Devolved (band)
Encyclopedia
Devolved is a technical death metal
band originally from the Gold Coast
, Australia
but based in Los Angeles
, California
since 2005. Led by founding member John Sankey the band has so far released three full-length albums with a fourth studio album scheduled for 2012, and toured throughout Australia
, Europe
, North America
, UK and Japan
.
The band's live performances included a light show that featured heavy use of strobe lighting. After a fan suffered an epileptic seizure during a performance, Devolved was given a court order requiring a warning about the possible dangers of this effect to be included on all the band's promotional material including advertising and even album artwork.
Shortly after the release of Technologies, Devolved was voted Australian Metal Band of the Year by both listeners and staff of radio network Triple J. Roadrunner Records affiliated magazine 'Outsider' also judged Technologies as the Australian metal album of the year and John Sankey as best metal drummer.
In early 2002, Wayde Dunn joined on bass. The group then embarked on an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, Japan, and Europe. In 2002 Devolved released an EP entitled Automation 001. Devolved also toured and performed during this time with high profile bands such as Machine Head
, Strapping Young Lad
, Opeth
, Arch Enemy, and Fear Factory
.
Devolved's second album Calculated was released in September 2004. Following the release, John Sankey, Brett Noordin, and Patrick Brown relocated Devolved to Los Angeles in early 2005 due to John Sankey's commitments with Divine Heresy
and various other ongoing projects which included contributing a song to the Roadrunner All-Stars album.
Devolved recruited Los Angeles-based singer Kyle Zemanek and the band embarked on various American tours and began work on the next studio album. Devolved signed to Unique Leader Records in early 2009 and re-released the Calculated album internationally. This new version was released world-wide on January 19, 2010.
Devolved's third full-length LP Oblivion, was released world-wide on May 24, 2011. John Sankey continues to be the driving force behind the band and sole original member since the departure of Brett Noordin, who returned to Australia in 2010.
John Sankey recently announced he will be writing all the music, lyrics and arrangements for a new studio album to be released in 2012, and will collaborate with Florida-based guitarist Mark Hawkins who will be playing all the guitar tracks. Sankey was quoted "I will always continue writing and releasing new Devolved music. I started this band for the purpose of creating extreme, brutal music and this next album will be the most accomplished Devolved album to date!" John Sankey has not yet announced who be performing vocals on the next studio album but commented that Kyle Zemanek is no longer involved in the band.
The next Devolved release is set for 2012.
Technical death metal
Technical death metal is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Death, Atheist and Cynic...
band originally from the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
but based in 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...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
since 2005. Led by founding member John Sankey the band has so far released three full-length albums with a fourth studio album scheduled for 2012, and toured throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 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...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, UK and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
History
The band was formed by drummer John Sankey and guitarist Brett Noordin in 1996. In 2000, a demo titled Truth was recorded with a line-up consisting of Mark Walpole on guitar and bass player/vocalist Joel Graham. Nik Carpenter was added to the band on lead vocals and in 2001 Devolved released their debut album Technologies via Brisbane based label Modern Music.The band's live performances included a light show that featured heavy use of strobe lighting. After a fan suffered an epileptic seizure during a performance, Devolved was given a court order requiring a warning about the possible dangers of this effect to be included on all the band's promotional material including advertising and even album artwork.
Shortly after the release of Technologies, Devolved was voted Australian Metal Band of the Year by both listeners and staff of radio network Triple J. Roadrunner Records affiliated magazine 'Outsider' also judged Technologies as the Australian metal album of the year and John Sankey as best metal drummer.
In early 2002, Wayde Dunn joined on bass. The group then embarked on an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, Japan, and Europe. In 2002 Devolved released an EP entitled Automation 001. Devolved also toured and performed during this time with high profile bands such as Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
, Arch Enemy, and Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
.
Devolved's second album Calculated was released in September 2004. Following the release, John Sankey, Brett Noordin, and Patrick Brown relocated Devolved to Los Angeles in early 2005 due to John Sankey's commitments with Divine Heresy
Divine Heresy
Divine Heresy is an American metal band formed by founder of Fear Factory, guitarist Dino Cazares and Devolved, drummer John Sankey. Although the band's origins trace back to 2002, Divine Heresy was officially formed in 2006...
and various other ongoing projects which included contributing a song to the Roadrunner All-Stars album.
Devolved recruited Los Angeles-based singer Kyle Zemanek and the band embarked on various American tours and began work on the next studio album. Devolved signed to Unique Leader Records in early 2009 and re-released the Calculated album internationally. This new version was released world-wide on January 19, 2010.
Devolved's third full-length LP Oblivion, was released world-wide on May 24, 2011. John Sankey continues to be the driving force behind the band and sole original member since the departure of Brett Noordin, who returned to Australia in 2010.
John Sankey recently announced he will be writing all the music, lyrics and arrangements for a new studio album to be released in 2012, and will collaborate with Florida-based guitarist Mark Hawkins who will be playing all the guitar tracks. Sankey was quoted "I will always continue writing and releasing new Devolved music. I started this band for the purpose of creating extreme, brutal music and this next album will be the most accomplished Devolved album to date!" John Sankey has not yet announced who be performing vocals on the next studio album but commented that Kyle Zemanek is no longer involved in the band.
The next Devolved release is set for 2012.
Studio Albums
- 2001: Technologies (MGM Australia, Copro Records)
- 2004: Calculated (Sony, Modern Music)
- 2010: Calculated [Re-Release] (Unique Leader Records)
- 2011: Technologies [10 Year Re-Release]
- 2011: Oblivion (Unique Leader Records)
Videography
- 'Distorted' (2001)
- 'Vex' (2004)
- 'Fractured' (2009)
- 'Wrethed Eyes Of God' (2011)
Current members
- John Sankey - Drums, Lyrics, Samples and all arrangements (1996-present)
- Hal Berkstresser - Bass, Samples (2008-present)
- Mark Hawkins - Guitars (2011-present)
Former/Touring members
- Kyle Zemanek - Vocals (2005-2011)
- Anthony Sabatino - Samples (2008-2011)
- Brett Noordin - Guitars, Lyrics (1996-2010)
- Nik Carpenter − Vocals (1999-2005)
- Joel Graham − Bass, Vocals (1997-2002)
- Mark Walpole − Guitar (1997-2003)
- Wayde Dunn - Bass (2002-2005)
- Patrick Brown − Samples, Keyboards (2004-2008)
- Brett Carpio - Guitars (2005-2008)
- Leighton Kearns - Bass (2005-2008)