progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen. and the departure of bassist Lerichard Foral. Lead guitarist Trent Hafdahl remains the sole remaining founding member. After The Burial is considered a key contributor to the development of subgenres such as

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal characterised by its use of off-beat and complex rhythm patterns. Its distinctive sound is that of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings. The name "djent" is an onomatopoeia of this s ...

,

progressive metalcore Progressive metalcore (also called technical metalcore or ambient metalcore) is a fusion of progressive metal and metalcore characterized by highly technical lead guitar, "atmospheric" elements, and complex instrumentation. Some notable pract ...

, and

deathcore Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with me ...

.

History

Formation and ''Forging a Future Self'' (2004–2007)

After the Burial was founded in 2004 by Nick Wellner, Trent Hafdahl, Justin Lowe (born Justin A. Lowe in

Flemington, New Jersey Flemington is a borough in and the county seat of Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Forging a Future Self'' was recorded in late 2005 and was released on March 1, 2006. It was distributed via Corrosive Records, though there was never an official record deal in place. They would later sign to Sumerian Records where Erickson and Wellner departed and Grant Luoma (of local act Nostalia) joined as vocalist. Eric Robles took Erickson's place as drummer but also departed before the recording of the band's second album.

''Rareform'' (2008–2009)

The band entered the studio in 2008 to record their second studio album '' Rareform''. All drum programming was done by the band's then current rhythm guitarist Lowe, while Hafdahl handled the lyrical writing duties due to the lack of output by then current vocalist, Luoma. Shortly after the release, vocalist Luoma was replaced. Anthony Notarmaso joined in his place, and the band recruited Dan Carle (also of Nostalia) on drums. In late 2008, the band supported

Suicide Silence Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California. The band was established in 2002, and has released six studio albums, three EPs, and nineteen music videos. They were awarded the ''Revolver'' Golden God award for "Bes ...

on The Cleansing The Nation Tour, and in early 2009, co-headlined a U.S. tour with

Veil of Maya Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, by members Marc Okubo and Sam Applebaum in 2004. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released six studio albums. Their first four albums are considered ...

. The band decided to re-release ''Rareform'' with Notarmaso's vocals in September 2009. It also included bonus content, such as live footage from a sold-out concert the band performed at. In 2018, the band did a 10-year anniversary tour for ''Rareform'', alongside

The Acacia Strain The Acacia Strain is an American metalcore band originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts. They are currently signed to Rise Records. The band has released ten full-length albums. History Forming in 2001, The Acacia Strain was started by h ...

.

''In Dreams'' (2010–2012)

The band's third full-length album, '' In Dreams'' was recorded and released in 2010 through Sumerian. In late 2010, the band supported

Winds of Plague Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being one of the few deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music. The band's name is derived from a section of ...

on The December Decimation Tour, and in 2011, headlined the Crush Em' All Tour 2. On March 14, 2011, an extended mix of the song "Pi (The Mercury God of Infinity)" was uploaded to YouTube.

''This Life Is All We Have'' EP and ''Wolves Within'' (2013–2014)

On April 2, 2013, Sumerian Records posted a re-mastered version of the song "A Steady Decline" and stated: "On April 1, 2006 After the Burial released their ground breaking album '' Forging a Future Self'', which helped shape the sound of modern metal. To celebrate seven years of shred ATB has released a new take on an old favorite!" On April 30,

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel for After the Burial's three song EP entitled ''This Life Is All We Have''. The EP includes the following re-mastered songs from ''Forging a Future Self'', featuring Anthony Notarmaso on vocals: "A Steady Decline", "Fingers Like Daggers", and "Redeeming the Wretched". During live shows in 2013, After the Burial began playing two new songs called "A Wolf Amongst Ravens" and "Anti-Pattern" from their yet to be released album. On November 5, 2013, Sumerian Records released the band's new song entitled "A Wolf Amongst Ravens" on YouTube and revealed the band's new album ''

Wolves Within ''Wolves Within'' is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal band After the Burial. It was released on December 17, 2013 through Sumerian Records, and is the band's last release to feature guitarist Justin Lowe before his departure i ...

'' being release on December 17, 2013. They also resigned to Sumerian Records. On November 18, 2013, the song "Of Fearful Men" was uploaded to YouTube and made available for purchase through iTunes and the entire album (''Wolves Within'') was released under Sumerian Records in December of the same year.

Justin Lowe's departure and death (2015)

Guitarist and founding member Justin Lowe officially announced he left the band on June 24, 2015, posting a lengthy statement on social media, in which he accused After the Burial, their record label (Sumerian Records) and most people in his life of being out to ruin him.

MetalSucks MetalSucks is a heavy metal music-themed news website. The site features reviews, interviews, information on latest metal releases and blog-like posts from the writers, most notably Vince Neilstein and Axl Rosenberg. History The site was foun ...

described his statement as "barely-coherent" and suspected it to be a result of "a paranoid episode". After the Burial responded to Lowe's open letter the following day, confirming he was under severe mental distress and requesting that their fans support Lowe during his time of recovery. Lowe was under care with his family at the time. On the evening of July 20, 2015, Justin Lowe was officially declared missing, and search efforts were put into place in order to find him. Lowe, aged 32, was found dead by a hiker on July 21, 2015 directly underneath the

Soo Line High Bridge The Soo Line High Bridge, also known as the Arcola High Bridge, is a steel deck arch bridge over the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minnesota and Somerset, Wisconsin, United States. It was designed by structural engineer C.A.P. Turner and ...

, just outside of

Somerset, Wisconsin Somerset is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, along the Apple River. The population was 2,635 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Somerset. History Somerset was named by General Samuel Harriman after his fath ...

, while his car was found on the Minnesota side of the bridge. Authorities stated that his death was consistent with a fall. It remains unknown if the fall was accidental or intentional. On July 27, the band released a statement on their Facebook page saying that they had decided not to perform on the Summer Slaughter tour in the wake of Lowe's passing, and that they needed time to recover from the loss of their friend.

''Dig Deep'' and Lee Foral's departure (2016–2017)

On October 29, the band streamed the new track "Lost in the Static" and also announced a tour starting on November 5 in San Diego, being followed by

The Faceless The Faceless are an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. They released their debut album, ''Akeldama'', in November 2006, and a follow-up, ''Planetary Duality'', in November 2008. The band's third a ...

,

Rings of Saturn The rings of Saturn are the most extensive ring system of any planet in the Solar System. They consist of countless small particles, ranging in size from micrometers to meters, that orbit around Saturn. The ring particles are made almost entirel ...

and

Toothgrinder Toothgrinder is an American progressive metal band from Asbury Park, New Jersey. History Original members Wills Weller, Justin Matthews, Matt Arensdorf, Jason Goss, and Matt Mielke met during high school and informally formed the band after the ...

. On New Years Day 2016, the band announced their new album '' Dig Deep'', which was released on February 19, 2016. On December 22, They were announced to be part of the Sumerian Records 10th Anniversary Tour with Born of Osiris,

Veil of Maya Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, by members Marc Okubo and Sam Applebaum in 2004. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released six studio albums. Their first four albums are considered ...

,

Erra Erra can refer to: * Erra (god), a Babylonian god * Erra, Estonia, a settlement in Sonda Parish, Ida-Viru County, Estonia * Erra, the purported home planet of the pleiadean aliens described by ufologist Billy Meier * Pizzo Erra, a mountain in Switz ...

and Bad Omens. The tour started on February 19 in Minneapolis. In June 2016, Lee Foral announced his departure to focus on his family. On December 3, 2016, Adrian Oropeza was announced as a full-time After the Burial member after the year of touring with them.

''Evergreen'' (2018–present)

On May 1, 2018, lead guitarist Trent Hafdahl announced on Instagram that the band had begun work on their sixth album. On July 20, recording wrapped up. On February 2, 2019, the band revealed that they would be shooting a music video for a song off the upcoming album the following weekend. On February 26, they released the music video for the album's first song "Behold the Crown" and also announced that their sixth album ''

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

'' would be released on April 19, 2019. After the Burial supported

Parkway Drive Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. As of 2018, Parkway Drive have released six studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The ...

and

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast (band), Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joe ...

on their "Collapse the World" tour throughout the Spring of 2019. Vein also took part on the show as support. After the Burial opened up for

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

on their "Shaped by Fire" tour with

Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled '' The Comp ...

in the fall of 2019. After the Burial, Carnifex,

Rivers of Nihil Rivers of Nihil is an American technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. To date the band has released two EPs and four studio albums. Their most recent release is 2021's '' The Wor ...

, and Undeath supported The Black Dahlia Murder on their tour "Up From the Sewer" in the summer of 2021. In spring 2022, the band went on a tour with

Thy Art Is Murder Thy Art Is Murder is an Australian deathcore band from Blacktown, Sydney, that formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Chris "CJ" McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, drummer Jesse Beahler and bassist Kevin Butler. Thy Art I ...

as a co-headliner. In November 2022, it was announced that the band would be touring in 2023 with

Spiritbox Spiritbox is a Canadian heavy metal band from Victoria, British Columbia. Husband and wife duo guitarist Mike Stringer and vocalist Courtney LaPlante established Spiritbox in 2017. The band's full lineup comprises LaPlante, Stringer and drummer ...

and

Intervals Interval may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers ** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to arbitrary partially ordered sets * A statistical level of measurement * Interval e ...

.

Musical style

After the Burial's musical style has been described as

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

,

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

,

deathcore Deathcore is an extreme metal subgenre that combines death metal with metalcore. The genre consists of death metal guitar riffs, blast beats, and metalcore breakdowns. While there are some precursors to the concept of death metal fused with me ...

, and

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal characterised by its use of off-beat and complex rhythm patterns. Its distinctive sound is that of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings. The name "djent" is an onomatopoeia of this s ...

.

Members

Current * Trent Hafdahl – lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–present); rhythm guitar, programming (2015–present) * Anthony Notarmaso – lead vocals (2008–present) * Dan Carle – drums (2008–present) * Adrian Oropeza – bass (2016–present) Former * Greg Erickson – drums (2004–2006) * Nick Wellner – lead vocals (2004–2007) * Eric Robles – drums (2006–2008) * Grant Luoma – lead vocals (2007–2008) * Justin Lowe – rhythm guitar, programming (2004–2015; died 2015); drums (2008) * Lerichard "Lee" Foral – bass (2004–2016) Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Music videos

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:After the Burial 2004 establishments in Minnesota American deathcore musical groups Metalcore musical groups from Minnesota American progressive metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2004 Musical quartets Sumerian Records artists