As Cities Burn
Encyclopedia
As Cities Burn was an indie/post hardcore band from Mandeville, Louisiana
that formed in 2002 and broke up in 2009.
, a subsidiary of Tooth and Nail Records which signed them in 2004.
They released their first full length album, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest
on June 21, 2005, and was featured in Solid State's Young Bloods Tour with The Chariot
, Showbread
, and He Is Legend
. In 2006 they toured with The Bled
, Protest The Hero
and Sincebyman
. They held two CD release shows for this album: June 21 at Covington in Louisiana, LA and June 22 at Vinos in Little Rock, AR.
Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest had mostly a post-hardcore sound. The album contained heavy screaming by front man TJ Bonette, with back-up vocals from his younger brother Cody Bonnette. A dark, dramatic, and emotional sound was consistent throughout the record. "The Widow" (clean vocals by Cody) was a hint of what As Cities Burn would later sound like without the screaming of TJ.
in New Orleans, LA. However, soon afterwards the band decided they would remain together and record a new album.
In summer 2006, on what was to be their last tour, they parted ways with bassist Pascal Barone, shortly after their announcement that they were staying together. For the remainder of the tour they performed with Robert Chisolm, singer of the band Jonezetta
. After the tour they returned home to record a new album, with current guitarist, Colin Kimble playing bass.
On December 17 (midnight of December 16), the band released a demo on MySpace and PureVolume of a new track from their upcoming album, which they recorded in early 2007. It surprised fans due to its complete lack of screaming, which had been the dominant vocal style on their previous releases. The change of vocal styling was a result of TJ Bonnette, As Cities Burn's original vocalist with a screaming style, leaving the band in pursuit of building his relationship with his wife, who lived three hours away. Guitarist Cody, who had sung the clean vocals previously, took over vocals entirely. TJ played one final show with As Cities Burn at the end of January in 2007 at the Highground venue in Metarie.
As Cities Burn spent February and March 2007 recording their newest album. On April 12, 2007, As Cities Burn released the title of their second album, Come Now Sleep. The album was released August 14, 2007. On June 8 at 12:00 AM, the song "This Is It, This Is It" was posted on their MySpace and PureVolume profile. On July 2, a second song, "Empire", was added onto their PureVolume page. From August 7 to August 9, the album was made available for streaming on the band's MySpace account. On August 14, 2007, Come Now Sleep hit the shelves.
In an interview in HM Magazine, Cody Bonnette stated, "The dream is to never break up, eventually start to suck more and more, and fade away." However, on July 15, 2009, As Cities Burn announced on their MySpace page that they had broken up. They released the following statement:
Cody Bonnette and Aaron Lunsford have started a new band called Hawkboy, and are currently touring with Emery in the We Do What We Want Tour. Their sets involve covering As Cities Burn's music, as well a few new originals. Hawkboy has recently recorded a free EP which can be downloaded on iTunes, or accessed through their Facebook page.
no MySpace page has been set up, but they do have a Facebook fan page up, as well as a Twitter account.
EPs
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
that formed in 2002 and broke up in 2009.
Early beginnings and Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest (2002–2006)
As an unsigned act, the group drew the attention of Solid State RecordsSolid 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,...
, a subsidiary of Tooth and Nail Records which signed them in 2004.
They released their first full length album, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest
Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest
Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest is the first full-length studio album released by As Cities Burn in June 2005. It is Christian-themed and uses dark imagery to characterize humanity.-Allusions:...
on June 21, 2005, and was featured in Solid State's Young Bloods Tour with 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...
, Showbread
Showbread (band)
Showbread is an American Christian rock band originating in Guyton, Georgia. More specifically, the band lives in a small community within Guyton called Marlow. They formed in 1997. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes since its formation but maintains its two founding members, Josh...
, and He Is Legend
He Is Legend
He Is Legend is a hard rock band formed in Wilmington, North Carolina who signed to Tragic Hero Records in 2009. The band consists of vocalist front man Schuylar Croom, guitarist Adam Tanbouz, drummer Steven Bache, bassist Matt Williams....
. In 2006 they toured with 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...
, Protest The Hero
Protest the Hero
Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario. Originally named Happy Go Lucky, the band line-up has remained the same since their formation in 1999. The band changed their name to Protest the Hero shortly before releasing their debut EP, Search for the Truth, in 2002...
and Sincebyman
Sincebyman
Sincebyman was a five-piece band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin founded in 1999. Their debut full length album, "We Sing The Body Electric", was released on November 30, 2002. This was followed by "A Love Hate Relationship" , a 4 song EP, and "Pictures From the Hotel Apocalypse" their final full...
. They held two CD release shows for this album: June 21 at Covington in Louisiana, LA and June 22 at Vinos in Little Rock, AR.
Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest had mostly a post-hardcore sound. The album contained heavy screaming by front man TJ Bonette, with back-up vocals from his younger brother Cody Bonnette. A dark, dramatic, and emotional sound was consistent throughout the record. "The Widow" (clean vocals by Cody) was a hint of what As Cities Burn would later sound like without the screaming of TJ.
Hiatus and Come Now Sleep (2006–2008)
On June 10, 2006, the band announced the end of As Cities Burn, but in early July — after an outpouring of support from fans — decided to remain together. The band's final concert was to be on August 19, 2006 at the House of BluesHouse of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in New Orleans, LA. However, soon afterwards the band decided they would remain together and record a new album.
In summer 2006, on what was to be their last tour, they parted ways with bassist Pascal Barone, shortly after their announcement that they were staying together. For the remainder of the tour they performed with Robert Chisolm, singer of the band Jonezetta
Jonezetta
Jonezetta was an indie band from Clinton, Mississippi, which has released an EP and two full-length albums since their formation in 2002.- History :Jonezetta formed when its four members were still in high school...
. After the tour they returned home to record a new album, with current guitarist, Colin Kimble playing bass.
On December 17 (midnight of December 16), the band released a demo on MySpace and PureVolume of a new track from their upcoming album, which they recorded in early 2007. It surprised fans due to its complete lack of screaming, which had been the dominant vocal style on their previous releases. The change of vocal styling was a result of TJ Bonnette, As Cities Burn's original vocalist with a screaming style, leaving the band in pursuit of building his relationship with his wife, who lived three hours away. Guitarist Cody, who had sung the clean vocals previously, took over vocals entirely. TJ played one final show with As Cities Burn at the end of January in 2007 at the Highground venue in Metarie.
As Cities Burn spent February and March 2007 recording their newest album. On April 12, 2007, As Cities Burn released the title of their second album, Come Now Sleep. The album was released August 14, 2007. On June 8 at 12:00 AM, the song "This Is It, This Is It" was posted on their MySpace and PureVolume profile. On July 2, a second song, "Empire", was added onto their PureVolume page. From August 7 to August 9, the album was made available for streaming on the band's MySpace account. On August 14, 2007, Come Now Sleep hit the shelves.
Hell or High Water (2008–2009)
In spring of 2008, As Cities Burn posted in a bulletin on MySpace that they would be at home writing the new album. They recorded the album in summer of 2008. On September 7, 2008, they posted another bulletin that they were "about three weeks" from completing the new record. It was also said to "expect more of the direction (they) began heading in with Come Now Sleep," and that Cody, and their friend Tyler Orr were recording the record almost entirely by themselves. On January 2, 2009, the band posted a new recording entitled "Gates" on their MySpace page, which was a song the band had played numerous times at the end of live sets. On January 10, at their Texas show, they debuted "'84 Sheepdog". On March 30, "'84 Sheepdog" was posted on their MySpace page. Starting April 2, a new track was posted every Monday up to the release of the album. The songs posted were "Into the Sea", "Pirate Blues", and "Errand Rum". The Hell or High Water album was released on April 21.In an interview in HM Magazine, Cody Bonnette stated, "The dream is to never break up, eventually start to suck more and more, and fade away." However, on July 15, 2009, As Cities Burn announced on their MySpace page that they had broken up. They released the following statement:
New projects
Chris Lott went on to play guitar for Twin Killers.Cody Bonnette and Aaron Lunsford have started a new band called Hawkboy, and are currently touring with Emery in the We Do What We Want Tour. Their sets involve covering As Cities Burn's music, as well a few new originals. Hawkboy has recently recorded a free EP which can be downloaded on iTunes, or accessed through their Facebook page.
no MySpace page has been set up, but they do have a Facebook fan page up, as well as a Twitter account.
Reunion
On August 30, 2011, As Cities Burn updated their Facebook status saying "Stay tuned for news regarding As Cities Burn." The band made a Twitter account shortly thereafter, through which they tweeted "Reunion show" followed by the hashtag #silyayd, which is an abbreviation for their album "Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest". Fans have assumed that this means a reunion show with the old lineup is in store for the band. They announced that they would be playing "Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest" in its entirety with TJ at Unsilent Night, a festival in Dallas, TX.Members
- Cody Bonnette – lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock... - Colin Kimble – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocals - Aaron Lunsford – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - Chris Lott – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals
Former members
- TJ Bonnette – screamed vocals, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Bryan Dixon – drums
- Pascal Barone – bass
Discography
Studio albums| Year | Title | Label | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 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... |
US Christian | 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... |
|||
| 2005 | Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest is the first full-length studio album released by As Cities Burn in June 2005. It is Christian-themed and uses dark imagery to characterize humanity.-Allusions:... |
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,... |
— | 19 | 32 |
| 2007 | Come Now Sleep | 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,... /Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today... |
135 | 5 | — |
| 2009 | Hell or High Water Hell or High Water (album) Hell or High Water is the third and final full-length album by Christian indie rock band As Cities Burn. According to a MySpace post, frontman Cody Bonnette and a friend of the band, Tyler Orr, recorded the album almost entirely themselves, In the small town of Cleveland Tennessee, on first street.... |
Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today... |
109 | 9 | — |
EPs
- 2002: As Cities Burn EP 2002As Cities Burn EP (2002)As Cities Burn EP is the first, self-titled release from the Mandeville, Louisiana post-hardcore band As Cities Burn.-Track listing:#"A Breath of Water" - 4:29#"Straight Aways to Get Away" - 3:26#"Far Too Long" - 5:07#"The Sickness of Your Memory" - 5:07...
- 2003: As Cities Burn EP 2003As Cities Burn EP (2003)As Cities Burn EP is the second, self-titled release from the Mandeville, Louisiana post-hardcore band As Cities Burn. The album is 3 demo versions of songs that would later be found on Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest...
- 2007: The EP