Ben Koller (born July 29, 1980) is an American drummer who has played with
Converge
Converge may refer to:
* Converge (band), American hardcore punk band
* Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body
* Limit (mathematics)
* Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines
*CONVERGE CFD s ...
,
Mutoid Man
Mutoid Man is an American heavy metal band formed in 2012 in Brooklyn, New York City by Cave In vocalist/guitarist Stephen Brodsky, Converge drummer Ben Koller and bassist Nick Cageao (with High on Fire bassist Jeff Matz replacing Cageao in 202 ...
,
Killer Be Killed
Killer Be Killed is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in early 2011. The lineup also features Mastodon bassist and co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge ...
and All Pigs Must Die. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.
Musical career
Early bands (1997–1999)
Koller played in the bands Where's Ben? and Bastian, before playing in the grindcore band Force Fed Glass. He started playing for the band in 1997. Converge guitarist
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou (born February 1, 1974) is an American musician and producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for hardcore punk band Converge and for his prolific recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio.
Early an ...
, who is also a successful producer, recorded an album for Force Fed Glass. Ballou later started a side project called Blue/Green Heart and selected Koller as his drummer having already been familiar with his talent from Force Fed Glass. Blue/Green Heart only released one demo album, ''Self Esteem Through Modern Science''.
Converge (1999–present)
Koller joined Converge in late 1999, replacing John DiGiorgio.
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou (born February 1, 1974) is an American musician and producer based in Massachusetts, best known as the guitarist for hardcore punk band Converge and for his prolific recording and production work at his own GodCity Studio.
Early an ...
selected Koller to temporarily fill-in while Converge searched for a more permanent replacement for Bellorado, as he was familiar with his work in previous bands, Force Fed Glass and Blue/Green Heart, a band that Ballou and Koller played in together. After working well with the band during some local shows in Boston, Converge made him an official member. Koller's first studio release with Converge was 2001's ''
Jane Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are ofte ...
'' released through
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
The label originally existed solel ...
.
All Pigs Must Die (2009–present)
All Pigs Must Die is a heavy metal band composed of Kevin Baker of
The Hope Conspiracy
The Hope Conspiracy is an American hardcore punk band from Boston formed in late 1999. They were picked up by Equal Vision Records and Bridge 9 Records before signing a deal with Deathwish Records.
Biography
With the help of Mark Thompson of ...
and Ben Koller in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label of Shirts & Destroy. Their debut EP, which was recorded at Ballou's GodCity studios, was released in October 2010. In 2011, they released their first full-length called ''God Is War''.
Mutoid Man (2012–present)
Koller recorded some songs as a two-piece band with
Stephen Brodsky
Stephen Brodsky is an American rock musician best known as a member of Cave In, Mutoid Man, New Idea Society and Old Man Gloom. He also has a solo career and is a former member of Converge, Kid Kilowatt, Parasite and Pet Genius.
History
Stephe ...
of
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...
in mid-2012 under the name Mutoid Man. The project was properly announced in March 2013, and its debut EP, ''Helium Head'', was released in November 2013 through
Magic Bullet Records
Magic Bullet Records was an American independent record label specialising in punk rock, heavy metal music, heavy metal and experimental music.
History
Magic Bullet records was founded in 1996 by Brent Eyestone, in order to release an album by Bo ...
. Describing the sound of the new project, Brodsky said, "The material picks up from where we left off with the Cave In ''Shapeshifter/Dead Already'' cassingle, written with Ben in the band. The two of us ran with that sound and formula and took it as far as we could go." Koller and Brodsky were later joined by bassist Nick Cageao to form a three-piece band, and released their first full-length album ''Bleeder'' on June 30, 2015 through
Sargent House
Sargent House is an American management company and record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and also owns a music video production company called Ref ...
. The band released their second full-length album, ''
War Moans
''War Moans'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mutoid Man, released on June 20, 2017 through Sargent House.
Track listing
Personnel
Mutoid Man
*Stephen Brodsky - Lead vocals, guitar, additional engineering
*Nick Cagea ...
'', in June 2017.
Additional projects and contributions
In 2005,
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...
drummer John-Robert Conners left the band after a wrist injury that prevented him from being able to play. Ben Koller became his temporary replacement during Cave In's tour in support of their fourth studio album, ''
Perfect Pitch Black
''Perfect Pitch Black'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cave In. The album was released on September 13, 2005 through Hydra Head Records, and was the band's final release before going on hiatus in 2006. Cave In later reformed in ...
''. Before the group went on hiatus in 2006, the band recorded two songs with Koller. The two songs, "Dead Already" and "Shapeshifter", were released together on a limited edition
cassette single
A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was first introduced in 1980.
History
The debu ...
sold during 2005 and 2006 tours. Conners returned to Cave In when they reunited in 2009.
Acid Tiger
Acid Tiger is an American rock supergroup composed of Ben Koller (Converge, All Pigs Must Die), Lukas Previn (Thursday, United Nations), Adam Wentworth ( Bloodhorse, All Pigs Must Die) and J. Rattlesnake.
Previn described the band as hav ...
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
side project with Lukas Previn (
The A.K.A.s
The A.K.A.s, a.k.a. The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) is a band that started in Pittsburgh then followed in New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They call their music "dancehall fight music"Bloodhorse / All Pigs Must Die), and J Rattlesnake. Previn described the band as having, "no plan or guideline for us other than getting our friends in a room and playing all the riffs we had that didn't work for the other bands we are in." Acid Tiger signed to Deathwish Inc. in July 2009, and released their self-titled debut on April 27, 2010.
In 2010, Koller became the temporary touring replacement for John-Robert Conners in his side project
Doomriders
Doomriders is an American stoner/ sludge metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has released three albums on Deathwish, Inc. The band's vocalist/guitarist Nate Newton also plays bass in Converge and guitar in Old Man Gloom. Jebb Riley ...
.
He filled in for
Killer Be Killed
Killer Be Killed is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in early 2011. The lineup also features Mastodon bassist and co-vocalist Troy Sanders and Converge ...
's drummer Dave Elitch for their 2015 Soundwave performance. He later became the full time drummer on July 30, 2015.
Koller recorded in 2017 an album with
The Armed
The Armed (often iconized as ⋈) are an American anonymous hardcore punk collective formed in Detroit, Michigan in 2009. They often feature guests including instrumentalists on their releases. These include Chris Pennie, Nick Yacyshyn, Ben Kol ...
.
Discography
With Force Fed Glass
* ''When Backs Are Turned, Knives Are Pulled'' (1998)
* ''The Self Destruct EP'' (1999)
* ''Discography'' (2003)
With Blue/Green Heart
* ''Self Esteem Through Modern Science'' (2001)
With Converge
;
* ''
Jane Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are ofte ...
No Heroes
''No Heroes'' is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on October 24, 2006 by Epitaph Records. The album was produced by guitarist Kurt Ballou, and the artwork was created by vocalist Jacob Bannon.
''No Heroes'' re ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Axe to Fall ''Axe to Fall'' is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Converge, released on October 20, 2009, by Epitaph Records. It is the band's most collaborative album, featuring a number of guest musicians, including members of Cave In and G ...
The Dusk in Us
''The Dusk in Us'' is the ninth studio album by American metalcore band Converge. It was released on November 3, 2017, via Epitaph Records and Deathwish Inc, and is the band's first studio album in five years since 2012's ''All We Love We Leave ...
'' (2017)
With Cave In
* "Dead Already" / "Shapeshifter" (2005)
With United Nations
* ''
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Acid Tiger
Acid Tiger is an American rock supergroup composed of Ben Koller (Converge, All Pigs Must Die), Lukas Previn (Thursday, United Nations), Adam Wentworth ( Bloodhorse, All Pigs Must Die) and J. Rattlesnake.
Previn described the band as hav ...
God Is War
''God Is War'' is the first full-length studio album by the American band All Pigs Must Die (band), All Pigs Must Die. It was produced by Kurt Ballou and released on August 16, 2011 through Southern Lord Records.
Track listing
Personnel
;All P ...