The Red Chord
Encyclopedia
The Red Chord is an American grindcore
band from Revere, Massachusetts
, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors
. The second album, Clients
, was released in 2005 and sold over 50,000 copies in the U.S. They released their third album, Prey for Eyes
in 2007, which sold in between 4,000 and 5,000 copies and debuted at No. 198 on the Billboard 200
chart. Their latest album, 2009's Fed Through the Teeth Machine
, debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200
chart.
The Red Chord has released four studio albums, toured in North America
, Europe
, and Japan
.
in 1999 by vocalist Guy Kozowyk and guitarist Kevin Rampelberg. One year later, the band was joined by second guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Adam Wentworth and drummer Mike Justian. The band's name is derived from Alban Berg
's opera Wozzeck
, in which a schizophrenic man slits his lover's throat, then reverts to his normal self and asks, "My love, what is that red cord across your neck?" The debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors
was recorded with producer Andrew Schneider in December 2001 and released by the Robotic Empire
record label. With the debut album, The Red Chord gained a substantial fanbase.
In early 2004, Wentworth and Justian announced their withdrawal from The Red Chord and the band found replacements in bassist Gregory Weeks and drummer Jon Dow. In April that year, The Red Chord toured with Six Feet Under
and others. The debut album was re-released with demo tracks, a full concert performance and the video clip for "Dreaming In Dog Years". In March, the band signed to Metal Blade. John Longstreth replaced Dow in May but exited in September. The Red Chord entered Planet Z Studios in Hadley, Massachusetts
on November 1, with Brad Fickeisen as a new drummer, and recorded their second album Clients
, which subsequently sold over 50,000 copies in the US.
2005 started with American tours and resumed on European tours in December. The band filmed a promotional video for the track "Antman" with director Dave Brodsky. The tour continued in North America through February 2006 until Ozzfest in June.
, was released on July 24. The group parted ways with Keller in early September and decided not to replace him.
The band's fourth album, Fed Through the Teeth Machine
, was recorded in early to mid-2009 in Milford, New Hampshire
, at Backyard Studios, which is owned by the band's former guitarist Jonny Fay. The album was released on October 27, 2009. Kozowyk says the new songs are more intense and mature than those the previous album. "It's faster and heavier, but it's definitely groove-oriented and melodic where it needs to be," he commented. Fed Through the Teeth Machine sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2010, the release was followed by a headlining tour in the U.S. Due to a volcano eruption on Iceland
, The Red Chord was forced to miss a co-headlining European "Machines Of Grind" tour with Aborted
and Rotten Sound
, who subsequently embarked on a "DIY Fuck The Volcano" tour without The Red Chord. The band later performed in Japan with Between the Buried and Me
. Drummer Michael Justian rejoined the band in February 2010, shortly after Fickeisen departed. Fickeisen commented his departure: "There is no easy way to go about leaving a busy band with plans in constant motion, but a little abruptly, I chose to depart from manning the kit for The Red Chord. I have had a great time for the past five years with these guys, and wouldn't exchange it for anything. Touring is tough; everyone who's done it knows that. (...) I want to thank Greg, Guy, and Mike, and wish them the best of luck in the future." A music video for "Demoralizer", that was filmed in late 2009, was released in mid-February.
Justian departed from The Red Chord in March 2011 and the band hired Jon "The Charn" Rice of Job for a Cowboy
for the forthcoming tour.
and deathgrind
-based sound also incorporates elements of death metal
, metalcore
and hardcore punk
, and is typically experimental
. The band helped popularize the "deathcore
" genre. The Red Chord typically uses frequent tempo changes, technically proficient instrumental approach and emphasizes the element of groove in their music. The vocal style of Kozowyk uses deathgrind guttural growls with occasional spoken word and is rather decipherable. Kozowyk points out Frank Mullen from Suffocation
as a vocal influence, Black Sabbath
as a musical influence, and Faith No More
as a lyrical inspiration.
Former members
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band from Revere, Massachusetts
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
, formed in 1999. The band is made up of vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, and bassist Greg Weeks. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Fused Together in Revolving Doors is the debut album by band the The Red Chord. The name of the album is a reference to a night club fire that took place in Boston in the 1940s during which the crowd tried to exit through a set of revolving doors...
. The second album, Clients
Clients (album)
-Personnel:The Red Chord*Brad Fickeisen - drums*Guy Kozowyk - vocals*Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - guitar*Kevin Rampelberg - guitar*Gregory Weeks - bassProduction and design*Zeuss - Producer, engineer, mixer*The Red Chord - co-producer*Alan Douches - mastering...
, was released in 2005 and sold over 50,000 copies in the U.S. They released their third album, Prey for Eyes
Prey for Eyes
Prey for Eyes is the third full length album by American band, The Red Chord. It is the second album that the band has released on Metal Blade Records...
in 2007, which sold in between 4,000 and 5,000 copies and debuted at No. 198 on the Billboard 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...
chart. Their latest album, 2009's Fed Through the Teeth Machine
Fed Through the Teeth Machine
Revolver stated about the album: "The foursome's fierce attack is as brutal as ever...what could well be a bunch of noise in the hands of lesser headbangers is intricate and engrossing on Teeth Machine, whether it's the twisting tempo shifts of 'Demoralizer' or the blazing twin guitar attacks on...
, debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 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...
chart.
The Red Chord has released four studio albums, toured in 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...
, 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...
, 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...
.
Formation, Fused Together in Revolving Doors and Clients (1999-2006)
The Red Chord was formed in Revere, MassachusettsRevere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
in 1999 by vocalist Guy Kozowyk and guitarist Kevin Rampelberg. One year later, the band was joined by second guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Adam Wentworth and drummer Mike Justian. The band's name is derived from Alban Berg
Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, and produced compositions that combined Mahlerian Romanticism with a personal adaptation of Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique.-Early life:Berg was born in...
's opera Wozzeck
Wozzeck
Wozzeck is the first opera by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. It was composed between 1914 and 1922 and first performed in 1925. The opera is based on the drama Woyzeck left incomplete by the German playwright Georg Büchner at his death. Berg attended the first production in Vienna of Büchner's...
, in which a schizophrenic man slits his lover's throat, then reverts to his normal self and asks, "My love, what is that red cord across your neck?" The debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Fused Together in Revolving Doors is the debut album by band the The Red Chord. The name of the album is a reference to a night club fire that took place in Boston in the 1940s during which the crowd tried to exit through a set of revolving doors...
was recorded with producer Andrew Schneider in December 2001 and released by the Robotic Empire
Robotic Empire
Robotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,...
record label. With the debut album, The Red Chord gained a substantial fanbase.
In early 2004, Wentworth and Justian announced their withdrawal from The Red Chord and the band found replacements in bassist Gregory Weeks and drummer Jon Dow. In April that year, The Red Chord toured with Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under (band)
Six Feet Under is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary...
and others. The debut album was re-released with demo tracks, a full concert performance and the video clip for "Dreaming In Dog Years". In March, the band signed to Metal Blade. John Longstreth replaced Dow in May but exited in September. The Red Chord entered Planet Z Studios in Hadley, Massachusetts
Hadley, Massachusetts
Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area around Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall along Route 9 is a major shopping destination for the surrounding...
on November 1, with Brad Fickeisen as a new drummer, and recorded their second album Clients
Clients (album)
-Personnel:The Red Chord*Brad Fickeisen - drums*Guy Kozowyk - vocals*Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - guitar*Kevin Rampelberg - guitar*Gregory Weeks - bassProduction and design*Zeuss - Producer, engineer, mixer*The Red Chord - co-producer*Alan Douches - mastering...
, which subsequently sold over 50,000 copies in the US.
2005 started with American tours and resumed on European tours in December. The band filmed a promotional video for the track "Antman" with director Dave Brodsky. The tour continued in North America through February 2006 until Ozzfest in June.
Prey for Eyes and Fed Through the Teeth Machine (2007-present)
In February 2007, guitarist Jonny Fay decided to quit the band and was replaced by Mike Keller. In May 2007, the band went on another tour to Europe. The third album, Prey for EyesPrey for Eyes
Prey for Eyes is the third full length album by American band, The Red Chord. It is the second album that the band has released on Metal Blade Records...
, was released on July 24. The group parted ways with Keller in early September and decided not to replace him.
The band's fourth album, Fed Through the Teeth Machine
Fed Through the Teeth Machine
Revolver stated about the album: "The foursome's fierce attack is as brutal as ever...what could well be a bunch of noise in the hands of lesser headbangers is intricate and engrossing on Teeth Machine, whether it's the twisting tempo shifts of 'Demoralizer' or the blazing twin guitar attacks on...
, was recorded in early to mid-2009 in Milford, New Hampshire
Milford, New Hampshire
Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 15,115 at the 2010 census. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley....
, at Backyard Studios, which is owned by the band's former guitarist Jonny Fay. The album was released on October 27, 2009. Kozowyk says the new songs are more intense and mature than those the previous album. "It's faster and heavier, but it's definitely groove-oriented and melodic where it needs to be," he commented. Fed Through the Teeth Machine sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2010, the release was followed by a headlining tour in the U.S. Due to a volcano eruption on Iceland
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
, The Red Chord was forced to miss a co-headlining European "Machines Of Grind" tour with Aborted
Aborted
Aborted is a Belgian death metal band formed in Waregem, Belgium in 1995. The group comprises vocalist and founder Sven de Caluwé, guitarists Eran Segal and Mike Wilson, bassist J.B. Van Der Wal, and drummer Ken Bedene. The band members of Aborted are from Belgium, France, Israel, United Kingdom,...
and Rotten Sound
Rotten Sound
Rotten Sound is a grindcore band from Vaasa, Finland, formed in 1993. The band comprises vocalist Keijo Niinimaa, guitarist Mika Aalto, bassist Kristian Toivainen and drummer Sami Latva...
, who subsequently embarked on a "DIY Fuck The Volcano" tour without The Red Chord. The band later performed in Japan with 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...
. Drummer Michael Justian rejoined the band in February 2010, shortly after Fickeisen departed. Fickeisen commented his departure: "There is no easy way to go about leaving a busy band with plans in constant motion, but a little abruptly, I chose to depart from manning the kit for The Red Chord. I have had a great time for the past five years with these guys, and wouldn't exchange it for anything. Touring is tough; everyone who's done it knows that. (...) I want to thank Greg, Guy, and Mike, and wish them the best of luck in the future." A music video for "Demoralizer", that was filmed in late 2009, was released in mid-February.
Justian departed from The Red Chord in March 2011 and the band hired Jon "The Charn" Rice of Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy is a American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at #54 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. The second album, 2009's Ruination, sold 10,600 copies in...
for the forthcoming tour.
Musical style
The majority of The Red Chord's music is composed by McKenzie and to a lesser degree by Weeks and other band members. The lyrics are written by Kozowyk. The band's grindcoreGrindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
and deathgrind
Deathgrind
Deathgrind is a musical genre that fuses death metal and grindcore. The genre, along with pornogrind, is related to the goregrind subgenre...
-based sound also incorporates elements of death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, 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...
and 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 is typically experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
. The band helped popularize the "deathcore
Deathcore
Deathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...
" genre. The Red Chord typically uses frequent tempo changes, technically proficient instrumental approach and emphasizes the element of groove in their music. The vocal style of Kozowyk uses deathgrind guttural growls with occasional spoken word and is rather decipherable. Kozowyk points out Frank Mullen from Suffocation
Suffocation (band)
Suffocation is an American death metal band that was formed in 1989 in Long Island, New York. The band comprises vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, drummer Mike Smith and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for...
as a vocal influence, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
as a musical influence, and Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
as a lyrical inspiration.
Members
Current members- Guy Kozowyk - vocals (1999–present)
- Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(2000–present) - Greg Weeks - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2004–present)
Former members
- Kevin Rampelberg - guitar (1999–2005)
- Michael Justian - drums (2000–2004, 2010–2011)
- Jonny Fay - guitar (2005–2007)
- Mike Keller - guitar (2007–2008)
- Adam Wentworth - bass (2000–2004)
- Brad Fickeisen - drums (2004–2010)
Discography
- Fused Together in Revolving DoorsFused Together in Revolving DoorsFused Together in Revolving Doors is the debut album by band the The Red Chord. The name of the album is a reference to a night club fire that took place in Boston in the 1940s during which the crowd tried to exit through a set of revolving doors...
(2002) - ClientsClients (album)-Personnel:The Red Chord*Brad Fickeisen - drums*Guy Kozowyk - vocals*Mike "Gunface" McKenzie - guitar*Kevin Rampelberg - guitar*Gregory Weeks - bassProduction and design*Zeuss - Producer, engineer, mixer*The Red Chord - co-producer*Alan Douches - mastering...
(2005) - Prey for EyesPrey for EyesPrey for Eyes is the third full length album by American band, The Red Chord. It is the second album that the band has released on Metal Blade Records...
(2007) - Fed Through the Teeth MachineFed Through the Teeth MachineRevolver stated about the album: "The foursome's fierce attack is as brutal as ever...what could well be a bunch of noise in the hands of lesser headbangers is intricate and engrossing on Teeth Machine, whether it's the twisting tempo shifts of 'Demoralizer' or the blazing twin guitar attacks on...
(2009)