| Left Out | |
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| Origin | Chicago, IL |
| Genres | Christian punk |
| Years active | 1995-2002, 2010-Present |
| Associated acts | the Blamed, Crashdog |
| Members | |
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| Past members | |
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Left Out was a Chicago, Illinois Christian punk band that was active from 1995 to 2002 and has recently returned to touring as of October 2010.
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The band formed at Tomfest 1995 and was a side project of the Blamed's Bryan Gray.[1] For their debut album, Pride Kills (1996), alongside Chris Colbert (Breakfast with Amy), Darren Diolosa (aka Klank), and Jesse Smith (Zao).[2] Despite its members diverse influences, its sound most closely resembled that of the Blamed, the Crucified, nobody special. The band recorded a second album on flying tart entitled serve self, this was recorded at neverland studios in nashville. The record featured bassist Brent Kaping (Craig's Brother, the Yax), Jim Chaffin (crucified) on drums, and guest performances by jacob (sometime sunday) on lead guitar, chris colbert (lead guitar), tracy street (sang) Jonathan (sang "i grind my teeth at night), and cleetus adrian (maintenance man) sang too. Serve Self was recorded by chris colbert again and assisted by steve hindalong (choir). left out recorded a third full length after bryan moved to chicago entitled for the working class. FTWC featured bryan and brent again, and greg jacques (crashdog) on drums. There was a ton of guests, notably Tim Davis (Spike Nard from crashdog).
Shortly after the release of FTWC left out toured extensively in support of the record, the live line up featured bryan, Jason Seiler and Chris and Trevor Wiitala. The did and extensive national tour with Ghoti Hook and the smiley kids. Following this tour it was time for the blamed and left out to merge. Matt Switaj from the blamed who had toured with left out as well, Bryan Gray, merged with the Wiitala brothers and played for years under the name the blamed. They had a meeting to decide to merge and they voted on what name to keep and bryan was the only one who voted for left out (I loved the concept). Basically this was the end of left out. They've played a few shows under the name performing old songs from left out and the blamed's 1st two albums. They did a handful of dates in europe after the end. Bryan says he'll play a left out show again, but no one really cares anymore, "we've been forgotten."
There is some various songs that were recorded for various comps, the boot to head records one is the best as it features one21.
There is currently no plans for a return of the original left out band.
Allmusic reports that the band produces "some of the toughest and most energetic Christian music committed to album."[3]
The band shared many members with the Blamed and Crashdog, and at first seemed to be a side project of those bands,[2] but with their second release the group began to innovate their sound.[4] By their third album they had become, in the words of Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, "more like an actual band"[2] rather that a side project. One track of For the Working Class included Black Willie from the Christian rap group Cauzin' Efekt. One reviewer stated that the track proves that punk and rap don't mix, stating that Willie "sounds like a death metal singer who has been sucking on helium," and called it annoying and unsettling.[5] Lyrically the band was all over the spectrum, attacking everything from smoking to the goth scene.