Alesana
Encyclopedia
Alesana is an American rock
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 Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

 and have released one EP and four full-length studio albums. The band gained a wide audience after their debut, On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax is the debut full length album by Alesana. It was originally released on June 6, 2006 by Tragic Hero Records, but when the band joined Fearless Records, it was re-released on March 20, 2007 with two bonus tracks, four live videos, and an interview with the newer label...

 was released, featuring a musical style shifting between light and heavy sounds along with a wide influence ranging to even classic rock bands such as 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...

. Their band name is derived from street named Aliceanna St., which is located in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

 where the group originated.

Formation and Try This with Your Eyes Closed (2004–2005)

Although the band's members first began playing together in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, Alesana officially formed in October 2004 in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 and was founded by Shawn Milke, Patrick Thompson, Dennis Lee, Steven Tomany and Daniel Magnuson. The name of the band is inspired from Aliceanna St., which Shawn Milke and Patrick Thompson lived on when playing in Baltimore, MD. Aliceanna St. is located in Fells Point, a neighborhood in Baltimore. Alesana was the first band to join Tragic Hero Records in 2005, and their 3 demo songs titled "Apology", "Beautiful in Blue" and "Goodbye, Goodnight for Good" were featured on the compilation All The Tragedy Money Can Buy. In May 2005 they released their debut EP, Try This With Your Eyes Closed
Try This With Your Eyes Closed
Try This with Your Eyes Closed is the first release by the rock band Alesana. It was recorded during February of 2004 with all of Alesana's original members released during mid 2005 through Tragic Hero Records. Milke produced and mastered every song....

. Alesana toured in the United States, including an appearance at the Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...

. In the same year Daniel Magnuson was replaced by Will Anderson.

On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax (2006–2007)

In 2006 the group added a new drummer Jeremy Bryan to replace Will Anderson and added guitarist/vocalist Adam Ferguson to their lineup. They followed with a full-length album, entitled On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax is the debut full length album by Alesana. It was originally released on June 6, 2006 by Tragic Hero Records, but when the band joined Fearless Records, it was re-released on March 20, 2007 with two bonus tracks, four live videos, and an interview with the newer label...

, produced by Kit Walters, during the summer of 2006. In late 2006 Alesana signed to Fearless Records
Fearless Records
Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...

, which re-released their LP in March 2007 to mixed reviews and released a music video for "Ambrosia". In the same year, the song "Apology" in an acoustic version was featured on the compilation release, Punk Goes Acoustic 2
Punk Goes Acoustic 2
Punk Goes Acoustic 2 is a compilation album included in the Punk Goes... series by Fearless Records that features previously unreleased and acoustic versions of songs from various pop punk bands. It follows the original Punk Goes Acoustic, which was released in 2003.-Track listing:...

. Later in the middle of the year, Steven Tomany left the band and was replaced by Shane Crump who had previously played bass for Your Name in Vain. The band played the entire Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

 2007 and 2010. In early 2008, On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax charted on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, peaking at #44.

Where Myth Fades to Legend (2008-2009)

In 2008 Alesana finished recording their second album, "Where Myth Fades to Legend
Where Myth Fades To Legend
Where Myth Fades to Legend is the second full-length studio album by Alesana, released through Fearless Records on June 3, 2008. The album was produced by Steve Evetts and recorded in Los Angeles, California....

". The album was released on June 3, 2008 but was leaked on popular torrent sites on May 25. Where Myth Fades to Legend is also the title of their headlining tour with Sky Eats Airplane
Sky Eats Airplane
Sky Eats Airplane was an American electronic post-hardcore band, formed in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2005. The band was signed to indie label Equal Vision Records and most recently released their self-titled full-length album through the label in July 2008....

, Our Last Night
Our Last Night
Our Last Night is a Post-Hardcore band, formed in 2004 by five members, consisting ofTrevor Wentworth , Matthew Wentworth , Alex "Woody" Woodrow , Colin Perry , Tim Molloy , who were "fed up with merely jamming and playing cover songs".-Early years :After a few lineup changes, the group was...

, Lovehatehero
LoveHateHero
LoveHateHero is a post-hardcore band from Burbank, California. They are signed to Ferret Records and have released three albums, Just Breathe in May 2005, White Lies in February 2007 and America Underwater in November 2009....

, and The Chariot
The Chariot (band)
The Chariot is an American mathcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, formed in 2003. The current lineup consists of drummer David Kennedy, bassist Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Brandon Henderson and Stephen Harrison. The band has experienced frequent...

. Shane Crump was recently revealed in the intro to Alesana's 4th video blog on PureVolume to be a vocalist on the new album. All the female vocals done on the band's albums are done by guitarist Shawn Milke's sister, Melissa.

On the 2008 Warped Tour, Shane Crump briefly left due to personal matters at home and Jake Campbell (Twelve Gauge Valentine
Twelve Gauge Valentine
Twelve Gauge Valentine is a southern post-hardcore band from Bastrop and Monroe, Louisiana, with their debut album Shock Value released on 3 October 2006. The band was initially supported by the Sound Vs...

 guitarist) became a temporary fill in-bassist. Upon Crump's return, Adam Ferguson and the band parted ways and Cambell became rhythm guitarist.

On January 20, 2009 the music video for "Seduction" was officially released and on March 10, 2009 the album Punk Goes Pop 2
Punk Goes Pop 2
Punk Goes Pop 2 is the eighth compilation album released from the Punk Goes... series created by Fearless Records to feature covers by various artists of pop songs, and is the eighth album in the series overall. It was released on March 9, 2009, in the United Kingdom, and March 10, 2009, in the...

 was released which includes Alesana's cover of "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake.

Alesana's Where Myth Fades to Legend has also charted on the Billboard 200 at #96 and on the Billboard Hard Rock Album at #13.

The Emptiness (2009-2010)

In late February, Shawn Milke announced Alesana had started writing new material for their upcoming album. They began recording their third studio album, in July 2009, in Portland, Oregon, with producer Kris Crummett. The album, according to Shawn Milke on The Rave TV, would be entitled "The Emptiness". The title "The Emptiness" has also been confirmed in a blog on the band's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

 profile. The band has made their progress in the studio viewable to fans through a Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 account and an official website run by the band themselves. In mid-July, Alesana had their Myspace profile edited by Justin Reich with pictures that according to Shawn, hint towards themes in the concept album; the photos show the band in fine suits holding bloody weapons inside an abandoned room, and a newspaper article with a headline "Alesana Unveils New Story This Winter."

Shawn Milke declared on August 19 via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

,

concluding the band's recording session, which began on July 10. Alesana then set out for North Carolina to rest before they began their Vs. tour, which they headlined and included the bands The Bled
The Bled
The Bled is a hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. The group formed in 2001, originally under the name "The Radiation Defiance Theory", but changed it because of its length...

, Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari are a British band, that combine post-hardcore with elements of various electronic genres, formed in 2003 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The band is named after a boat belonging to Roughton "Rou" Reynolds' uncle, and a character in a play which he wrote before forming the band, both of...

, Broadway, Madina Lake
Madina Lake
Madina Lake an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A in 2005.Madina Lake released their debut album From Them, Through Us, to You through Roadrunner Records on March 27, 2007...

, and Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria are a British metalcore band from York, North Yorkshire. Founded in 2008 when Ben Bruce contacted his old companions upon returning to the UK after residing in Dubai...

. On the Vs. tour, Alesana's set included two new songs titled "To Be Scared By An Owl" and "The Thespian". Soon after concluding their month long Vs. tour, Alesana headlined the "You'd Be Way Cuter in a Coffin" Tour with From First To Last
From First to Last
From First to Last was an American rock band based out of Los Angeles, originally hailing from Valdosta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. The band released their first EP titled Aesthetic in 2003 with vocalist Phillip Reardon, followed by Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count in 2004 and Heroine in...

, The Word Alive
The Word Alive
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2008, the band is currently signed to Fearless Records. Their 2009 label debut, Empire reached position 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009...

, Asking Alexandria, and Memphis May Fire
Memphis May Fire
Memphis May Fire is an American post-hardcore band currently based in Texas. Since its formation, the band has released two EPs and two full-length albums. Their music has been compared to Underoath and He Is Legend...

.

On October 15, Milke and Lee held a second interview with TheRave.tv where they revealed that they were shooting a music video in the fall for one song from The Emptiness. The two members went on to tell Linda, the interviewer, that due to their large fan base in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, they would be releasing a Spanish version of 2 of their songs. Milke also revealed that the album, The Emptiness, is to be released on January 26, 2010. The band finally released the track listing and cover art to the new album on November 10 on their Myspace blog On November 23, Alesana released their first recorded work off of The Emptiness, "To Be Scared By An Owl" and began to promote it as a single. The same week, they entered the studio to begin filming their third video which according to their website, is "The Thespian", the song was released on December 8, 2009. In 2009, the band won the Best Hardcore/Screamo Band at the Rock on Request Awards.

After the release of their music video for "The Thespian" on March 17, the band became less active and starting promoting the 2010 Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

, which they took part in at the end of June. Right before their first venue on the Warped Tour, guitarist Jake Campbell left the band to be with his family, and Alex Torres
Alex Torres
Alex Torres is an American guitarist, best known for being the guitarist of metalcore bands Eyes Set to Kill and Greeley Estates, and being the current guitarist of post-hardcore band Alesana.- Praisin' Bran :...

 of Greeley Estates took his place. The album debuted at #68 on the Billboard 200 making it their highest charting album.

July 22 of 2010, Shawn Milke posted a blog on the official Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...

 website regarding his constant desire to write scripts, stories and music; considering The Emptiness
The Emptiness (Alesana album)
Shawn Milke stated; "The Emptiness is an idea that my co-vocalist and co-creator Dennis Lee and I have had since the days of recording our first EP, Try This With Your Eyes Closed. We've spent our career thus far basing our songs and lyrics on the works of some of our favorite authors and...

 his 'first printed story'. Milke went on to say that he is constantly writing, and that new material for an Alesana album—as well as material for Wake Me Up, Juliet and Tempting Paris—was already being created.

The group announced a headlining tour entitled: Two Frail Weeks of Vanity and Wax, in which they would perform their debut album, On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax is the debut full length album by Alesana. It was originally released on June 6, 2006 by Tragic Hero Records, but when the band joined Fearless Records, it was re-released on March 20, 2007 with two bonus tracks, four live videos, and an interview with the newer label...

 in its entirety on each tour date of the tour along with stating that some songs would never be played again after the tour. The band stated that chosen VIP's will be involved within the testing of new tracks that are prepared to be included on their fourth studio album, which is going to be recorded in March 2011 with producer Kris Crummett
Kris Crummett
Kris Crummett is a Portland, OR based record producer who is largely associated with the label Rise Records. He is the owner and operator of Interlace Audio studio....

. On November 1, 2010, it was confirmed that Alesana signed to Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

. The band recently entered the studio to start recording their fourth album. However, the band stated on their Facebook Page that, though they have already titled the album, they will not reveal the title just yet.

A Place Where the Sun Is Silent (2011–present)

In the beginning of June 2011 the band finished the recording process of their fourth studio album. Alex Torres, Shane Crump, and Dennis Lee stated on twitter that the mixing is all done and that they have the master copy. The name of the album is A Place Where The Sun Is Silent
A Place Where the Sun Is Silent
-Personnel:Alesana*Shawn Milke - vocals, rhythm guitar, piano*Dennis Lee - Unclean vocals*Patrick Thompson - lead guitar, backing vocals*Jeremy Bryan - drums, custom percussion*Shane Crump - bass guitar, Unclean vocals*Alex Torres - lead guitar...

 and was released October 18th.

The new album thematizes "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri.

On August 24th, 2011 Alternative Press premiered the first song from the record, entitled "A Gilded Masquerade".

On September 20th, 2011, Buzznet.com started streaming another song, "A Forbidden Dance" on their website as part of a contest for a lyric video.

Upcoming Album (2012)

On November 5th, 2011, Shawn Milke confirmed after the "All Stars Show" at Soma San Diego, that Alesana will be releasing a new album which will "conclude" the three part trilogy of the bands 2 other recent albums. The timeline is as follows "A Place Where the Sun is Silent (2011)" is the prequel, "The Emptiness (2010)" is the next chapter and the final album will conclude the story. Shawn Milke continues to describe the final chapters of the new upcoming album as an amazing story and will "Blow The Minds" for the fans.

Members

Current members
  • Jeremy Bryan – drums (since 2005)
  • Shane Crump – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–2008; since 2008)
  • Dennis Lee – unclean vocals (since 2004)
  • Shawn Milke – clean vocals, rhythm guitar, piano (since 2004)
  • Patrick "Peezee" Thompson – lead guitar (since 2004)
  • Alex Torres
    Alex Torres
    Alex Torres is an American guitarist, best known for being the guitarist of metalcore bands Eyes Set to Kill and Greeley Estates, and being the current guitarist of post-hardcore band Alesana.- Praisin' Bran :...

     – lead guitar (since 2010)


Former members
  • Adam "Huckleberry" Ferguson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2005–2008)
  • Jake Campbell – lead guitar (2008–2010) bass guitar (2008)
  • Steven Tomany – bass guitar (2004–2007)
  • Will Anderson – drums (2005)
  • Daniel Magnuson – drums (2004–2005)


Timeline

Member Album Instrument
Try This with Your Eyes Closed On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax Where Myth Fades to Legend The Emptiness A Place Where the Sun Is Silent
Shawn Milke Vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Dennis Lee Vocals
Pat Thompson Lead guitar
Jeremy Bryan Drums
Shane Crump Bass guitar, vocals
Alex Torres Lead guitar
Jake Campbell Lead guitar
Adam Ferguson Rhythm guitar, vocals
Steven Tomany Bass guitar
Daniel Magnuson Drums

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album Chart positions
Billboard 200
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...

Top Heatseekers
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...

Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...

2006 On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax
On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax is the debut full length album by Alesana. It was originally released on June 6, 2006 by Tragic Hero Records, but when the band joined Fearless Records, it was re-released on March 20, 2007 with two bonus tracks, four live videos, and an interview with the newer label...


  • Released: June 6, 2006
  • Label: Tragic Hero
    Tragic Hero Records
    Tragic Hero Records is a record label founded in Raleigh, North Carolina in March 2005 to represent the growing hardcore punk and harder wave of music in North Carolina. The label was founded by Tommy Lacombe, David Varnedoe and Jason Ganthner. Alesana was the first band the label signed...

     (reissued on Fearless
    Fearless Records
    Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...

    )
44
2008 Where Myth Fades to Legend
Where Myth Fades To Legend
Where Myth Fades to Legend is the second full-length studio album by Alesana, released through Fearless Records on June 3, 2008. The album was produced by Steve Evetts and recorded in Los Angeles, California....


  • Released: June 3, 2008
  • Label: Fearless
    Fearless Records
    Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...

96 11
2010 The Emptiness
  • Released: January 26, 2010
  • Label: Fearless
    Fearless Records
    Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...

68 11
2011 A Place Where the Sun Is Silent
A Place Where the Sun Is Silent
-Personnel:Alesana*Shawn Milke - vocals, rhythm guitar, piano*Dennis Lee - Unclean vocals*Patrick Thompson - lead guitar, backing vocals*Jeremy Bryan - drums, custom percussion*Shane Crump - bass guitar, Unclean vocals*Alex Torres - lead guitar...


  • Released: October 18, 2011
  • Label: Epitaph
    Epitaph Records
    Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...

55 13


EPs
Date of release Title Label
June, 2005 Try This with Your Eyes Closed
Try This With Your Eyes Closed
Try This with Your Eyes Closed is the first release by the rock band Alesana. It was recorded during February of 2004 with all of Alesana's original members released during mid 2005 through Tragic Hero Records. Milke produced and mastered every song....

Tragic Hero

Videography

Year Title Album Director
2007 "Ambrosia" On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax Jeremy Jackson
2008 "Seduction" Where Myth Fades To Legend Scott Hansen
2010 "The Thespian" The Emptiness Stephen Penta
2011 "Circle VII: Sins of the Lion" A Place Where the Sun Is Silent Shawn Milke
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