Prayer for Cleansing
Encyclopedia
Prayer for Cleansing was a vegan straight edge
metalcore
band from Raleigh, North Carolina
with elements of hardcore punk
and melodic death metal
.
(guitar), Dennis Lamb (guitar), Will Goodyear (drums) and Marc Duncan (bass) formed in 1996, going through numerous member changes up until 1997. In 1999 they signed to Tribunal Records
, releasing their first and by far most popular album, The Rain In Endless Fall. Shortly before the album was released, Dennis Lamb left the band, being replaced by James Chang of Undying, and later Tommy Rogers
. In 2000 the band broke up after an automobile accident which totaled their new touring van. The band performed two reunion shows, the first being on March 13, 2003 at the Tremont Music Hall
in Charlotte, North Carolina
in front of nearly one thousand fans from as far away as Mexico
. The second show was at the 2003 Hellfest music festival, held in Elizabeth, New Jersey
.
Prayer for Cleansing's music continued to grab attention however. 2003 saw a re-mixed and re-mastered version of The Rain in Endless Fall released on Tribunal Records, including new artwork. In 2004, Prayer for Cleansing's second album, The Tragedy, was released as a joint label CD/7" by Southern Empire Records, Surprise Attack Records and War Torn Records. The Tragedy featured re-recordings of three songs previously unavailable on an official release (though all three had been widely available in mp3 form), including their popular cover of The Cranberries
song "Salvation". In 2004, straight edge distributor Seventh Dagger Records
released The Rain in Endless Fall on vinyl. The band remains inactive as of today.
/metalcore
band Between the Buried and Me
(Marc Duncan left before the band recorded anything and Will Goodyear left after their first album). Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner were both members of Undying, playing drums and guitar, respectively. Tommy Rogers was also the singer for Tribunal Records label mates From Here On. Dennis Lamb went on to play guitar for Azazel, also a Tribunal Records band (with future Between the Buried and Me members Jason King and Nick Fletcher) and has recorded with the Austrian band Der Blutharsch. David Anthem now runs a vegan coffee shop in Philadelphia, The Grindcore House.
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
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...
with elements of 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...
and melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
.
Biography
The band, consisting of David Anthem (vocals), Paul WaggonerPaul Waggoner
Paul Waggoner is the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band, Between the Buried and Me from North Carolina. Being an avid fan of progressive rock, he is heavily influenced by John Petrucci, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai. He formerly played guitar in the metalcore band, Prayer...
(guitar), Dennis Lamb (guitar), Will Goodyear (drums) and Marc Duncan (bass) formed in 1996, going through numerous member changes up until 1997. In 1999 they signed to Tribunal Records
Tribunal Records
Tribunal Records is a North Carolina-based record label that launched in the summer of 1999 by founder Matthew Rudzinski. They have recorded and produced with bands such as Animosity, Scarlet, He Is Legend, Woe of Tyrants, Killwhitneydead, and Atreyu....
, releasing their first and by far most popular album, The Rain In Endless Fall. Shortly before the album was released, Dennis Lamb left the band, being replaced by James Chang of Undying, and later Tommy Rogers
Tommy Giles Rogers Jr.
Tommy Giles Rogers is an American musician, most notable for being the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and founding member of the American heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me...
. In 2000 the band broke up after an automobile accident which totaled their new touring van. The band performed two reunion shows, the first being on March 13, 2003 at the Tremont Music Hall
Tremont Music Hall
Tremont Music Hall is a music venue located near downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.The name is based on its address 400 West Tremont Ave. Most shows are all-ages, but the venue has a full service bar serving beer and liquor...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
in front of nearly one thousand fans from as far away as 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...
. The second show was at the 2003 Hellfest music festival, held in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
.
Prayer for Cleansing's music continued to grab attention however. 2003 saw a re-mixed and re-mastered version of The Rain in Endless Fall released on Tribunal Records, including new artwork. In 2004, Prayer for Cleansing's second album, The Tragedy, was released as a joint label CD/7" by Southern Empire Records, Surprise Attack Records and War Torn Records. The Tragedy featured re-recordings of three songs previously unavailable on an official release (though all three had been widely available in mp3 form), including their popular cover of The Cranberries
The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
song "Salvation". In 2004, straight edge distributor Seventh Dagger Records
Seventh Dagger Records
Seventh Dagger Records is a straight edge independent record label releasing largely, but not solely, hardcore and metalcore albums. It was founded in 2001 and based in Creedmoor, North Carolina....
released The Rain in Endless Fall on vinyl. The band remains inactive as of today.
Further Projects
Tommy Rogers, Paul Waggoner, Marc Duncan and Will Goodyear went on to play in the Raleigh, North Carolina progressive mathcoreMathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
/metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have released a total of five studio albums, as well as a cover album, an EP and a live DVD/CD...
(Marc Duncan left before the band recorded anything and Will Goodyear left after their first album). Tommy Rogers and Paul Waggoner were both members of Undying, playing drums and guitar, respectively. Tommy Rogers was also the singer for Tribunal Records label mates From Here On. Dennis Lamb went on to play guitar for Azazel, also a Tribunal Records band (with future Between the Buried and Me members Jason King and Nick Fletcher) and has recorded with the Austrian band Der Blutharsch. David Anthem now runs a vegan coffee shop in Philadelphia, The Grindcore House.
Line-up
- David Anthem - vocalist
- Paul WaggonerPaul WaggonerPaul Waggoner is the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band, Between the Buried and Me from North Carolina. Being an avid fan of progressive rock, he is heavily influenced by John Petrucci, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai. He formerly played guitar in the metalcore band, Prayer...
- guitarist - Tommy RogersTommy Giles Rogers Jr.Tommy Giles Rogers is an American musician, most notable for being the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and founding member of the American heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me...
- guitarist 1999-2000 - Will Goodyear - drummer
- Marc Duncan - bassist
- Dennis Lamb - guitarist 1997-1999
- Jimmy Chang - guitarist 1999, bassist for reunion shows
Discography
| Year of release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Rain In Endless Fall | Tribunal Records Tribunal Records Tribunal Records is a North Carolina-based record label that launched in the summer of 1999 by founder Matthew Rudzinski. They have recorded and produced with bands such as Animosity, Scarlet, He Is Legend, Woe of Tyrants, Killwhitneydead, and Atreyu.... |
| 2004 | The Tragedy | War Torn Records/Southern Empire Records Southern Empire Records Southern Empire Records is a Metalcore record label began in 2004 by David Anthem, the lead singer of NC hardcore band, Prayer For Cleansing and ex-Undying bassist and roadie, Jonathan Raine and Chris Gannon. The label released the re-recorded Prayer for Cleansing EP, "The Tragedy", in the summer... /Surprise Attack Records Surprise Attack Records Surprise Attack Records, sometimes called SA Mob is an independent record label based in Philadelphia, although the bands are from Miami, Elkview, Erie, and even Adelaide, Australia... |