Amen (band)
Encyclopedia
Amen is a hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

-influenced band formed in 1994.

The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos
Casey Chaos
Casey Chaos is the frontman and guitarist of punk rock band Amen. After numerous line-up changes he is the only remaining founding member of the band. He is known for his energetic stage performance...

 remaining as the only constant member throughout. Chaos writes all the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

 and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...

, and performs all vocals and instruments (bar drums, since the album Amen) for studio recordings.

They are particularly popular in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and have previously been voted "Overall Best Band in the World" and "Best Live Band in the World" by readers 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...

magazine. Amen is known for their live shows and singles "Coma America", "Price of Reality" and "California's Bleeding". Casey Chaos also received a Grammy for co-writing the best Hard Rock song of the year. He also recently fronted the Damned at their 30th anniversary show in London at the 100 club. A CD and DVD of the show is rumoured for release this year.

History

Casey Chaos started his first band, Disorderly Conduct, as a teen. They released a vinyl Amen and the Atrocity demo, played several gigs and became fairly well known around the hardcore punks of the Eastern United States. Disorderly Conduct split up when Casey moved away from Florida at around the age of 17 or 18. Chaos had previously filled in live on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 with deathrock
Deathrock
Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...

 legends Christian Death
Christian Death
Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....

 at some of the band's reunion tour shows in 1993, playing in place of original bassist James McGearty. The following year in the basement of his Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 home, playing all instruments himself, Chaos released an EP under the name "Amen".

During 1995, Chaos released a full length album under the Amen name, called Slave, on Drag U La Records. The release was initially limited to 2000 copies.

Members join Chaos

Around 1994, Chaos met Paul Fig through the L.A. music scene, and they formed a partnership. In the following months and years, the band expanded including former members of the band Snot; drummer Shannon Larkin
Shannon Larkin
Shannon Larkin, born James Shannon Larkin on April 24, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, is a musician best known for being the drummer of the heavy metal band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002...

, guitarist Sonny Mayo
Sonny Mayo
Sonny Mayo is an American guitarist, songwriter, and music producer. He began playing in a thrash metal band called Silence in the late '80's. Silence , regularly sold out venues in the DC Metro area including the famous "Bayou" in Georgetown...

 and bassist John Fahnestock
John Fahnestock
Jonathan Fahnestock AKA Tumor is best known as the bass player for Snot, he later played in Amen and Noise Within. Released an album with Lo-Pro and in 2005 he formed Three Thirteen Merch, a clothing outlet...

. Amen were signed to Ross Robinsons' "I AM Records" an imprint though the heavy metal label 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:...

.

Following the release of their eponymous album in September 1999, the band were set to tour 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 December. This did not happen; Chaos and the band blamed a last-minute withdrawal of funding shortly prior to departure for the failure. Following this incident, Amen and Roadrunner Records went their separate ways.

We Have Come For Your Parents

In 2000 Amen embarked on writing a new album,entitled We Have Come For Your Parents, which subsequently became the bands most successful album. The album released three singles; "The Price Of Reality", which had a controversial video to go with it.'Too Hard to Be Free' and The Waiting 18'. The music is, as always, based on 'metal based punk', while the lyrics concentrated on sociopolitical issues such as being treated badly by a/your employer ("In Your Suit"), the cold-bloodedness of popularity ("CK Killer") and religion ("Mayday"). We Have Come For Your Parents was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser is a Canadian record producer, engineer, and mixer. Mike is best known for his work with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani...

.

Death Before Musick

Chaos was helped out by friend Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...

, whom he had met while both Amen and Malakian's band System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...

 were touring Australia as part of the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...

 music festival. Amen were the first band signed to Malakian's EatUrMusic label, and became the label's only release, Death Before Musick.

SCUM

In 2004 Casey Chaos formed the punk/black metal supergroup "SCUM
SCUM (band)
Scum is a hardcore punk/black metal band formed in 2002 with members from Amen, Emperor, Zyklon and Turbonegro. All members are Norwegian except for American vocalist Casey Chaos...

" featuring Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...

 from the band Emperor
Emperor (band)
Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...

, Samoth
Samoth
Samoth is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He was well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon...

 from the band Zyklon
Zyklon
Zyklon is the German word for Cyclone.It may also refer to:* Zyklon, a Norwegian industrial blackened death metal band.* Zyklon B, a pesticide ultimately used by Nazi Germany in gas chambers...

 and Happy Tom from the band Turbonegro
Turbonegro
Turbonegro is a Norwegian punk rock band that was initially active from 1989 to 1998, and later reformed in 2002. Their style combines glam rock, punk rock and hard rock into a style the band describes as "deathpunk"....

.
They released their debut album, Gospels for the Sick, in 2005 to critical acclaim. It was nominated in Norway for an Alarm Award, the equivalent to the American Grammy.

New album

At the last few shows the band played during 2005 they performed a couple of new songs. A new band lineup was recently revealed at the Angry Brigade website and plans for a tour of Europe seem to be in the works. New songs were also previewed in the 2007 shows, such as "Blood on the subway" and "Diplomatic heart attack"

2007 UK tour

The 2007 UK tour ran from October–November 2007, at venues all over the UK. The highlight of the tour was a gig at Camden Underworld, in London, for Paul Raven from Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...

, who died on 20 October 2007. He was one of the first to express interest in Amen. Tour support came from $peedranch, who Casey has recently recorded a new album with, under the name Grindhaller XXX.

Where the former band members are now

  • Shannon Larkin
    Shannon Larkin
    Shannon Larkin, born James Shannon Larkin on April 24, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, is a musician best known for being the drummer of the heavy metal band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002...

     - Now plays drums in Godsmack
    Godsmack
    Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...

     and Another Animal
    Another Animal
    Another Animal is a hard rock supergroup formed by members of Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox.-History:During the writing sessions of IV by Godsmack, lead singer Sully Erna encountered writer's block so Tony Rombola, Shannon Larkin, and Robbie Merill went to the studio and recorded music. After...

    .
  • Sonny Mayo
    Sonny Mayo
    Sonny Mayo is an American guitarist, songwriter, and music producer. He began playing in a thrash metal band called Silence in the late '80's. Silence , regularly sold out venues in the DC Metro area including the famous "Bayou" in Georgetown...

     - After leaving Amen he joined Hed PE, then Sevendust
    Sevendust
    Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...

    , joined and then again left the reformed Snot
    Snot (band)
    Snot was an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California. Formed in 1995, the band released their debut studio album Get Some with founding vocalist Lynn Strait in 1997 and disbanded after his death in 1998. In 2008, the lineup of guitarists Mike Doling and Sonny Mayo, bassist John Fahnestock...

    .
  • John Fahnestock
    John Fahnestock
    Jonathan Fahnestock AKA Tumor is best known as the bass player for Snot, he later played in Amen and Noise Within. Released an album with Lo-Pro and in 2005 he formed Three Thirteen Merch, a clothing outlet...

     - Released an album with the band Lo-Pro
    Lo-Pro
    Lo-Pro is an American five-piece hard rock band. They released a self-titled album in 2003. However, after touring in support of the album, they were dropped from the Geffen record label. The band then spent years working on new material, and streaming many new songs on their Myspace...

     in 2003, and is now the bass player in Noise Within. He has since rejoined Amen, and the reformed Snot
    Snot (band)
    Snot was an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California. Formed in 1995, the band released their debut studio album Get Some with founding vocalist Lynn Strait in 1997 and disbanded after his death in 1998. In 2008, the lineup of guitarists Mike Doling and Sonny Mayo, bassist John Fahnestock...

    , although the reformation has officially ended .
  • Rich Jones
    Rich Jones
    Rich Jones is an English guitarist born in Coventry in 1973. He has since lived and played music in Toronto, Vancouver, and Los Angeles before settling in London, England....

     - Went on to play in The Yo-Yos with ex-Wildheart Danny McCormack, and now plays in Sorry and the Sinatras
    Sorry and the Sinatras
    Sorry and the Sinatras are a punk rock influenced hard rock band based in both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and London, United Kingdom, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has been composed of Scott Sorry , Dave Kerr , Rich Jones and Lenny Thomas...

    , The Loyalties and also for Ginger of The Wildhearts
    The Wildhearts
    The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...

    .
  • Scott Sorry
    Scott Sorry
    Scott Sorry is an American musician best known as the bass player for The Wildhearts. As well as playing with The Wildhearts, Sorry has his own group, Sorry and the Sinatras, and has played with Amen and Brides of Destruction.-Amen :After playing in a variety of punk bands in hiladelphia, Scott...

     - Now plays bass in The Wildhearts
    The Wildhearts
    The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...

     and fronts Sorry and the Sinatras
    Sorry and the Sinatras
    Sorry and the Sinatras are a punk rock influenced hard rock band based in both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and London, United Kingdom, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has been composed of Scott Sorry , Dave Kerr , Rich Jones and Lenny Thomas...

    .
  • Acey Slade
    Acey Slade
    Acey Slade, , is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Acey Slade & The Dark Party. Previous to this he was the lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk rock band Trashlight Vision, which broke up September 12, 2007...

     - Fronts his own band, The Dark Party, and plays bass for Joan Jett
    Joan Jett
    Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...

    .
  • Joe Letz
    Joe Letz
    Lives in New York City; Joe Letz is the drummer for Combichrist and has in the past played drums for Amen, Mortiis, Wednesday 13, Genitorturers, Hanzel und Gretyl, Imperative Reaction and Emigrate . Joe is well known for his very expressive and engaging style of drumming that has earned him...

     - Currently plays live drums for Combichrist
    CombiChrist
    Combichrist is a Norwegian Aggrotech band formed in 2003 by Norwegian Andy LaPlegua based in Atlanta.-Formation:The first material LaPlegua wrote was a few powernoise/techno crossover tracks under the moniker DRIVE...

    . He also has played drums for Genitorturers
    Genitorturers
    The Genitorturers are an industrial metal/industrial rock band from the United States, with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band".-History:...

     and as a touring drummer with Wednesday 13
    Wednesday 13
    Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...

    .
  • Jinxx = Went on to play guitar and violin for The Dreaming
    The Dreaming (US band)
    The Dreaming is a rock band in the Hollywood area founded in 2002 by Johnny Haro and Christopher Hall, former lead singer of the band Stabbing Westward.-Biography:...

    . He now plays guitar and violins for Black Veil Brides
    Black Veil Brides
    Black Veil Brides is an American rock band based out of Hollywood, California. The group is composed of Andrew Biersack , Ashley Purdy , Jake Pitts , Jinxx , and Christian "CC" Coma...

    .

Albums

  • Slave - (1994, Drag-U-La Records)
  • Amen - (1999, 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:...

    )
  • We Have Come For Your Parents
    We Have Come for Your Parents
    We Have Come for Your Parents is Amen's second "official" album, produced by Ross Robinson and was released via Virgin Records. The album was mixed and engineered by Mike Fraser at The Warehouse in Vancouver, BC.-Album information:...

    - (2000, Virgin Records
    Virgin Records
    Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

    )
  • Death Before Musick
    Death Before Musick
    Death Before Musick by Amen was released on EatUrMusic/Columbia/Sony on 18 May 2004. The album, like the band's previous records, belongs to the hardcore and punk genres and draws on heavy metal as influence.-Track listing:All tracks by Casey Chaos...

    - (2004, EatUrMusic/Columbia
    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...

    )

Compilations and boxsets

  • Join, Or Die - (2003, Refuse Music)
  • Pisstory, A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime of Mistakes
    Pisstory
    Pisstory, A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime of Mistakes: A 4 CD boxset, including music from Casey Chaos at age 12 until the Death Before Musick album.Only 2500 copies of this boxset have been released, all hand-numbered.- Track listing :...

    - (2005, Refuse Music)

Singles

  • "Coma America"- (2000, 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:...

    )
  • "The Price Of Reality" - (2001, Virgin Records
    Virgin Records
    Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

    )
  • "Too Hard To Be Free" - (2001, Virgin Records
    Virgin Records
    Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

    )
  • "The Waiting 18" - (2001, Virgin Records
    Virgin Records
    Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

    )
  • "California's Bleeding" - (2004, EatUrMusic/Columbia
    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...

    )

External links

  • http://www.officialcaseychaos.com Casey Chaos' Official Website
  • http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/caseychaos Casey Chaos Boxset (Pisstory: A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime Of Mistakes)
  • http://www.scumband.com SCUM Official Website
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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