House vs. Hurricane

House Vs. Hurricane were an Australian progressive post-hardcore band from Melbourne, Victoria formed in 2006. In 2008, the group released their debut EP entitled Forfeiture,^[1] which received positive reviews and Australian airplay.

The band released their debut studio album, Perspectives, which was released in March 2010. They completed on an Australian/New Zealand tour in support of the new album, they took part in farewell tour called The Moving On Tour for the lead singer Chris Dicker who had recently announced that he was leaving the band. In December 2011 they announced his replacement, Dan Casey from Louis Blanc (previously known as Nazarite Vow) and released Crooked Teeth in July 2012 before broke up the following year.

Biography

Early years (2006-2008)

The band formed in the suburb of Bayswater in Eastern Melbourne, Victoria. and were initially named Beyond Mine, aiming to meld their differing musical influences (post-hardcore acts such as Alexisonfire, Thrice, Saves the Day, Chiodos, alternative rock band Circa Survive, avant-garde such as Björk, and hardcore in the vein of As Cities Burn.^[2]

Forfeiture EP (2008)

They gained national attention when they won the 2008 FATE Battle of the Bands competition which featured 144 bands from all over Australia.^[3] They subsequently recorded and released their first extended play (EP) entitled Forfeiture through El Shaddai Records. The band also filmed a music video for the title track, shot in the decommissioned Old Geelong Gaol in Geelong, Victoria and directed by Ryan Chamley.^[4]

In mid-2008 drummer Liam Disher was kicked out, and bassist Adam Meyers also left after the Severed Ties tour with The Amity Affliction. In February 2009 Drew Allen and Sam Osborne joined the band as the new bassist and drummer, respectively.

House Vs. Hurricane embarked on their first major tour in May 2008 supporting metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada on their Australian tour. During July and August 2008 they featured on the Turn Up The Heat Tour of Australia with Gold Coast band Mourning Tide. The event was sponsored by Destroy All Lines and Atticus Clothing. They also joined the Severed Ties tour with fellow Australian bands The Amity Affliction, A Secret Death and Rex Banner.

In 2009, they opened for Welsh metalcore band Bullet for My Valentine in January and performed on the Melbourne leg of the Soundwave festival in February. The band also featured on the bill of the Pushover 09' concert in Melbourne along with fellow Australian bands Parkway Drive and Behind Crimson Eyes.

In early 2009 the band embarked on their first headlining club tour, performing along the Australian east coast and in Adelaide, supported by fellow Melbourne band City Escape and Wollongong natives Mary Jane Kelly. Following the tour's success, the band organized a second east coast headlining tour beginning in June 2009. Joining them was Adelaide band Nazarite Vow.

Perspectives (2008–2010)

In 2008, House Vs. Hurricane announced via their MySpace page that they were currently writing new material for their upcoming full-length studio album, which was planned to be recorded by the end of 2009.^[5]

The band flew to United States in November 2009 to record their debut album with producer Brian McTernan.^[6] They spent six weeks recording at McTernan's Salad Days studio in Baltimore.

Perspectives was mixed in by Samuel Johnson (music producer) at Three Phase studios in Melbourne, Australia.^[7]

The song "Forfeiture" appeared on the compilation Take Action! 8 on the Australian special edition, released on 15 May 2009 to roughly coincide with the Take Action! Australian Tour.^[8]

Two months after joining House Vs. Hurricane bass player Drew Allen decided to leave the band. He was replaced by Dylan Stark of the band A Fallen Theory. As seen in the "Salad Days Studio Diaries" series (posted on YouTube), the band continuously calls him "Dildo", as well as hazing him frequently. Drummer Sam Osbourne also commented that Stark is very quiet.

In January, House Vs. Hurricane signed with Australia's Shock Entertainment and released their debut studio album, Perspectives, in Australia and New Zealand on 5 March. House Vs Hurricane have also announced a national Australian/New Zealand tour in support of their new album which starts in March. The band will receive support from Antagonist A.D., Mary Jane Kelly and Skyway, though there will be no support from these bands for Perth, Tasmania and New Zealand.^[9]

On 25 May 2010, the band announced that they must delay their New Zealand leg of the tour from July to later this year.

House Vs. Hurricane then returned to Australia in December for the first year of the festival No Sleep Til, playing with bands such as Megadeth, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Parkway Drive, A Day To Remember, GWAR, Atreyu, Descendents, Alkaline Trio, Frenzal Rhomb, Me First and the Gimme Gimme's, Suicide Silence, August Burns Red, Katatonia, 3 Inches of Blood, We Came As Romans & Confession.

During November 2010 the band embarked on a UK tour supporting the Alternative band Flood Of Red

Split with Joey & Chris, Crooked Teeth and breakup (2011–2013)

House Vs Hurricane in January 2011 posted on Myspace that they had kicked out their keyboardist Joey Fragione and that they would also be doing an Australian tour in March with Your Demise & Nazarite Vow. They also wrote they should be releasing their second album in late 2011. They have started pre-production for their second album.

In October 2011, the band announced that vocalist Chris Dicker was leaving the band after a national tour.^[10] His farewell show was held 9 December 2011 at EV's Youth Centre Croydon in the band's hometown.^[11]

In December 2011, it was announced that Mclerie would become a permanent member of the band Antiskeptic. However, Mclerie would still remain a full member of House Vs. Hurricane. Speaking on his addition to Antiskeptic, vocalist Andrew Kitchen stated that, "we wouldn’t even think of asking them (Mclerie and new bassist Tavis Wardlaw) to break off from either of their homes so to speak…I told Ryan that it was much much less of a commitment than House Vs Hurricane. We’re not looking at getting back to the days of fifty gigs in a year, we’re just looking at bringing it back to maybe ten or fifteen depending on what opportunities come up." ^[12]

On 12 February 2012, the band announced via their official Facebook page that in a few weeks they would be heading to The Machine Shop in NJ to record their new album, entitled 'Crooked Teeth', which was released by UNFD on 13 July 2012. This was the first release by the band to feature their new vocalist, Dan Casey, who is also the vocalist of the South Australian hardcore band Louis Blanc (previously known as Nazarite Vow).

House Vs Hurricane announced that they were breaking up on 11 June 2013, and played their last show on the 1st of December, 2013 in Adelaide.

Line-up

Final lineup

• Christopher "Chris2" Shaw - lead guitar (2006–2013) (Currently in Dream On, Dreamer)
• Ryan "Riz" McLerie - clean vocals, rhythm guitar (2006–2013)
• Dylan Stark - bass (2009–2013) (Currently in Hellions)
• Sam Osborne - drums, percussion (2008–2013)
• Dan Casey - lead vocals (2011–2013)

Past members

• Liam Disher - drums (2006–2008)
• Adam Meyers - bass guitar (2006–2008)
• Drew Allen - bass guitar (2008–2009)
• Joey Fragione - keyboard, piano (2006–2011)
• Chris Dicker - lead vocals (2006-2011)

Discography

Studio albums

• Perspectives (2010, Shock Entertainment)
• Crooked Teeth (2012, UNFD)

EPs

• Forfeiture (2008, El Shaddai Records)

Demos

• Demo 2007 (2007)

External links

• Billboard.com
• House Vs. Hurricane at MySpace

References