Amen (band)

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Amen
Casey Chaos at Big Day Out 2002
Casey Chaos at Big Day Out 2002
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre(s) Punk rock
Hardcore punk
Alternative metal
Years active 1994-present
Label(s) Drag U La, Roadrunner, Virgin, Refuse, EatUrMusic, Columbia
Associated
acts		 SCUM
Scars on Broadway
Snot
Website www.ComaAmerica.com
Members
Casey Chaos
John King
Former members
Brandon Rash
Paul Fig
Shannon Larkin
Mike Bordin
Sonny Mayo
Josh Hill
Rich Jones
Zach Hill
Matt "Piggy D" Montgomery
Luke Johnson
Acey Slade
Scott Sorry
Eric Amblur
Joe Letz
Jinxx
Nate Manor

Amen (sometimes all-capitalised to AMEN) is a cross-genre hard rock band formed in 1994, continuing on today. Musically the band takes influence from various hard rock, punk rock and hardcore punk acts.

The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos remaining as the only constant member throughout. Chaos writes all the music and lyrics, and performs all vocals and instruments (bar drums, since the album Amen) for studio recordings.

They are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and have previously been voted "Overall Best Band in the World" and "Best Live Band in the World" by readers of Metal Hammer Magazine. Amen are known for their singles "Coma America," "Price of Reality" and "California's Bleeding."

Contents

[edit] History

Casey (born as Karim Chmielinski) started his first ever band, Disorderly Conduct, as a teen. They released a vinyl "Amen" and the "Atrocity" demo, they played several gigs and became fairly well known around the hardcore punks of east America. Disorderly Conduct split up when Casey moved away from Florida at around the age of 17 or 18. Casey Chaos had previously filled in live on bass guitar with deathrock legends Christian Death at some of the band's reunion tour shows in 1993, he played in place of original bassist James McGearty. The following year in the basement of his Los Angeles home, playing each instrument himself, Chaos released an EP under the name "Amen".

During 1995, a full length album of tracks was released by Casey under the Amen name, it was called "Slave" on Drag U La Records, initially the album was limited to 2000 copies.

[edit] Members join Chaos

Around 1998, Chaos met Paul Fig through the L.A. music scene, and they formed a partnership. In the following months and years, the band expanded including former members of the band Snot; drummer Shannon Larkin, guitarist Sonny Mayo and bassist John Fahnestock. Amen were signed by the heavy metal label Roadrunner Records.

Following the release of their eponymous album in September 1999, the band were set to tour Europe in December. This did not happen, Chaos and the band blamed a last-minute withdrawal of funding shortly prior to departure. Following this incident, Amen and Roadrunner Records went their separate ways.

[edit] We Have Come For Your Parents

Their follow up album, "We Have Come For Your Parents", was released on Virgin Records in 2001 featuring the singles and subsequent videos for "The Price Of Reality" and "Too Hard To Be Free", these received some airplay on UK television rock shows, gaining the band a fan base stronghold. The band were dropped by Virgin, rumoured to be connected to downsizing as a result of a large payout the record company has made to Mariah Carey.

[edit] Death Before Musick

Chaos was helped out by friend Daron Malakian, whom he had met while both Amen and Malakian's band System of a Down were touring Australia as part of the Big Day Out music festival. Amen were the first band signed to Malakian's EatUrMusic label, and their subsequent release, Death Before Musick, was regarded as being a mild commercial success. AMEN has since left the label, as Casey intends to release all future material through his own label.

The 2004 tour supporting the album Death Before Musick had some issues with band members, leading to 2 dates being cancelled, and the whole band leaving after tour of the U.S.A supporting The Brides Of Destruction, Rich Jones left after the DBM UK tour.

The 2005 "last time" tour, was completely postponed after Chaos suffered a ruptured Hernia, and was unable to medically play a gig for about 6 weeks. The band returned in the summer of 2005 playing in late june and until mid august at a series of small clubs and ended the tour at the london astoria with an aftershow party for all who attended. Scott Sorry went on to join The Brides Of Destruction and The Wildhearts, Rich Jones went on to join The Yo-Yos and Bassknives.

[edit] Nate Manor and the Porno Pilfering

On March 16, 2005 AMEN's former bassist Nate Manor was busted for shoplifting pornographic magazines.

The band members were caught eating candy from bins at a Los Angeles Supermarket. When the owner approached them, Nate allegedly decked the owner, and the members feld, only to be caught a block away by the LAPD. When searched at gunpoint, they found some weapons on two of the members and four magazines stuffed down Nate's Pants, one of which was Playgirl and another was one called Fattie Fisters. Nate claimed to steal them for Amen artwork.

Nate was released on $300 bail. Drummer Joe Letz had to sell his cymbals to Guitar Center to pay for the bail. Afterwards, AMEN uploaded Nate's Mugshot to the band's website.

[edit] New Album

At the last few shows the band played during 2006 they performed a couple of new songs. A new band lineup was recently revealed at the Angry Brigade website and plans for a tour of Europe seem to be in the works. The new album should be coming out in 2007.

[edit] SCUM

In 2004 Casey Chaos formed the side project "SCUM" along with members from Turbonegro and Emperor. To date, they have released one album, Gospels for the Sick.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Boxset

  • Pisstory, A Catalogue of Accidents/A Lifetime of Mistakes - (2005, Refuse Music)

[edit] Live

  • Gun of a Preacher Man - (Live Album, 2005, Secret)

[edit] Singles

[edit] Trivia

This caused some controversy among the Damned's fanbase, because the line-up with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible are currently still together, and have been releasing albums recently. Where as Scabies and James had long since left the band, in James' case as far back as the 1970s.

  • Featured on the Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three album on the track "Depression".
  • Started the Amen "angry brigade" in 2006, the angry brigade is an online database/fan club, after payment fans have access to the newest music, rare mp3s, news, instrumentals, videos etc. It is rumoured the new Amen album(s) will be put up onto here first for fans to download.
  • Amen were the first unsigned band to ever play on the main stage at Reading Festival in 2002.
  • Casey Chaos performed backing vocals on the Vanilla Ice album Hard to Swallow.
  • Former Bassist Scot Sorry is now the touring and recording bassist in the British rock band The Wildhearts, who have been touring partners of Amen in the past.

[edit] External links

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