark, New Jersey. Some of the more recognized artists on the Rock Ridge roster include Reel Big Fish, Sister Hazel, Psychostick, Attack! Attack! UK, The Ike Reilly Assassination, and Ingram Hill....
and Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
. Though Roadrunner helped to fund the recording of their debut album, they decided against signing the band. The band performed at SXSW '07, which led to the song "Metal Heavy Lady," from the Volume One EP, being licensed for use on the Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
in 2007. The song's inclusion on the game led to over 3,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. The band were also contacted by FX to write the theme song for Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
, recording it with producer Matt Hyde
Matt Hyde
Matt Hyde is an American producer, engineer, mixer and musician.From 1982-1985 he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. While still at Berklee he started to get experience in Pyramid recording studio in Boston...
. Though "This Life
This Life (Theme from Sons of Anarchy)
"This Life" is a theme song for the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, written by singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver guitarist Dave Kushner, producer Bob Thiele Jr...
" was chosen as the theme, Lions music was still used prominently in the show while they would later record a cover of the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "Girl from the North Country
Girl from the North Country
"Girl from the North Country" is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released in 1963 as the second track on Dylan's second studio album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Dylan re-recorded the song as a duet with Johnny Cash in 1969. That recording became the first track on Nashville Skyline,...
" for the Sons of Anarchy: North Country - EP released in 2009. The band's music was also licensed for use on the Showtime series Californication
Californication (TV series)
Californication is an American comedy-drama that premiered on Showtime on August 13, 2007. The show was created by Tom Kapinos. The protagonist, Hank Moody , is a troubled novelist whose move to California, coupled with his writer's block, complicates his relationships with his longtime girlfriend...
.
Lions debut album No Generation was released independently on November 14, 2007, with "Start Movin'" chosen as the first single. The album received generally positive reviews upon release. Allmusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia states that while there are many positives on the album, "No Generation unfortunately lacks some of its predecessors' excitement and urgency, leaving listeners already aware of the band's potential hungering for more." Reviewing the album for The Austin Chronicle, Austin Powell states that the album "offers tighter production, heavier hooks, and the grooves" though he describes the end of the album as "a draining experience." Jordan Richardson of Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
made comparisons to Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and Fu Manchu, stating that Lions "have come up with a heavy, bluesy, ultimately rewarding record." In 2008, the band toured in support of the album, playing shows in the US supporting the Toadies
Toadies
Toadies are an alternative rock band from Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom." The band's classic lineup consisted of Todd Lewis on vocals/guitar, Mark Reznicek on drums, Lisa Umbarger on bass, and Darrel Herbert on guitar. It formed in 1989 and disbanded in 2001 after...
and Local H
Local H
Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...
, while "Start Movin'" was re-released to capitalize on the band's exposure from Guitar Hero III The same year, the band gained some interest from Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, though no deal went through.
Let No One Fall EP and recent events (2009–present)
In 2009, WWE used "Start Movin'" in promotional spots for SummerSlam 2009SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
and later included the song in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 , is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's, and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , Wii, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the eleventh video game in the WWE SmackDown vs...
in-game soundtrack. The band began working on new songs after deciding against using previous material. The band entered pre-production of their new album in May and began recording in June with producer Chris "Frenchie" Smith
Chris "Frenchie" Smith
Chris "Frenchie" Smith , is a Grammy-nominated American record producer, guitarist, rock 'n' roll musician, and songwriter.- Biography :...
. It was during this time that bassist Sutcliffe departed the band and was replaced my Mike Sellman for recording. Lions invited Scott Lucas
Scott Lucas (musician)
David Scott Lucas, born May 10, 1970, is best known for being the singer and guitar/bass player, as well as the only remaining original member, of the post-grunge band Local H....
of Local H to write with them, eventually writing the song "Screaming Out," while they were sent a demo from Vaden Todd Lewis
Vaden Todd Lewis
Vaden Danger Todd Lewis is the singer/guitarist for Toadies, a post-grunge band from Fort Worth, Texas. Lewis was also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Dallas-based Burden Brothers.-With Burden Brothers:...
, of the Toadies, that they reworked into "Poster Child."
The resulting EP, entitled Let No One Fall, was released on November 23, 2009, in the UK through Maybe Records. The EP received generally positive reviews. Reviewing the EP for Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
, Tim Newbound stated that it was "a wicked slab of bare-bones rock." Malcolm Dowe of Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
states that they "prove that grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
can be given a fresh twist, bringing in daubs of Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
and [Queens of the Stone Age]." Lions later supported Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
and Karma to Burn
Karma to Burn
Karma to Burn, sometimes known as K2B, is a desert rock/stoner metal band from Morgantown, West Virginia comprising guitarist William Mecum, bassist Rich Mullins, and drummer Rob Oswald...
on their UK tour in December, making Let No One Fall available for free download to coincide with the tour. Drenik also launched his side project Battleme
Battleme
Battleme is the moniker and band of American musician and Lions singer Matt Drenik. It was started as a creative outlet to other projects Drenik was involved in during 2009.-Career:...
, contributing the song "Burn This Town" the to second series finale of Sons of Anarchy as well as the series soundtrack Sons of Anarchy: Shelter - EP. He would later, in 2010, contribute a cover of Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's "Hey Hey, My My
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
"Hey Hey, My My " is a rock song by Neil Young. Combined with its acoustic counterpart "My My, Hey Hey ", it bookends Young's successful 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps...
" for the Sons of Anarchy third series finale and soundtrack Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone. In 2010, Lions performed at SXSW '10, and later performed one show in Austin, Texas in October, with Drenik focusing on his side project Battleme stating "I'm guessing we'll do a lot of back-and-forth [between bands]."
Musical style and influences
In an interview with SpinnerSpinner (website)
Spinner is an AOL Music property, which bills itself as "the ultimate music blog for free MP3s, free CD listening, [and] discovering new artists."...
, Matt Drenik described the band's sound as "heavy riff-rock" that was "more in the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
vein than in the metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
vein." Guitarist Austin Kalman described Lions sound, in Total Guitar
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
, as "the halfway point between straight rock 'n' roll and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and metal." Jason Bennett, if Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with New Times Media early in 2006. In 2009 the paper was...
, describes that band's music as "a ferocious blend of fuzz, sweat and riffs, with a slinky Southern groove holding it all together." In an article for Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, Katie Hasty states that Lions "[combine] '70s hard rock and psych elements [...] with buzzing, stoner
Stoner rock
Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
guitar rifts and Drenik's strong wail." Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
writer Christopher Henderson states that "Lions are the Eagles of death metal
Eagles of Death Metal
Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre...
, had they spent an entire adolescent summer with Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
's "In My Head," or Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...
for people who drink domestic beer." Eric Allen of Real Detroit Weekly
Real Detroit Weekly
Real Detroit Weekly is a weekly newspaper distributed free of charge every Wednesday, that focuses mainly on entertainment news from Hollywood and the metro Detroit nightclub scene...
has describe the band's sound as "a heavy blend of metal, psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and hard rock that would make the former torchbearers of the genre happy."
Drenik has cited influences from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, while guitarist Kalman cites Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Elliot Smith, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which ...
music as influences on his playing. The band have also seen their music compared to Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Nebula
Nebula (band)
Nebula was a psychedelic stoner rock band, formed by guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano after departing from Fu Manchu in 1997. Rob Oswald later replaced Ruben Romano on drums in 2007....
and Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu (band)
Fu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who released their debut single "Kept Between Trees" in 1990. They have been featured on compilations put together by Tony Hawk and ESPN's X Games, and invited to perform on the US television program Monster Garage...
among others.
Band members
Current members- Matt Drenik – lead vocals, guitar
- Austin Kalman – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Sellman – bass, backing vocals (2009–present)
- Jake Perlman – drums
Former members
- Trevor Sutcliffe – bass (2005–2009)
Discography
Studio albums- No Generation (2007)
EPs
- Volume One (2006)
- Let No One Fall (2009)