Devolved (band)

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Devolved
Origin Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Genre(s) Technical death metal
Industrial metal
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) Copro Records, Killzone Records, Modern Music
Associated acts Frankenbok
Excruciate
Limb From Limb
Deadsett
Website www.devolved.net
Members
John Sankey
Brett Noordin
Leighton Kearns
Brett Carpio
Kyle Zemanek
Patrick Brown
Former members
Nik Carpenter
Joel Graham
Mark Walpole
Jay Lacey
Wayde Dunn

Devolved is a technical death metal band originally from the Gold Coast, Australia[1] but based in Los Angeles, California since 2005. The band has so far released two full-length albums and toured throughout Australia, Europe, the UK and Japan. The band's genre is classified as industrial metal-influenced technical death metal with the heavy usage of sampling, guitar effects and sound manipulation.

Contents

[edit] History

Formed by drummer John Sankey and guitarist Brett Noordin in 1996 the band released the demo "Truth" in 1998 with a line-up consisting of vocalist Nik Carpenter, Mark Walpole on guitar and bass player Joel Graham. The demo was followed in 2001 by the album Technologies that found nationwide distribution through Sydney's MGM.

The band's live performances included a light show that featured heavy use of strobe lighting. After a fan suffered an epileptic seizure during a performance, Devolved was given a court order requiring a warning about the possible dangers of this effect to be included on all the band's promotional material including advertising and even album artwork.

Shortly after the release of Technologies, Graham was replaced by Leighton Kearns and at the end of the year Devolved was voted Australian Metal Band of the Year by both listeners and staff of radio network Triple J [2]. The Roadrunner Records-affiliated magazine Outsider judged Technologies the Australian metal album of the year.

In early 2002, Kearns left to be replaced by Wayde Dunn, formerly of a Sunshine Coast death metal band called Excruciate. The group then embarked on an extensive tour of the UK and Europe but after only a week of the tour Carpenter was fired from the band, leaving Dunn and Noordin to perform vocal duties for the rest of the dates. However, during a subsequent Australian tour with Japanese thrash band Suns Owl, Carpenter again fronted the group at some shows. His vocals were also used on the 2002 release, an EP entitled Automation 001 that was originally intended as the first of a series of three but without a permanent lead vocalist the idea was eventually scrapped.

During 2003 Devolved was less prevalent as a live band as they began work on a second album. At the same time, Sankey wrote and recorded some songs with former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares. He also played with Melbourne band Frankenbok for several months while that band's drummer Mick Morley recovered from an injury, taking part in tours with Soilwork and Skinlab. Devolved replaced Walpole with Jason Lacey during 2003 and Patrick Brown was also added to the live line-up to provide samples.

Devolved's second album Calculated was released in September, 2004, again featuring vocals from Nik Carpenter who remained with the band on a subsequent Australian tour. Following this, Devolved relocated to Los Angeles in early 2005. Leighton Kearns rejoined the band at this point and Lacey departed to be replaced by Brett Carpio. Vocalist Kyle Zemanik completed the new line-up and the group signed to Killzone Records in December 2006.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

  • 2001: Technologies (MGM Australia)
  • 2004: Calculated (Killzone Records, Modern Music)

[edit] Misc

  • 1999: Truth (demo)
  • 2002: Automation 001 (MGM Australia, Biotech Records)

[edit] Videography

  • "Distorted" (2001)
  • "Vex" (2004)

[edit] Band line-up

[edit] Current members

[edit] Former members

  • Nik Carpenter − Lead Vocals
  • Joel Graham − Bass, Vocals
  • Mark Walpole − Guitar, Effects
  • Jason Lacey - Guitar, Effects
  • Wayde Dunn - Bass

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ AMO
  2. ^ Zealous Productions