Dead Poetic
Encyclopedia
Dead Poetic was a post-hardcore
band from Dayton, Ohio
. They were signed to Tooth & Nail until 2008 when the band went on hiatus and the label dropped them. Their third album, Vices was released Halloween of 2006. It features vocal contributions by Chino Moreno
of the band Deftones
. Their best-of album, The Finest, was released on November 20, 2007.
, which was released by Tooth & Nail subsidiary Solid State Records
, and single "August Winterman." Their second release, 2004's New Medicines
, heightened the band's profile considerably, however. Produced by Aaron Sprinkle
(Emery
, Acceptance
), the album's sales were buoyed by the title track, which became a hit on MTV2
and Fuse TV
. On these first two albums, music critics had a hard time classifying the band's music: genres from emo
to post-hardcore
to alternative rock
were all tossed around with little consensus.
in the fall of 2004 and essentially imploded shortly thereafter. Personal disagreements within the band caused bassist Chad Shellabarger, drummer Josh Shellabarger, and guitarist Todd Osborn to all depart the band, and Dead Poetic appeared to be a thing of the past. But remaining members Brandon Rike (vocals) and Zach Miles (guitar) began playing with accomplished drummer Jesse Sprinkle
(formerly of Poor Old Lu
and Demon Hunter; also the brother of producer Aaron Sprinkle
) and their passion for music reignited. Beloved
alums Dusty Redmon (guitar) and John Brehm (bass) came on board to round out the new, revamped version of Dead Poetic.
, Rike said, "There is no way I could get myself to scream on a song anymore. I'm just past it.". Though originally scheduled for a July 18 release, the release date for Vices was pushed back to October 31, with "Narcotic" chosen as the lead single. Dead Poetic was scheduled to tour with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
in fall 2007, but backed out of those dates in mid-October 2006.
On November 25, 2006, Absolutepunk.net reported that Brandon Rike had left Dead Poetic and the remaining members had decided not to continue with the band. Though the band initially posted a message on their MySpace
page in December 2006 stating they were still active, most fans eventually assumed the band had indeed broken up because of the band's noticeable lack of touring. Guitarist Dusty Redmon
confirmed the band's disbanding on absolutepunk.net
in September 2007: "When Brandon left the band back in October (before "Vices" came out), a lot of big stuff was going on. We had great tour plans, a batch of new songs we were in to, and just kind of a new sense of freshness about the band. Brandon had been sort of "over it" for a long time, and just sort of picked a bad time to bail. He loves doing design, and being hang-out-at-home-type of husband, which is cool. I kind of called "NOT IT" when it came to making an announcement, but I guess so did everyone else. T&N put a lot of initial money into the record, only to see the band fall apart before the release, causing them to basically drop the entire promotion campaign. Sorry to those who were led on by thinking we were still active. Jesse is recording, Brandon is designing, John is tattooing, Zach just had a new baby, and I'm playing in The Almost
."
On November 16, 2007, Brandon Rike posted a blog on MySpace
that contained a long description, written by Brandon Rike himself, on why it's been so hard to keep the band together. In the blog, Rike focused on issues such as his marriage, Dusty Redmon
playing for The Almost
, tours that they missed, among other things. He also mentioned that their best-of album, The Finest hits stores on November 20, 2007. In this blog Rike stated, he has announced that Zach, Jesse, and himself plan to record a new record after The Finest without any plans of going on tour. As of November 16, 2007, this announcement may be viewed at www.deadpoetic.com underneath the banner which reads "DEAD POETIC IS NOT DEAD."
As of October 20, 2008, Dead Poetic has been removed off of the artists list on the official website of Tooth & Nail Records. Inside the cover of their newest album The Finest Brandon Rike made a statement that they are no longer going to be touring so he can stay home with his wife. He said that the band is planning on releasing one more brand new album, but despite these claims, the band has not released any public statements since 2008. The band has remained inactive since. As of April 2009, the Dead Poetic website has been taken down. Currently, the website redirects to the band's MySpace page.
Former
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band from Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. They were signed to Tooth & Nail until 2008 when the band went on hiatus and the label dropped them. Their third album, Vices was released Halloween of 2006. It features vocal contributions by Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
of the band Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
. Their best-of album, The Finest, was released on November 20, 2007.
Formation
Dead Poetic was first formed when members Zach Miles, Brandon Rike, and Chad Shellabarger were at the age of 13. Josh Shellabarger was then 15. The band formed in their local Church, and each taught themselves. Their first show was at the three teenagers' Middle School's annual "Talent Show."1997–2002
The band first garnered attention in the underground music scene following the release of their first full-length record Four Wall BlackmailFour Wall Blackmail
Four Wall Blackmail is Dead Poetic's debut full length album, released in 2002 through Solid State Records.-Track listing:-Writing credits:All music written by Dead Poetic.All lyrics written by Brandon RikeExcept...
, which was released by Tooth & Nail subsidiary 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,...
, and single "August Winterman." Their second release, 2004's New Medicines
New Medicines
- Writing Credits :All music written by Dead Poetic.All lyrics written by Brandon Rike.- Personnel :* Brandon Rike - vocals* Zach Miles - Guitar* Chad Shellabarger - Bass* Josh Shellabarger - drums* Todd Osborn - Guitar...
, heightened the band's profile considerably, however. Produced by Aaron Sprinkle
Aaron Sprinkle
Aaron Sprinkle is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Career:His career in music began in high school with a group called BellBangVilla. BellBangVilla became Poor Old Lu and they released a number of albums . Aaron Sprinkle also sang and played...
(Emery
Emery (band)
Emery is an American four-piece post-hardcore band from Rock Hill, South Carolina currently signed to both Tooth & Nail Records and Solid State Records and based in Seattle, Washington. Emery was founded in Rock Hill, South Carolina with the original lineup consisting of Toby Morrell, Devin...
, Acceptance
Acceptance (band)
Acceptance was an alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1998. They released their first EP, Lost for Words, in 2000, followed by Black Lines to Battlefields in 2003...
), the album's sales were buoyed by the title track, which became a hit on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
and Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
. On these first two albums, music critics had a hard time classifying the band's music: genres from emo
Emo (music)
Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace...
to post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
to alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
were all tossed around with little consensus.
2002–Mid 2004
After the release of New Medicines, Dead Poetic went on tour in support of Demon HunterDemon 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...
in the fall of 2004 and essentially imploded shortly thereafter. Personal disagreements within the band caused bassist Chad Shellabarger, drummer Josh Shellabarger, and guitarist Todd Osborn to all depart the band, and Dead Poetic appeared to be a thing of the past. But remaining members Brandon Rike (vocals) and Zach Miles (guitar) began playing with accomplished drummer Jesse Sprinkle
Jesse Sprinkle
Jesse Sprinkle is a singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and rapper. His musical career started as a drummer alongside his brother Aaron Sprinkle in the Christian alternative rock group Poor Old Lu. After Poor Old Lu amicably disbanded, Jesse moved to New York where he married...
(formerly of Poor Old Lu
Poor Old Lu
Poor Old Lu was a pioneering alternative Christian band based in the American Northwest. The band experimented with a variety of sounds and genres, particularly grunge, funk and psychedelic rock. The band consisted of Scott Hunter with the vocals, Jesse Sprinkle as the drummer for the band, Aaron...
and Demon Hunter; also the brother of producer Aaron Sprinkle
Aaron Sprinkle
Aaron Sprinkle is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Career:His career in music began in high school with a group called BellBangVilla. BellBangVilla became Poor Old Lu and they released a number of albums . Aaron Sprinkle also sang and played...
) and their passion for music reignited. Beloved
Beloved (band)
Beloved was an American post-hardcore band from Greensboro and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.-Band history:Beloved formed in the fall of 1999. The original members all attended East Forsyth High School in Kernersville, NC from 1996-2000. They played local shows in the surrounding areas of...
alums Dusty Redmon (guitar) and John Brehm (bass) came on board to round out the new, revamped version of Dead Poetic.
2004–Late 2006
For their third album, Vices, the band once again enlisted Aaron Sprinkle to produce the album, but this time, the band eschewed the screaming that had been one of the hallmarks of their earlier style. In an interview with CCM MagazineCCM Magazine
CCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
, Rike said, "There is no way I could get myself to scream on a song anymore. I'm just past it.". Though originally scheduled for a July 18 release, the release date for Vices was pushed back to October 31, with "Narcotic" chosen as the lead single. Dead Poetic was scheduled to tour with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that formed in Middleburg, Florida.-Early years :Originating in Florida, childhood friends Ronnie Winter, Thomas Amason, and Duke Kitchens started the band while attending an AP music theory class, in 2003...
in fall 2007, but backed out of those dates in mid-October 2006.
On November 25, 2006, Absolutepunk.net reported that Brandon Rike had left Dead Poetic and the remaining members had decided not to continue with the band. Though the band initially posted a message on their 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....
page in December 2006 stating they were still active, most fans eventually assumed the band had indeed broken up because of the band's noticeable lack of touring. Guitarist Dusty Redmon
Dusty Redmon
Dustin Wesley Redmon is an American guitarist primarily known for playing in Alternative rock band The Almost and former guitarist and songwriter for Beloved and Dead Poetic...
confirmed the band's disbanding on absolutepunk.net
AbsolutePunk.net
AbsolutePunk is a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate . The website mainly focuses on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it has been known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, including Fall...
in September 2007: "When Brandon left the band back in October (before "Vices" came out), a lot of big stuff was going on. We had great tour plans, a batch of new songs we were in to, and just kind of a new sense of freshness about the band. Brandon had been sort of "over it" for a long time, and just sort of picked a bad time to bail. He loves doing design, and being hang-out-at-home-type of husband, which is cool. I kind of called "NOT IT" when it came to making an announcement, but I guess so did everyone else. T&N put a lot of initial money into the record, only to see the band fall apart before the release, causing them to basically drop the entire promotion campaign. Sorry to those who were led on by thinking we were still active. Jesse is recording, Brandon is designing, John is tattooing, Zach just had a new baby, and I'm playing in The Almost
The Almost
The Almost is an American alternative rock band from Clearwater, Florida, formed in 2005, and is most notable for being the side project of former Underoath drummer, Aaron Gillespie.-History:...
."
December 2006–April 2009
Dead Poetic has stated that they plan to continue writing music, and to fulfill their existing contract with Tooth & Nail Records; such plans have gone unfulfilled, however. On October 30, 2007, Jesse Sprinkle posted a MySpace bulletin reiterating that the band was still indeed together. "Contrary to popular opinion and the mighty Wikipedia, Dead Poetic has not broken up. We are still a band indeed....we figured we'd post it to the public....we assure you that Dead Poetic is alive." He went on to say that the band's label, Tooth and Nail, would be releasing a "Best Of" album for Dead Poetic in the near future, and that the band hopes to start writing songs for a new record very soon. The "Best Of" album was since released, but despite all such claims of producing new music, the band has remained inactive since.On November 16, 2007, Brandon Rike posted a blog on 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....
that contained a long description, written by Brandon Rike himself, on why it's been so hard to keep the band together. In the blog, Rike focused on issues such as his marriage, Dusty Redmon
Dusty Redmon
Dustin Wesley Redmon is an American guitarist primarily known for playing in Alternative rock band The Almost and former guitarist and songwriter for Beloved and Dead Poetic...
playing for The Almost
The Almost
The Almost is an American alternative rock band from Clearwater, Florida, formed in 2005, and is most notable for being the side project of former Underoath drummer, Aaron Gillespie.-History:...
, tours that they missed, among other things. He also mentioned that their best-of album, The Finest hits stores on November 20, 2007. In this blog Rike stated, he has announced that Zach, Jesse, and himself plan to record a new record after The Finest without any plans of going on tour. As of November 16, 2007, this announcement may be viewed at www.deadpoetic.com underneath the banner which reads "DEAD POETIC IS NOT DEAD."
As of October 20, 2008, Dead Poetic has been removed off of the artists list on the official website of Tooth & Nail Records. Inside the cover of their newest album The Finest Brandon Rike made a statement that they are no longer going to be touring so he can stay home with his wife. He said that the band is planning on releasing one more brand new album, but despite these claims, the band has not released any public statements since 2008. The band has remained inactive since. As of April 2009, the Dead Poetic website has been taken down. Currently, the website redirects to the band's MySpace page.
Band members
Final line-up- Brandon RikeBrandon RikeBrandon Travis Rike is a full-time designer. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio.-Dead Poetic:Brandon Rike has been in the band Dead Poetic for several years. The band was formed at a local church in 1997. Rike has designed all of the band's t-shirts. Dead Poetic has released three albums...
- lead vocalist - Zach Miles - lead guitar/ back up vocals
- Jesse SprinkleJesse SprinkleJesse Sprinkle is a singer, songwriter, drummer, guitarist, and rapper. His musical career started as a drummer alongside his brother Aaron Sprinkle in the Christian alternative rock group Poor Old Lu. After Poor Old Lu amicably disbanded, Jesse moved to New York where he married...
- drums (former drummer of Poor Old LuPoor Old LuPoor Old Lu was a pioneering alternative Christian band based in the American Northwest. The band experimented with a variety of sounds and genres, particularly grunge, funk and psychedelic rock. The band consisted of Scott Hunter with the vocals, Jesse Sprinkle as the drummer for the band, Aaron...
, Demon HunterDemon HunterDemon 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...
, Serene UK), many more.
Former
- Dusty RedmonDusty RedmonDustin Wesley Redmon is an American guitarist primarily known for playing in Alternative rock band The Almost and former guitarist and songwriter for Beloved and Dead Poetic...
- guitar (2005–2006) (Currently in The AlmostThe AlmostThe Almost is an American alternative rock band from Clearwater, Florida, formed in 2005, and is most notable for being the side project of former Underoath drummer, Aaron Gillespie.-History:...
) - John Brehm - bass guitar (2005–2006)
- Chad Shellabarger - bass guitar (1997-Fall 2004)
- Josh Shellabarger - drums (1997-Fall 2004)
- Todd Osborn - guitar (2001-Fall 2004)
Discography
- Invasion EP (1999) - Independent
- Song EP (2001) - Independent
- Four Wall BlackmailFour Wall BlackmailFour Wall Blackmail is Dead Poetic's debut full length album, released in 2002 through Solid State Records.-Track listing:-Writing credits:All music written by Dead Poetic.All lyrics written by Brandon RikeExcept...
(2002) - Solid State RecordsSolid State RecordsSolid 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,... - New MedicinesNew Medicines- Writing Credits :All music written by Dead Poetic.All lyrics written by Brandon Rike.- Personnel :* Brandon Rike - vocals* Zach Miles - Guitar* Chad Shellabarger - Bass* Josh Shellabarger - drums* Todd Osborn - Guitar...
(2004) - Solid State RecordsSolid State RecordsSolid 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 and Nail Records - Vices (2006) - Tooth and Nail Records
- The Finest (2007) - Tooth and Nail Records
Music videos
- August Winterman (Four Wall Blackmail) -2002
- New Medicines (New Medicines) -2004
- Narcotic (Vices) -2006