Stemm

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STEMM is an American metal band hailing from Niagara Falls, New York.

1 Origins
2 Stemm and 5 Years Gone merge
3 Achievements To Date
4 Band Members
5 Discography

[edit] Origins

The band came together in the late 90s and remained independent until 2006 when they signed with I Scream Records.^[1] They rely heavily on self-promotion, high energy live shows and word of mouth through their extremely loyal Western New York fanbase.

Initially, their sound was described as a "Linkin Park being slapped around by Soulfly" type of vibe. This sound was prominent on their first EP, entitled "Further Efforts" and also on their first LP entitled "Dead to Me" which was released in 2002.

[edit] Stemm and 5 Years Gone merge

In late 2003 and through most of 2004, the band saw many changes. To replace the members that had left, the drummer and vocalist of Buffalo metal act 5 Years Gone filled in while STEMM guitarists returned the favor by replacing the two guitarists that had left 5 Years Gone. After the bassist for STEMM departed, Stemm and 5 Years Gone combined as one and continued to move forward as Stemm. The combination saw the band take a different direction musically (to the aggressive metalcore sound they play today) and also propelled them further in the underground music scene.

[edit] Achievements To Date

They were the first ever band signed to Chimaira guitarist Rob Arnold's management label, MMM Management. With Arnold's help, the band recorded a 5 song EP in early 2004, one of the songs, "13 Years", featured Chimaira vocalist Mark Hunter. The EP would go on to sell over 2,000 copies in just over two months.

Other accolades include endorsements with Jagermeister, ESP Guitars, InTune Guitar Picks, RegalTip drumsticks, Mesa Engineering and the Ultimate Fighting Championship which Stemm has specifically written and performed songs for. They have also been a part of the UFC compilation CD "UFC Ultimate Beatdowns Volume 1" (they are the only unsigned act on the CD) as well as UFC's Xbox game "Tapout 2." Their music has also been a part of every UFC pay per view event since August of 2002. They've also toured in support of national recording metal act Chimaira and have played numerous record label showcases and the famous Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood, California. They also claimed a Buffalo Music Award for Best Hardcore/Metal act three years in a row, winning in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

A video was shot for the track "Monster" and is available on their MySpace site and webpage.

In November 2005, the band released their second full length album, entitled "Songs for the Incurable Heart".

On November 18, 2005 Stemm opened for Disturbed in Cleveland, Ohio.