| Tonie Joy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Anthony R. Joy |
| Genres | Punk rock, hardcore punk, indie rock, psychedelic rock, post-hardcore |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, bass |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Vermin Scum, Vermiform Records, Gravity Records, Gold Standard Laboratories |
| Associated acts | Moss Icon, Universal Order of Armageddon, Breathing Walker, Lava, Born Against, The Great Unraveling, The Convocation, The Pilgrim, Men's Recovery Project |
Anthony R. "Tonie" Joy is an American musician currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Joy is known for his work, most commonly as a guitarist, in several popular underground punk and indie rock bands. In addition, Joy runs the independent record label Vermin Scum.
Joy began playing music as a teenager. His early group Moss Icon helped define the Revolution Summer sound, the metamorphosis undergone by the first wave of American hardcore into early emo and post-punk-styled indie rock associated with the Washington, D.C. area.[1] Moss Icon were active until 1991. Shortly thereafter, Joy co-founded Universal Order of Armageddon, another influential, albeit short-lived, group. This era also saw Joy playing guitar in the groups Breathing Walker and Lava, two offshoots of Moss Icon, as well as serving as the bassist in the final lineup of the political hardcore band Born Against.
Joy's first appearance as a front man came in 1995 with The Great Unraveling, a band formed from the ashes of Universal Order of Armageddon. After their dissolution in 1997, Joy co-founded The Convocation Of..., who, despite a period of inactivity from 2002–2005, currently remain active under the name The Convocation.[2] Joy is also playing bass in the classic rock-styled band The Pilgrim, and was also an occasional member in the group Men's Recovery Project in the late 1990s.