Orange 9mm

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Orange 9mm was a post-hardcore band from New York City formed in 1994 by Chaka Malik and Chris Traynor after the breakup of Malik's band Burn.

[edit] History

Chaka Malik and Chris Traynor began writing songs together in 1992, releasing an EP in 1993 on Relevation Records. The line-up for this recording including Larry Gorman on drums and Eric Rice on bass.

Following the departure of Rice, Davide Gentile joined the band, and soon after, Detroit native Matthew Cross took over on drums. With this line-up, they began writing material for their 1994 major label release Driver Not Included on East West Records, a subisdiary of Elektra Records, in 1995. The record was recorded in Los Angeles with Dave Jerden (Alice in Chains, Jane's Addiction) producing. Additional songs, "Magnet", "Suspect", and a re-recording of "Can't Decide" from the Revelation EP were later recorded in New York City.

Following the release of Driver Not Included, Orange 9mm toured the US with Helmet, Quicksand, Korn, Deftones, were featured on the first Warped Tour, and toured Europe with Biohazard and three shows with The Offspring.

With shifts and mergers occurring in Warner Brothers (the parent company of Elektra and Atlantic) Orange 9mm was moved to Atlantic Records. During the writing sessions for what would become their second full-length, Davide Gentile left the band to pursue audio engineering. Orange 9mm's second full-length, Tragic, was recorded in New York City, with Dave Sardy (Barkmarket, Helmet, Marilyn Manson) producing. For these sessions, Chris Traynor played bass. At the end of the intitial recording sessions for Tragic, Taylor McLam joined the band on bass (McLam played drums in Traynor's previous hardcore band Fountainhead). On the first day of rehearsals, McLam offered one of his own compositions, which became the minor hit "Failure". The song was recorded immediately, and included on Tragic.

Two weeks prior to the first tour to promote Tragic, Chris Traynor left Orange 9mm to play second guitar for the seminal New York band Helmet. The band recruited former Supertouch bassist Chris Vitali to take over on bass, and McLam was moved to guitar.

For Tragic, the band toured the U.S. with Deftones, Sick of it All, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Local H, and Clutch, among others, including headlining runs and one-offs with the Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative.

(more to come)