454 Big Block was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 metalcore

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 Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

.

History

454 Big Block was formed by four members of the recently disbanded Boston Hardcore

Boston hardcore

Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. (Not to be confused with Boston metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore; itself an...

 band Wrecking Crew. The last track of 454 Big Block's second (and final) album was a re-recording of the Wrecking Crew song "Why Must They?"

Record label Century Media

Century Media Records

Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...

 had been in talks with Wrecking Crew before the band changed its sound and reformed as 454 Big Block. Originally vocalist Elgin James decided not to join the new project, but when the band's new vocalist didn't last for long, James changed his mind.

The band released two albums, one for Century Media Records

Century Media Records

Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...

, the other for Big Wheel Recreation

Big Wheel Recreation

Big Wheel Recreation was an independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in the fall of 1994 by Rama Mayo and Richard P. Cummings. Started as a hobby, Big Wheel became a fully functioning record label in 1999...

, and toured with Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...

, Clutch

Clutch (band)

Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...

, Deadguy

Deadguy

Deadguy was a metalcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.-History:Formed in 1994, Deadguy took inspiration from bands like Unsane and Today is the Day. The band took their name from a line in the John Candy movie, Only the Lonely,...

, Bloodlet

Bloodlet

Bloodlet 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 Earth Crisis

Earth Crisis

Earth Crisis is an American metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Their most recent record, To the Death, was released in May 2009 through Century Media....

 before breaking up. The group's performances were known to attract a violent audience.

In 1998, three members (James, Baltulonis and Garcia-Rivera) formed another band named The World Is My Fuse. As they began to focus their efforts on the new band, 454 Big Block came to an end.

Band Members

Elgin James

Elgin James

Elgin James is a filmmaker, musician and a former member of Friends Stand United , a Boston, Massachusetts area group in the early 1990s. FSU has been classified by several law enforcement agencies as a gang, a distinction that James and FSU deny....

 - Vocals (1995–1998)

James was a founding member of 454 Big Block. He had originally replaced Glenn Dudley as the frontman for Wrecking Crew before that group disbanded. He was well known in Boston at the time as the founder of the militant Straight Edge

Straight edge

Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...

 gang FSU

Friends stand united

Friends Stand United is a national organization in the United States which is classified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a street gang, a distinction that FSU members deny...

. After 454 Big Block broke up, he went on to front the bands The World Is My Fuse (with Baltulonis and Garcia-Rivera) and Jaded Salingers, play guitar with Righteous Jams

Righteous Jams

Righteous Jams, which was formed by Joey Cardona and Jesse Standhard in 2002 as Invasion, is a Boston, Massachusetts-based straight edge hardcore punk band. Only one demo was released under the name Invasion before the group was renamed Righteous Jams in 2003, following the addition of Elgin James...

, and release a folk-punk solo album. Today he is as a filmmaker.

Dean Baltulonis - Guitar (1995–1998)

Baltulonis was a founding member of 454 Big Block, previously playing with Wrecking Crew and Eye For An Eye (with Kevin Norton). His next band was The World Is My Fuse with James and Garcia-Rivera. He currently produces records at Wild Arctic studio in Queens

Queens

Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

, New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Ralph Dinunzio - Guitar (1995–1997)

Dinunzio was a founding member of 454 Big Block, previously playing with Wrecking Crew. He quit while the band was touring for the second album.

Nick Kean - Bass (1995–1996)

Kean was a founding member of 454 Big Block. He quit the band before they recorded the second album.

Taras Hrabec - Drums (1995–1996)

Hrabec was a founding member of 454 Big Block, previously playing with Wrecking Crew. He quit the band before they recorded the second album.

Alex Garcia-Rivera - Drums (1996–1998)

Garcia-Rivera recorded drums for the band's second album and toured afterward. His next band was The World Is My Fuse with James and Garcia-Rivera. Later, he played in the bands Get High, Good Clean Fun

Good Clean Fun

Good Clean Fun is a hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. who took their band name from the Descendents song of the same name.-History:...

, Saves the Day, Give Up the Ghost

Give Up the Ghost

Give Up the Ghost was a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Give Up the Ghost was formed when Tim Cossar and Wesley Eisold met up with Azy Relph and Jesse Van Diest in 1998...

, Avoid One Thing, Bars, and Bloodhorse

Bloodhorse

Bloodhorse is a metal band from Boston, Massachusetts that formed late 2005. In 2007 they signed with Translation Loss Records and released their debut record "EP" in July of the same year.-Biography:...

. Today he is a recording engineer. He had previously been in the bands Kingpin and Shelter.

Kevin Norton - Bass (1996–1997)

Norton joined before the band recorded their second album. He was previously in Eye For An Eye (with Dean Baltulonis). He left the band to move to California where he joined Straight Faced.

Jeff Caxide

Jeff Caxide

Jeff Caxide is an American bassist, best known for his time with post-metal band Isis, of which he was a founding member and present until its dissolution in 2010. He was also a founding member of Red Sparowes, but left after the release of their first full-length. He also contributed to...

 - Bass (1997–1998)

Caxide joined while the band was touring the second album. Afterward he joined the band Isis

Isis

Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...

, then founded the bands Red Sparowes

Red Sparowes

Red Sparowes is a Los Angeles post-rock band comprising current and former members of Isis, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced experimental rock, with an otherwise uncommon extensive use of a pedal steel guitar.-History:Red Sparowes...

and Cable.

Mike Hill - Guitar (1997–1998)

Hill joined while the band was touring the second album. He was previously in the band Otis, and later founded and fronted Tombs.

Discography

Albums

• Your Jesus (1995) Century Media Records
• Save Me From Myself (1997) Big Wheel Recreation

Singles

• "Down" (4-Track Limited Edition Red 7" EP) Big Wheel Recreation (1997)

Compilations

• Identity 2 ("Dead Inside") Century Media Records (1995)
• Identity?! Songs Of Hatred ("Held Down") Century Media Records (1995)
• Bloodlines - The Seeds of Rebellion Century Media Records ("Held Down") (1996)
• Skaters Have More Fun ("Your Jesus") EFA Imports (1996)
• Ten Years Later...The Comp ("Repentance") Bossa Nova Records (1997)
• They Came From Massachusetts ("Born Human") Big Wheel Recreation (1999)

Filmography

Documentaries

• Release (1998)
• Boston Beatdown: See the World Through Our Eyes - Volume II (2004)

Music Videos

• "Born Human"