Oh, Sleeper
Encyclopedia
Oh, Sleeper is an American metalcore
band from Fort Worth, Texas
and is signed to Solid State Records
. They have recorded three full-length albums to date, the most recent being their third album Children of Fire
, released on September 6, 2011.
got together with former Evelynn and Between the Buried and Me
guitarist Shane Blay and former Terminal bassist Lucas Starr (who was at the time with As Cities Burn
). Eventually they found a vocalist in Micah Kinard and began practicing. The four members experienced typical problems of a band start-up (no place to practice, no money and different schedules), but the biggest obstacle was finding the final member. Countless awkward auditions failed to fill the missing position, until long time friend and fellow Terminal member James Erwin was found. After his addition to the lineup, the band released an EP, titled The Armored March, through 1x1 music.
, was released on October 23, 2007. On December 28, 2007, Oh, Sleeper performed at the Plano Centre in Plano, Texas along with the briefly reunited Terminal. Oh, Sleeper also supported Demon Hunter
on their tour, along with Living Sacrifice
, Advent
, and The Famine
. The tour in support of Norma Jean
was drummer Ryan Conley's last with the band.
and God
. The first single from the record was the title track, "Son of the Morning" and later in the year, Oh, Sleeper played the entire album for the first time in Waco Texas at Art Ambush.
The cover of Son of the Morning is known as a "broken pentagram". The symbol was designed by Ryan Clark
of Demon Hunter
and it follows the same pattern as a pentagram with the horns missing. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #120 and also charted at #46 on the Rock Albums chart, at #7 on the Christian Albums chart and at #12 on the Hard Rock Albums chart.
James Erwin explains in an interview that the new album takes place after "Son of the Morning" and follows the life of a Priest and his atheist daughter. The album is a spin on the rapture and explores how people would react in end times. At the beginning of the record, the Priest takes the role of judge now that he thinks God is dead and follows the daughter's path of finding God throughout the record.
on passage 5:14; which reads: "Because of this, it is said: 'You who are sleeping: awaken, and rise up from the dead,and so Christ enlighten you.' "
Former members
EPs
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...
band from Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and is signed to Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
. They have recorded three full-length albums to date, the most recent being their third album Children of Fire
Children of Fire
Children Of Fire is the third album by American metalcore band, Oh, Sleeper. It was released on September 6, 2011, in the United States through Solid State Records.-Concept:...
, released on September 6, 2011.
Formation and The Armored March EP
Oh, Sleeper was founded in April 2006 after former member, Ryan Conley, of the short-lived rock band TerminalTerminal (band)
Terminal was an American rock band from Mansfield, Texas.-History:Formed in 1998 under the name Letter Twelve, the group signed to Tooth & Nail Records in 2004 and changed its name. The band's first, and only, release under this name was entitled How the Lonely Keep, and in 2005 they went on tour...
got together with former Evelynn and Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have released a total of five studio albums, as well as a cover album, an EP and a live DVD/CD...
guitarist Shane Blay and former Terminal bassist Lucas Starr (who was at the time with As Cities Burn
As Cities Burn
As Cities Burn was an indie/post hardcore band from Mandeville, Louisiana that formed in 2002 and broke up in 2009.-Early beginnings and Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest :...
). Eventually they found a vocalist in Micah Kinard and began practicing. The four members experienced typical problems of a band start-up (no place to practice, no money and different schedules), but the biggest obstacle was finding the final member. Countless awkward auditions failed to fill the missing position, until long time friend and fellow Terminal member James Erwin was found. After his addition to the lineup, the band released an EP, titled The Armored March, through 1x1 music.
When I Am God
The band signed with Solid State Records in the summer of 2007. Their debut album, When I Am GodWhen I Am God
-Personnel:Oh, Sleeper*Micah Kinard - lead vocals, programming*Shane Blay - lead guitar, clean vocals*James Erwin - rhythm guitar*Lucas Starr - bass guitar*Ryan Conley - drums, percussionProduction*Produced by Andreas Lars Magnusson-External links:*...
, was released on October 23, 2007. On December 28, 2007, Oh, Sleeper performed at the Plano Centre in Plano, Texas along with the briefly reunited Terminal. Oh, Sleeper also supported Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. All of Demon Hunter's members are Christians and express their love for Jesus in many of their songs. Although the brothers created the band, only one remains, Don Clark...
on their tour, along with Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is a Christian heavy metal band that formed in September 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. The band has released seven studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson as a more thrash metal and death metal...
, Advent
Advent (band)
Advent was an American Christian Kernersville, North Carolina-based hardcore band and was signed to Solid State Records. The band featured members of Beloved, and was considered a pseudo-continuation of Beloved. The band had released two albums under the label Solid State Records...
, and The Famine
The Famine
The Famine was a heavy metal band that formed in 2007 in Arlington, Texas. The band was signed to Solid State Records.-Formation/3-song EP:The band initially formed with three of the original members of Embodyment in former lead vocalist Kris McCaddon, drummer Mark Garza and guitarist Andrew Godwin...
. The tour in support of Norma Jean
Norma Jean
Norma Jean may refer to:*Norma Jeane Mortenson, the given name of actress Marilyn Monroe*Norma Jean , a metalcore band from Douglasville, GA*Norma Jean , country music singer, nicknamed "Pretty Miss Norma Jean"...
was drummer Ryan Conley's last with the band.
Son of the Morning
Oh, Sleeper announced in early 2009 that they would release a new album entitled Son of the Morning, which was released on August 25. In an interview, Kinard stated that with this album, they wanted to combine crowd favorites such as "Vices Like Vipers" and "Charlatans Host" from the previous album in order to make Son of the Morning stay true to their sound and please the fans. The lyrics on this album are much more straightforward than on their debut wherein Son of the Morning is a concept album based on the final battle between the DevilDevil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
and God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. The first single from the record was the title track, "Son of the Morning" and later in the year, Oh, Sleeper played the entire album for the first time in Waco Texas at Art Ambush.
The cover of Son of the Morning is known as a "broken pentagram". The symbol was designed by Ryan Clark
Ryan Clark (musician)
Ryan Clark is an American graphic designer and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Demon Hunter, which he co-founded with his brother, guitarist Don Clark.-Early life and career:...
of Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter
Demon Hunter is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. All of Demon Hunter's members are Christians and express their love for Jesus in many of their songs. Although the brothers created the band, only one remains, Don Clark...
and it follows the same pattern as a pentagram with the horns missing. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at #120 and also charted at #46 on the Rock Albums chart, at #7 on the Christian Albums chart and at #12 on the Hard Rock Albums chart.
Children of Fire
In a Solid State (Oh, Sleeper's record label) podcast, it was announced that the band would be releasing a new album in 2011. This new album will be called "Children of Fire," as announced on stage by the band at Micah's birthday show in Dallas, Texas on Friday, April 15, 2011. On August 2nd, Oh, Sleeper released "Endseekers", their first single from the album. The song "Hush Yael" was uploaded to their Facebook page on the August 23, 2011. Children of Fire was released digitally on September 6, 2011. The album was released physically in stores on September 27.James Erwin explains in an interview that the new album takes place after "Son of the Morning" and follows the life of a Priest and his atheist daughter. The album is a spin on the rapture and explores how people would react in end times. At the beginning of the record, the Priest takes the role of judge now that he thinks God is dead and follows the daughter's path of finding God throughout the record.
Band name
In an interview, vocalist Micah Kinard stated that the band's name was derived from the Epistle to the EphesiansEpistle to the Ephesians
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, often shortened to Ephesians, is the tenth book of the New Testament. Its authorship has traditionally been credited to Paul, but it is considered by some scholars to be "deutero-Pauline," that is, written in Paul's name by a later author strongly influenced by...
on passage 5:14; which reads: "Because of this, it is said: 'You who are sleeping: awaken, and rise up from the dead,and so Christ enlighten you.' "
Members
Current members- Shane Blay - lead guitar, clean vocals (2006–present)
- James Erwin - rhythm guitar (2006–present)
- Micah Kinard - lead vocals, additional guitars, programming (2006–present)
- Zac Mayfield - drums (2010–present)
- Nate Grady - bass guitar (2011–present)
Former members
- Ryan Conley - drums (2006–2008)
- Matt Davis - drums (2009–2010)
- Lucas Starr - bass guitar (2006–2011)
Discography
| Year | Title | Label | Chart peaks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Rock | US Hard Rock | |||
| 2007 | When I Am God When I Am God -Personnel:Oh, Sleeper*Micah Kinard - lead vocals, programming*Shane Blay - lead guitar, clean vocals*James Erwin - rhythm guitar*Lucas Starr - bass guitar*Ryan Conley - drums, percussionProduction*Produced by Andreas Lars Magnusson-External links:*... |
Solid State Solid State Records Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,... |
- | 19 | - | - |
| 2009 | Son of the Morning Son of the Morning Son of the Morning is the second studio album by American metalcore band Oh, Sleeper. It was released on August 25, 2009, through Solid State Records.-Background and concept:... |
120 | 7 | 46 | 12 | |
| 2011 | Children of Fire Children of Fire Children Of Fire is the third album by American metalcore band, Oh, Sleeper. It was released on September 6, 2011, in the United States through Solid State Records.-Concept:... |
142 | – | 32 | 1 |
EPs
- The Armored March (2006, 1x1)
Music videos
- "We Are The Archers" - The Armored March (2006)
- "Vices Like Vipers" - When I Am God (2007)
- "Son of The Morning" - Son of The Morning (2009)
- "The Finisher" - Son of The Morning (2009)