Death by Stereo

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Death By Stereo
Recent promotional photograph of Death by Stereo.
Recent promotional photograph of Death by Stereo.
Background information
Origin
Orange County, California, USA
Genre(s) Hardcore punk
Years active 1996 – present
Label(s) Indecision Records
Epitaph Records
Website Official website
Members
Efrem Schulz
Chris Dalley
Jarrod Alexander
Paul Miner
Dan Palmer
Tyler Rebbe
Jim Miner
Former members
Ian Fowles
Keith Barney
Tim "Tito" Owens
Tim Bender
Todd Hennig

Death By Stereo (also referred to as D. B. S.) is a hardcore band formed in Orange County, California circa 1996 by frontman Efrem Schulz, who is the only remaining original member of the band. They are also well known for their energetic performances, and intricate guitar work.

Death By Stereo has released four full-length studio albums, a live Album, and they are currently working on their fifth release, which is due out in spring 2007. They also currently have two new releases in the works, a DVD, and a split album (with Love Equals Death).

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Beginnings (1996-1999)

The band was formed by Ian Fowles, Jarrod Alexander, Efrem Schulz, Paul Miner and Jim Miner out of what were the remnants of their former bands. Jarrod and Ian were from the band D-Cons, Efrem was from Clint and Paul and Jim, who are brothers, were from CleanX. All five members had known each other long before Death by Stereo formed, as their former bands had toured and recorded together previously. Pauls record label Dental Records had released music by Clint and D-cons and would later go on to put out the first Death by Stereo release.

The five practised in Jarrod's garage for a few months before recording a demo. They recorded five songs at For The Record Studios, where Paul worked. Out of the five songs, four of them went on to be rerecorded and included on their first album. On March 5, 1998, they played their first show, and soon after began playing more shows around Southern California. By late 1998, the band released their first official release Fooled By Your Smile 7inch. following this release, Ian decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Keith Barney.

In 1998, Death By Stereo was signed to Indecision Records, and released their first album-If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die- in the following year. Shortly after Jarrod moved to Boston to pursue music full time at the Berklee School Of Music, and was replaced by Tim Bender. Keith also left the band, to pursue his other bands Throwdown and Eighteen Visions. He was replaced by Dan Palmer, formerly of the band Eyelid. They toured for the rest of the year.

[edit] Early career (1999-2002)

In the winter of 1999, during a tour with Straight Faced and Ignite, Brett Gurewitz from Epitaph Records approached the band about releasing an album, ultimately signing them in 2000. Between a tour with Bane and Adamantium, they finished their second album, Day of the Death, which was released in January 2001.

Death By Stereo spent almost all of 2001, touring North America, with bands such as Sick Of It All, BoySetsFire, The Hope Conspiracy, AFI, Rise Against, Nicotine and The Planet Smashers. At this time, Tim decided to leave the band and was replaced by Todd Hennig from 'Heckle' and 'Seven Years War'.

By 2002, Death By Stereo had become fairly popular, as evidenced by a spot on the Warped Tour for that year. During the tour however, there was some conflict between the band, and some of the behind the scenes crew. It was rumoured that one Death By Stereo's crew had assaulted someone, which forced the band to drop off the tour for a few dates, even though they denied the accusation. They returned to their tour nevertheless. Their 2003 album Into the Valley of Death contains a track called 'I Wouldn't Piss In Your Ear If Your Brain Was On Fire', which Dan Palmer has said was written about their warped experience.

[edit] Increasing popularity (2002-2005)

In early 2003, during the recording of their third album, Jim Miner left the band. Tim “Tito” Owens replaced him during a European tour. They released Into the Valley of Death, which was mostly recorded while Jim was still in the band, later that year. It is for this reason, that the albums liner notes, still credit Jim and Dan as the bands guitarists. Tito was credited also, as 'additional guitars'.

On September 28, 2003, during a tour supporting Thursday, Death by Stereo played a solo show in Blacksburg VA, at a venue called Solar Haus. During this show, a fault in the venue set up caused five people to be injured and one person to die. After this, Death By Stereo cancelled the rest of their tour dates, and returned home. On October 29, 2003, they played a show to benefit the victims, at the Chain Reaction, in Anaheim, CA. This show was recorded and given away for free, with ‘Law of Inertia’ magazine.

Death By Stereo resumed touring, and began writing their fourth album in late 2004. During early 2005, founding member Paul Miner left to pursue recording, producing and mixing. He has since worked with many big bands, including New Found Glory, Atreyu and Thrice. He was replaced by Tyler Rebbe from Pulley. They released their fourth album, Death for Life, in June 2005.

In July 2005, Death By Stereo's guitarist Tito left the band. They played as a four piece band up until late 2006. In December 2005 former guitarist Jim Miner returned to the band to play two shows, but he did not return to the band fulltime. In addition, Efrem stated that they looked forward to collaborating with Jim, in the future.

[edit] Playing as a four-piece (2005-2006)

During the fist half of 2006, Death By Stereo toured extensively despite having only one guitarist (Palmer). In February they played in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for the first time, marking the beginning of their Death to the Third World tour. They also played their first shows in Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. They also played in New Zealand for the first time, during June 2006, and supported Strung Out later that month in an Australian tour. The second half of 2006 has seen few shows, as they have been working on their new album and facing changes to their lineup.

In August 2006, drummer Todd Hennig left the band to pursue other creative endeavours. [1].

[edit] Current events (2006-present)

[edit] Changing line-ups

In September 2006, it was announced that the band's former drummer Jarrod Alexander and guitarist Jim Miner have officially rejoined Death by Stereo in time to record the band's fifth studio album. [2]

In December, Efrem said that the new studio album will be recorded with both Jarrod and Chris Dalley (formally of Ten Foot Pole) on drums. Chris Dalley, who has toured with the band for thee last few months, since Todds departure will be doing the bulk of future tours, while Jarrod tours with A Static Lullaby.

Efrem also stated that Jim Miner will be doing random shows here and there, but will not be doing full tours. However he will be writing and recording the new album, only months after his recent wrist surgery. Founding member Paul Miner will also return to the band to play bass on the new album alongside Tyler, who will be recording another album with his other band Pulley.

The touring lineup, as of December 2006, is Schulz, Rebbe, Dalley and Palmer.

[edit] Future releases

[edit] Rumored DVD

On January 23, 2006, which happened to be the fifth anniversary of their second album Day of the Death, frontman Efrem Schulz posted on his Myspace blog that saying that Death by Stereo will release a DVD that will contain "any footage".] According to the band's message board, bassist Tyler Rebbe is uncertain if it will be released any time soon. [3]

[edit] A new album

In June 2006, Punkbands.com reported that Death By Stereo would begin writing their fifth studio album, which was originally scheduled to be released in spring 2007. The album has not yet been titled. In a recent interview with guitarist Dan Palmer, a question was asked if there were still plans for a new album, he replied:

“ Yeah it's true. I've personally been writing a lot of riffs for it. We actually have a month off which is very rare for us. Actually, it won't be a month off because we'll be writing music and we'll be writing with our old guitar player Jim Miner too. We might even record with our old bass player Paul - we'll see what happens. The new stuff I wanna go more melodic - not so much not heavier stuff but I want to work on vocal harmonies - I just wanna go out with that! - Palmer (2006) ”

According to the band's myspace page, they entered the studio to begin recording on March 13. This implies summer/fall 2007 as a possible release date. More further details regarding the new release are unknown.

[edit] Split CD

On 23 December 2006, Efrem stated that the band would release a split CD with (the Fat Wreckchords band), Love Equals Death. According to ReIgnition, there'll be a cover of Faith No More. The CD will be released on ReIgnition Recordings.

[edit] Line-Ups

Year Band Recordings
Vocalist Guitarist Bassist Drummer
1996 - early 1999 Efrem Schulz Ian Fowles,
Jim Miner		 Paul Miner Jarrod Alexander Demo CD, Fooled By Your Smile 7" ep
Early 1999 - Mid 2000 Efrem Schulz Keith Barney,
Jim Miner		 Paul Miner Jarrod Alexander EP: Death By Stereo/Ensign Split 7" (EP), LP: If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
Mid 2000 - Mid 2001 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer,
Jim Miner		 Paul Miner Tim Bender Song: Little Fighter (from Punk Goes Metal comp), EP: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation 7 inch, LP: Day of the Death
Mid 2001 - Mid 2003 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer,
Jim Miner		 Paul Miner Todd Hennig Song: Wasted Words Demo (From Punkorama 7), LP: Into the Valley of Death
Mid 2003-Early 2005 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer,
Tim "Tito" Owens		 Paul Miner Todd Hennig Song: Anything Goes (from Bring You To Your Knees comp - ReIgnition Recordings/Law of Inertia Records), Live LP: Death Alive
Early 2005-Mid 2005 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer,
Tim "Tito" Owens		 Tyler Rebbe Todd Hennig LP: Death for Life
Mid 2005-September 2006 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer Tyler Rebbe Todd Hennig Song: Bottled Up (From Masters Of Horror comp)
September 2006-December 2006 Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer Tyler Rebbe Chris Dalley Live Shows Only
December 2006-present Efrem Schulz Dan Palmer,
Jim Miner		 Paul Miner,
Tyler Rebbe		 Chris Dalley,
Jarrod Alexander		 LP: Untitled Fifth Studio Album and split CD with Love Equals Death (ReIgnition Recordings)

All members - Backing vocals

[edit] The music of Death by Stereo

[edit] Genre

Death By Stereo's music blurs the lines between traditional punk rock, hardcore and metal. Their music mixes metal riffs, solos, melodies and hooks, and results in a sound that is noted for its originality, among a punk rock scene that some say has become stagnant in recent years. The music has evolved over time, mainly due to the unstable lineup, which has included 5 guitarists, 2 bassists, 4 drummers and one vocalist. Their first album, If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die, was punk rock with a heavy influence of hardcore. Their later albums, especially Death for Life, are more heavy metal, with less punk rock and hardcore elements.

[edit] Influences

Bands that have influenced Death By Stereo are: At the Gates, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, In Flames, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Madball, Minor Threat, Pennywise, Sick of It All, Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies.

The original bassist Paul Miner, said that his top 10 albums of all time are: Bad Brains - ROIR tape, Minor Threat - Out of Step, Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind, Van Halen II, The Police - Outlandos d'Amour, Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Sick of It All - Scratch the Surface, Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come, Annihilator - Never, Neverland.

On one occasion, Efrem said that his top five albums were Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy, Bad Religion - How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Bad Brains - The Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam, Slayer - Reign in Blood, Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio.

On another occasion, Efrem said that his top five bands were: Bad Brains, Fishbone, Slayer, Bad Religion, and Mickey Avalon.

[edit] Trivia

  • The name Death By Stereo was taken from a scene in the movie The Lost Boys.
  • Vocalist Efrem also appeared as backup vocals for Atreyu on the album Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, on the track "At Least I Know I'm A Sinner"
  • He also appears on Welcome To Your Life's 2002 release, There Is No Turning Back on backing vocals on track 9, One Way Road.
  • The song "Let Down and Alone" from their album Into the Valley of Death was featured on the soundtrack to the game Downhill Domination.
  • In the children's Nickelodeon show "Drake and Josh", the character Drake has Death By Stereo stickers in his room.

[edit] Discography

STUDIO ALBUMS

Album Cover Year Title Label Format Other information
1999 If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die Indecision CD
2000 Day of the Death Epitaph CD
2003 Into the Valley of Death Epitaph CD
2005 Death for Life Epitaph CD
2007 Untitled fifth studio album Epitaph CD
  • The band is currently in the process of writing/recording a new album.
  • The new album is currently untitled as of now.
  • Guitarist Jim Miner, bassist Paul Miner and original drummer Jarrod Alexander return to the band to record this album.

LIVE ALBUMS

Album Cover Year Title Label Format Other information
2003 Law of Inertia Live Series Volume 3 Law of Inertia Magazine CD
  • Recorded Live 29 October 2003, at Chain Reaction in Anaheim CA.
  • Chain Reaction Donated for free, and all proceeds donated to Solar Haus charity.
  • Given away for free with Law of Inertia Magazine
  • Out of print since late 2003.
2007 Death Alive Reignition Records CD
  • A re-release of the above album.
  • Released March 13 2007.

EP

DEMO

  • Five-Song Demo Tape. The bands first recording. 4/5 songs went on to be re-recorded and included in their first album. (1998)

COMPILATIONS (Name Of Compilation - Song)

  • Devils Night (Live Compilation 7inch including other bands Ensign, Adamantium, Missing 23rd, Eyelid) (1999)
  • Punk O Rama 5 - Lookin' Out For #1 (2000)
  • Punk Goes Metal - Little Fighter (White Lion Cover) (2000)
  • Punk O Rama 6 - Holding $60 On A Burning Bridge (2001)
  • Indecision Records Split Series - 3 Songs from Ensign split (2001)
  • Punk O Rama 7 - Wasted Words (Demo Version) (2002)
  • Punk O Rama 8 - Unstoppable (2003)
  • Bring You To Your Knees (G&R Tribute) - Anything Goes (Cover) (2003)
  • Punk O Rama 9 - The Plague (Live Oct 03) (2004)
  • Masters Of Horror Soundtrack - Bottled Up (From DFL Sessions) (2005)

COMPILATION DVDS

  • Punk O Rama The Videos - Desperation Train (2002)
  • Indecision Video Vault - Various performances and interviews (2003)

[edit] External links

Death by Stereo
Efrem Schulz
Jarrod Alexander | Dan Palmer | Paul Miner | Tyler Rebbe | Jim Miner | Chris Dalley
Ian Fowles | Keith Barney | Tim "Tito" Owens | Tim Bender | Todd Hennig
Discography
Studio albums: If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die | Day of the Death | Into the Valley of Death | Death for Life | TBA
Live albums: Death Alive
EPs: 7" Split with Esign
Related articles
Epitaph Records | Indecision Records | The Suicide File | A Static Lullaby | Sense Field | Further Seems Forever | The Aquabats | Eighteen Visions | Heckle | The Lost Boys
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