Kylesa
Kylesa is an American sludge band.
Band History
The band was late 2000/early 2001 in Savannah ( Georgia) by guitarist and singer Philipp Cope, bassist Brian Duke and drummer Christian Depken founded, who had previously played in the Crustcore band Damad. Depken was already after a short time replaced by Brandon Baltzley, the first line-up was completed in early 2001 with singer and guitarist Laura Pleasants, a native of North Carolina Punkette. The band's name is derived from " Kilesa - Mara " from what is written in Buddhism for the five demons of depravity. This was followed by the single " Point of Stillness / Judgement Day" and a split EP with Memento Mori. The recordings for the debut album was overshadowed by the death of founding member Brian Duke, who died as a result of an epileptic seizure. With his successor, Corey Barhorst the recordings for the first album Kylesa could be finished, which was released in April 2002 Prank Records. A live performance by Kylesa in 2003 was, according to John Baizley the initial impetus for the founding of the sludge band Baroness, which was supported in the following years, in particular by Kylesa guitarist Phillip Cope.
After the group had released several singles and EP 2004 No Ending 110 Degree Heat Index, a record deal with the independent label Prosthetic Records in late 2004/early 2005 could be signed. The U.S. music magazine Spin led Kylesa as one of the " Next Big Things" in 2005. In March 2005, the second album To Walk a Middle Course appeared. Shortly after leaving drummer Brandon Baltzley personal reasons the band. Kylesa implemented the existing since the foundation of group idea to play with two drummers who were with Jeff Porter and Carl McGinley found in early 2006. With this lineup the third album Time Will Fuse Its Worth was recorded. 2008 Jeff Porter was replaced by Eric Hernandez, in March 2009 released their fourth studio album Static Tensions. Until then, Kylesa had sold in the U.S. alone some 75,000 albums. In early 2010 Kylesa was taken from the French independent label Season of Mist under contract, in autumn 2010 the fifth album Spiral Shadow was published. In the spring of 2013, the sixth studio album Ultraviolet followed.
Style
The band combines classic heavy metal with influences of doom metal, stoner rock and punk rock. A trademark is the use of three equal singers, in which alternate yelp vocals with clean vocals and the voice of singer Laura Pleasants. The idea is borrowed from hip-hop. In addition, is unusual in that the band is working with two drummers playing at the same time and are parallel to each other to be heard on the left and right stereo channel. Their music is less catchy than the time of the friendly Mastodon and more rooted in heavy metal as the genre colleagues of Baroness. The band itself is called the music of Neurosis, Kyuss, the early Pink Floyd or Black Sabbath as key influences.
Discography
Albums
- Kylesa (2002, Prank Records)
- To Walk a Middle Course (2005, Prosthetic Records )
- Time Will Fuse Its Worth (2006, Prosthetic Records )
- Static Tensions (2009, Prosthetic Records )
- Spiral Shadow (2010, Season of Mist )
- From The Vaults Vol 1 (2012, Season of Mist )
- Ultraviolet (2013, Season of Mist )
Singles, EPs
- Points of Stillness / Judgement Day (2002, Prank Records), single
- The New Normal (2002, Hyper Realist ), split EP with Memento Mori
- Delusion on Fire / Clutches (2002, Scorched Earth Policy ), single
- No Ending (2004, Prank Records ) EP
- Unknown Awareness (2009, Prosthetic Records ), single