Damien Zev Moyal (born September 25, 1976) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer.
Originally from
Amstelveen
Amstelveen () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands with a population of 92.353 as of 2022. It is a suburban part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area.
The municipality of Amstelveen consists of the historical villages o ...
, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, Florida where he notably fronted such
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
,
metallic hardcore
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 ...
and
melodic hardcore bands as
Shai Hulud,
As Friends Rust,
Morning Again
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching m ...
,
Culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
,
Bird of Ill Omen and
Bridgeburne R
Damien Zev Moyal (born September 25, 1976) is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer. Originally from Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida wher ...
.
Moyal has been based in
Ann Arbor
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
, Michigan since 2006 and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named
gothic rock
Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...
/
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
band
Damien Done
Damien Done is an American post-punk/ gothic rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Formed in Gainesville, Florida in 2002 as a semi-eponymously-named solo project by frontman Damien Moyal, the group has since been expanded to include other band mem ...
.
Moyal's early musical projects include the hardcore punk act U.S. Decline (1992–1993), the hardcore group Insist (1993), the metallic hardcore band Reach (1993–1994), and the
groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...
project HandOverFist (1994). He next joined established
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
straight edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...
metallic hardcore band Culture, which he fronted from 1994 to 1995, then again from 1996 to 1998, recording music for such record labels as
Uprising Records,
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
,
Toybox Records
Toybox Records was a record label from Gainesville, Florida and Chicago, Illinois that existed from 1992 to 1997. It was started by Sean Bonner when he lived in Bradenton, Florida, shortly before moving to Gainesville. The label closed when he liv ...
and Conquer the World Records. Moyal later took part of Culture's reunion from 2012 to 2016, which saw material released through
Eulogy Recordings
Eulogy Recordings is an American independent record label established in early 1997 by hardcore guitarist John Wylie. The record company was founded in Cooper City, Florida but its headquarters moved around in various parts of Broward County, ...
. Following his first exit from Culture in 1995, he co-founded the
melodic metallic hardcore band Shai Hulud (1995–1996), participating in its demo recording and helping the band get signed to
Revelation Records. Moyal's vocal and lyrical contributions to Shai Hulud were released by such record labels as Revelation Records,
Crisis Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side, Chain of Strength, Shelte ...
,
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
,
Sub City Records,
Trial & Error Records
Trial & Error Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Victoria. It is one of Australia's largest hardcore labels. The label is owned and run by Mindsnare bassist, Nigel Melder. As of 2019 Trial and Error are no longer relea ...
and
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
.
While still in Shai Hulud, Moyal teamed up with ex-Culture members to launch the metallic hardcore band Morning Again (1995–1996). The band recorded material for Conquer the World Records and Good Life Recordings, which again lead to getting signed by Revelation Records. Moyal has since performed with Morning Again at a handful of reunion shows in 1999, 2002 and 2014. After quitting Shai Hulud and being fired from Morning Again, Moyal started the
sludge-metallic hardcore band Bird of Ill Omen (1996–1997), but left before any studio material could be tracked.
Moyal's lyrics were later used by Bird of Ill Omen's second vocalist for material released by Eulogy Recordings. While still in Bird of Ill Omen, Moyal joined the melodic hardcore side-project As Friends Rust (1996–1997), which broke up after recording a demo tape.
In 1997, Moyal relocated to
Gainesville, Florida, where Culture had moved the year prior, and there reformed As Friends Rust (1997–2002), which quickly became his principal project for the next five years, releasing music through such labels as Good Life Recordings,
Doghouse Records,
Initial Records
Initial Records was an independent record label in Louisville, Kentucky, that was founded in 1992. The label released music by Falling Forward, Boysetsfire and Ink & Dagger, and created the annual weekend long music festival, Krazy Fest.
Hist ...
,
Big Wheel Recreation
Big Wheel Recreation was an independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was formed in the fall of 1994 by Rama Mayo and Dickie Cummings. Started as a hobby, Big Wheel became a fully functioning record label in 199 ...
,
Defiance Records
Defiance Records was a record label based in Cologne, Germany, which was the German and European distributor of several American and international post-hardcore and punk bands. The label was founded in 1994 and closed down in 2013.
Artists
List o ...
and
Equal Vision Records. Moyal again reformed As Friends Rust in 2008, and the band has remained active into the 2020s. When Culture broke up in 1998, Moyal and several of its members teamed up with members of
Assück
Assück was an American grindcore band from Saint Petersburg, Florida, active from 1987 to 1998.
History
Assück was founded by vocalist Paul Pavlovich and guitarist Steve Heritage. The band went through several line-up changes, in particular ...
to form the short-lived metal band Some Sort of Radio (1998–1999), and in 1999, he and members of As Friends Rust formed the old-school hardcore punk side-project Bridgeburne R (1999–2000). Following his departure from As Friends Rust in 2002, Moyal founded the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk solo project Damien Done, which eventually expanded into a full band. After returning to Miami in 2004, he took part of the acoustic folk duo Goodnight at the End of the Tunnel with
Kaleb Stewart (2005), and the short-lived metallic hardcore band Best Wishes (2006). In 2006, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and formed the DJ duo Old Man Underground (2008). Moyal reunited with ex-Culture members in the metallic hardcore band On Bodies (2009–2017), which released music through Eulogy Recordings and Demons Run Amok Entertainment. Since 2022, Moyal has been part of the
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
band Ekstasis with drummer
Fred Estby
Fred Estby (born 14 March 1972) is a Swedish drummer. He is best known as the drummer and main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dismember. Before he played drums in the band Carnage. Estby appeared in various other projects including ...
.
Background
Early bands: U.S. Decline, Insist, Reach and HandOverFist (1992–1994)
Moyal's first band was named U.S. Decline, a
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
group based in Miami, Florida, which he joined in 1992, at the invitation of his friend, drummer Steve Blanchard.
Most of the band's members had previously played under the name Midget Stew, but with a different vocalist.
When Moyal came into the picture, the new line-up named itself U.S. Decline, and also included guitarists Sal Lopez and Francis Alvarez, and bass guitarist Sky Rheam, with whom the vocalist would continue to play in his next two bands.
Although the band recorded rehearsal demos with Moyal, U.S. Decline would not perform any shows, nor enter a studio to record a proper demo tape (''The Empty Fight for Freedom''), until mid-1993, by which time Scott Pellicane had been recruited as lead vocalist.
In 1993, Moyal and Rheam formed a heavier Miami hardcore band named Insist.
The band also included future Makeshift and Sunday Driver vocalist and guitarist Alex Martinez, guitarist Manny Avila, and drummer Doron Lev.
Insist played its first and only show on September 11, 1993, sharing the stage with U.S. Decline (with Pellicane on vocals), Sloth and The Staggers.
The band also recorded a rehearsal demo tape which was not circulated.
In October 1993, Moyal, Rheam and Avila left Insist to form a new
metallic hardcore
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 ...
band named Reach.
Reach also included drummer Louie Long (who would later play in Culture and
Morning Again
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching m ...
) and co-lead vocalist Joel Pelkey, both of whom had played in another metallic hardcore band, Organized Pain, with guitarist
John Wylie (who also later played in Culture and Morning Again).
Reach played its first and only show on November 27, 1993, again sharing the stage with Sloth and The Staggers, and with
Tension (the latter of which featured guitarist Wylie and bass guitarist
Matt Fox, with whom Moyal would later play in
Shai Hulud).
In the summer of 1994, Moyal briefly sang in the
groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...
project HandOverFist, which featured former Trauma members, guitarist John Paul Guy and drummer Alex Garbutt.
Culture (1994–1995, 1996–1998, 2012–2016)
Moyal joined established
Pompano Beach, Florida-based
metallic hardcore
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 ...
band Culture in September 1994.
The band was formed by ex-
Timescape Zero and Ego Trip guitarist
Richard Thurston
Richard Thurston (born January 6, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter and mixed martial artist. Thurston was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Florida in his late teens. He notably performed in such hardcore and metalcore bands ...
in December 1993 and had already gone through several member changes, including three prior vocalists, and then included ex-
Tension and Organized Pain guitarist
John Wylie.
Culture had also previously recorded and released a demo tape and a 7" vinyl single earlier in 1994, and the band was getting ready to enter Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach, Florida with producer Jeremy Staska to track a full-length.
With Moyal newly on board, Culture embraced a
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
and
straight edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated sXe or signified by XXX or X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs, in reaction to the excesses of punk subculture. For some, thi ...
identity and recorded its debut album ''Born of You'' with Staska.
Unsatisfied with the first-recorded version, Culture wrote a handful of new songs and returned to re-recorded the full-length two more times within two months with Staska.
Moyal was going through a difficult break-up at the time and implemented many of the depressive themes he was facing in the lyrics of the new songs.
The third version of the album was sent to Redford, Michigan-based hardcore record label Conquer the World Records, which quickly signed the band and released the album on compact disc and 12" vinyl in June 1995.
Culture returned to the same studio in the spring of 1995 to record four new songs, intended for a series of Various Artists compilations and a split 7" vinyl with emo band Roosevelt for Vero Beach, Florida-based record label Intention Records.
One of the songs from this recording session was used on the Laguna Beach, California-based record label
Uprising Records' Various Artists compilation ''Ceremony of Fire''.
By the time that Culture's ''Born of You'' album was released, however, tensions with guitarist Wylie had forced Moyal out of the band.
The band toured in promotion of ''Born of You'' during the summer of 1995 with vocalist
Louie Long
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, Veganism, vegan, anti-religious and Anti-statism, anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Cultu ...
,
and afterwards re-recruited its original vocalist
Mark Mitchell.
''Born of You'' became successful, and was reissued a number of times by such record labels as
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
, Demons Run Amok Entertainment and Contraband Goods. Following a poorly-received tour in the summer of 1996, promoting the band's ''Deforestation'' EP (which featured lyrics written by Moyal prior to his departure), Culture relocated to Gainesville, Florida and asked Moyal to return as the band's vocalist.
With Moyal back in the band, Culture was immediately signed to Belgium's
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
and Chicago, Illinois'
Toybox Records
Toybox Records was a record label from Gainesville, Florida and Chicago, Illinois that existed from 1992 to 1997. It was started by Sean Bonner when he lived in Bradenton, Florida, shortly before moving to Gainesville. The label closed when he liv ...
.
The band promptly entered Goldentone Studio in December 1996 to re-record two old songs with producer Rob McGregor, planned for a 7" EP (they were later included as bonus tracks on their ''Heteronome'' EP).
During the winter of 1997, Culture did a series of mini-tours on the east coast and midwest of the United States.
In February 1997, Culture recorded three new songs at Goldentone for a split with Belgian
metallic hardcore
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 ...
band Kindred.
In May 1997, Culture returned to the same studio again to record three new songs for the ''Heteronome'' EP.
Culture toured the United States during June 1997, playing such festivals as the
Syracuse Hardcore Festival, in Syracuse, New York and the Indianapolis Hardcore Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Culture then embarked on a three-week tour of Europe, including a show at
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Ypres, Belgium, accompanied by Kindred in support of their split release and ''Heteronome'' EP on Good Life Recordings.
Upon returning home, Culture's line-up changed, resulting with the departure of original guitarist Thurston and drummer Jason Dooley.
The band recruited former Morning Again bass guitarist
Christopher "Floyd" Beckham and Roosevelt drummer
Timothy Kirkpatrick
Timothy James Kirkpatrick (born June 11, 1978) is an American drummer. Originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Kirkpatrick played in punk band Shaft and emotional hardcore bands Roosevelt and Burgundy in his teens. After moving to Gaines ...
.
With the new line-up, Culture returned to Goldentone to record seven songs with McGregor; five re-recorded from ''Born of You'', one new song and a cover of
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
's "Fed Up", intended for a release titled ''Reborn of You'', or ''Mike Warden Can Suck It'' (a pun on Judge's ''
Chung King Can Suck It
''Chung King Can Suck It'' is a limited-pressing colored vinyl album by New York City band Judge, containing the original version of what was to be the ''Bringin' It Down'' album. The title of the album is a direct insult to the Chung King recor ...
'').
The release was stuck in limbo at Toybox Records and was never properly released.
In November and December 1997, Culture was booked for a month-long tour of Europe with American punk rock band
Gang Green, but were kicked off when the latter objected to playing shows with a straight-edge band.
Culture instead performed at the Chicago Hardcore Festival in Chicago, Illinois and
Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida in December 1997.
Culture was booked for a two-month North American tour with New York hardcore band Shutdown during April and May 1998, but their van broke down on their way to the first show and they had to pull out.
Culture returned to Europe for a four-week tour in August and September 1998, which included another stop to play the
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Ypres, Belgium, but broke up shortly afterwards.
Culture has since regrouped for a series of reunions, beginning in September 2012, followed by August–September 2013, July 2014, June–July 2015 and July 2016.
In September 2012, a compilation of previously unreleased material and demos, titled ''From the Vaults: Demos and Outtakes 1993–1998'', was released by Eulogy Recordings on compact disc and Ghetto Josh Records and New Ethic Record Co-Op on 12" vinyl. Twelve of the nineteen songs on the compilation feature Moyal on vocals. In March 2015, the band recorded a new EP for United Kingdom-based record label Carry the Weight Records.
Shai Hulud (1995–1996)
In the late summer of 1995, Moyal joined up with guitarists
Matt Fox and Dave Silber and drummer Jason Lederman to form metallic hardcore band
Shai Hulud.
Lederman was quickly replaced by
Steve Kleisath and rhythm guitarist
Oliver Chapoy
Oliver Chapoy is a musician/multi-instrumentalist/producer who resides in Brooklyn, New York. Oliver is known for his work as a former co-writer/collaborator with Experimental Pop group Warm Ghost, the instrumental band Saxon Shore and his colla ...
joined when Silber moved to playing bass guitar.
With this line-up, Shai Hulud recorded 6 songs with producer Jeremy Staska at Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, and shortly after played its first show at a Halloween party on October 31, 1995, at
Discount's rehearsal warehouse.
Shai Hulud's demo tape was received by Rob Moran, an A&R representative at
Revelation Records' subsidiary
Crisis Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side, Chain of Strength, Shelte ...
(and who also played bass guitar for metallic hardcore band
Unbroken). The band was promptly signed in early 1996 and a 7" vinyl of the recorded material was planned, but tensions between Moyal and Fox led to Moyal's voluntary departure.
At the time of his departure, in the spring of 1996, Moyal recommended fourteen year old
Chad Gilbert take his place as the band's new vocalist.
Moyal's original lyrics were used on two of the three songs from Shai Hulud's debut EP, ''
A Profound Hatred of Man
''A Profound Hatred of Man'' is an extended play by hardcore punk band Shai Hulud, released on February 18, 1997, on the independent label Crisis Records. In 2006, Revelation Records released a remastered version of the album which also include ...
'', released on February 18, 1997, by Crisis Records, as well as on four of the nine songs from the band's debut LP, ''
Hearts Once Nourished with Hope and Compassion'', released on November 4, 1997, by Crisis Records.
In August 2001,
Sub City Records and
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
released the song "Sauve Qui Peut" from Shai Hulud's 1995 recording session on their Various Artists compilation ''
Plea for Peace/Take Action''.
All of the original 1995 recordings were later included on the band's compilation album, ''
A Comprehensive Retrospective: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Release Bad and Useless Recordings'', which was first announced in 2000 and planned for release through Fox's record label, Ides of March. After considerable delay, the compilation was ultimately released through Revelation Records on January 25, 2005.
In addition to the demo, the release also includes four rehearsal recordings with Moyal on vocals and a phone message left by Moyal on Fox's answering machine.
The band's original recording of the song "Hardly", with Moyal on vocals, was also released on a Various Artists compilation by Australian record label
Trial & Error Records
Trial & Error Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Victoria. It is one of Australia's largest hardcore labels. The label is owned and run by Mindsnare bassist, Nigel Melder. As of 2019 Trial and Error are no longer relea ...
in 2005.
Moyal has since provided guest vocals on Shai Hulud's song "Medicine to the Dead", which appeared on the band's fourth studio album ''
Reach Beyond the Sun
''Reach Beyond the Sun'' is the fourth studio album by hardcore punk band Shai Hulud, released on February 15, 2013 in Europe and on February 19 in the U.S. through Metal Blade Records. It has been met with positive reviews.
Track list
Credits
...
'', released on February 15, 2013, by
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
.
Morning Again (1995–1996, 1999, 2002, 2014)
![Morning Again at Cheers 1996 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Morning_Again_at_Cheers_1996_1.jpg)
In December 1995, while Moyal was still a member of Shai Hulud, he was recruited to front a new metallic hardcore band formed by ex-Culture members, guitarist
John Wylie and drummer
Louie Long
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, Veganism, vegan, anti-religious and Anti-statism, anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Cultu ...
.
Although Moyal and Wylie had suffered conflicts of interest in Culture six months prior, the two hoped to reconcile, which in turn inspired the lyrics to
Morning Again
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching m ...
's first song, "Turning Over".
Morning Again was completed with guitarist
Michael Wolz
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, Veganism, vegan, anti-religious and Anti-statism, anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Cultu ...
and bass guitarist
Eric Ervin
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, Veganism, vegan, anti-religious and Anti-statism, anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Cultu ...
, and the band quickly wrote five songs and entered Studio 13 in January 1996 to record its debut EP, ''
The Cleanest War
''The Cleanest War'' is the debut extended play by American metallic hardcore band Morning Again. It was released on May 15, 1996, by American record label Conquer the World Records, initially on compact disc, and subsequently on 12" vinyl and d ...
'', with producer Jeremy Staska.
Two months later, the band returned to the same studio to record two songs for an eponymous 7" vinyl for Intention Records.
The 7" was released on May 1, 1996, while ''The Cleanest War'' was released on compact disc and 12" vinyl through Conquer the World Records on May 15, 1996.
The band then embarked on a two-week tour in promotion of its first two releases, playing shows up the East Coast and Midwest of the United States and into Canada.
Upon returning home, Moyal was kicked out of the band due to recurring conflicts with Wylie.
Morning Again gained international popularity and became the first American band signed to Belgian record label
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
in late 1996.
Good Life Recordings promptly released the compilation ''
Hand of Hope'' on compact disc and 12" vinyl in January 1997, which included all of the band's recorded material with Moyal on vocals.
The same songs were later reissued on the compact disc compilation ''
Hand of the Martyr
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching mem ...
'', co-released by
Eulogy Recordings
Eulogy Recordings is an American independent record label established in early 1997 by hardcore guitarist John Wylie. The record company was founded in Cooper City, Florida but its headquarters moved around in various parts of Broward County, ...
and Alveran Records on April 30, 2002, to coincide with a Morning Again reunion show. Moyal's songs were repackaged again on the 12" vinyl compilation ''I'', released by Germany's Demons Run Amok Entertainment on September 25, 2015.
Moyal has sporadically performed reunion shows with Morning Again
In December 1999, he joined the band to perform two secret shows under the names Hand of Hope and Cleanest War; the first at Club Q in Davie, Florida, the second at
Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida.
On June 15, 2002, Morning Again performed another reunion show with Moyal under the name Hand of Hope at the Orlando Magicfest in Orlando, Florida.
Moyal last performed with Morning Again at
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
, Belgium on August 9, 2014.
Fork in the Road and Bird of Ill Omen (1996–1997)
Two months after being dismissed from Morning Again, Moyal formed
North Miami
North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University, and the North Miami campu ...
, Florida-based
sludge metal
Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...
/
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 ...
band Fork in the Road, which quickly changed name to Bird of Ill Omen.
The band also included guitarists
Joseph Simmons (who would later play in Morning Again, Culture and As Friends Rust) and José Martinez (later of Poison the Well), bass guitarist Thomas Rankine (who would later play in As Friends Rust and
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three s ...
) and drummer George Rios (formerly of
doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
band
Floor
A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load ...
).
Martinez, Rankine and Rios had previously played in the emo band Crestfallen earlier that year.
While writing a full-length album's worth of material during most of late 1996 and early 1997, Bird of Ill Omen played local shows with Shai Hulud, Morning Again,
Discount,
Strongarm,
Vision of Disorder
Vision of Disorder is an American hardcore punk, hardcore/metalcore band from Long Island, New York, that initially released three albums before disbanding in 2002. The band garnered attention for blending melody and groove into a traditional ha ...
,
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American hardcore punk band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993 the band's longest serving members are vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ian Edwards ...
,
Zao and
Cavity
Cavity may refer to:
Biology and healthcare
*Body cavity, a fluid-filled space in many animals where organs typically develop
**Gastrovascular cavity, the primary organ of digestion and circulation in cnidarians and flatworms
*Dental cavity or too ...
.
By late 1996, Moyal was shuffling his time between North Miami-based Bird of Ill Omen, Davie-based As Friends Rust, and Gainesville-based Culture.
Bird of Ill Omen's membership was revised when former Morning Again bass guitarist
Peter Bartsocas
As Friends Rust is an American melodic hardcore band based in Gainesville, Florida. The original line-up, which included vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez and drummer Matthew Crum, formed in Davie ...
(who would also later play in As Friends Rust) replaced Martinez in November 1996, and the band recruited second vocalist, Rob Ogman.
In March 1997, Simmons was kicked out of Bird of Ill Omen, after he was asked to join Morning Again as their new guitarist.
The band quickly recruited Andrew Logan, who had played in Crestfallen.
Moyal was displeased about Simmons' firing, as it had been done without his knowledge while he was out of town with Culture, which lead to his quitting the band.
By this time, the band had written half a dozen songs with Moyal for a planned full-length debut.
The band's new vocalist, William Shane Post, used Moyal's original lyrics for three of the six songs on Bird of Ill Omen's debut album, ''Self, Dare You Still Breathe?''.
The album was released on compact disc in February 1998 by Eulogy Recordings, on 12" vinyl in July 1998 by Think Tank Records, and on compact cassette in October 2021 by Contraband Goods.
The band also used the band logos which Moyal had designed on most of their releases and merchandise.
As Friends Rust (1996–1997, 1997–2002, 2008–present)
![As Friends Rust at Cheers 1996](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/As_Friends_Rust_at_Cheers_1996.jpg)
In September 1996, while still a member of Bird of Ill Omen and having recently rejoined Culture, Moyal teamed up with guitarist
Henry Olmino, bass guitarist
Jeronimo Gomez and drummer
Matthew Crum to form the
Davie, Florida-based
melodic hardcore band
As Friends Rust.
The band was named after lyrics from the song "Now Ruin Is", penned by Moyal in 1995, originally planned as a Shai Hulud song, but ultimately used as a Bird of Ill Omen song.
As Friends Rust recorded six songs at Wisner Productions in November 1996 with producer James Paul Wisner, using three of them on a well-circulated demo tape. By the spring of 1997, this incarnation of As Friends Rust had fallen apart as Moyal dedicated more time to Culture and Bird of Ill Omen; Olmino, Gomez and Crum opted to continue playing together in the bands Red Letter Day, and later,
The Rocking Horse Winner and The Darling Fire, while Gomez also played with
Poison the Well Poisoning the well (or to poison the well) is a logical fallacy.
Poisoning the well may also refer to:
*Well poisoning, the literal meaning of the phrase
*"Poisoning the Well", a ''Stargate Atlantis'' episode
*Poison the Well (band), a hardcore pu ...
.
Moyal reformed the band after moving to Gainesville, Florida, with then-members of Culture.
In March 1998, As Friends Rust recorded the song "Home Is Where the Heart Aches" at Goldentone with producer Rob McGregor; three members of
Hot Water Music provided backup vocals on the recording.
The new song was combined with four songs from the 1996 recording session to make up the band's debut EP, ''
The Fists of Time
''The Fists of Time'' is the debut extended play by American melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust. It was originally released by Belgian record label Good Life Recordings on July 13, 1998, on compact disc and 10" vinyl. American record label Do ...
'', released by
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
on compact disc and 10" vinyl in July 1998.
The cover art of ''The Fists of Time'' was designed by Moyal.
In promotion of the new line-up, recording and forthcoming release, the band embarked on a five-week tour of the United States in June and July 1998, accompanied by
Discount and
Dillinger Four.
The tour included stops to perform at such festivals as More Than Music in Columbus, Ohio, Tin Can Full of Dreams in Lawrence, Massachusetts and Wilkes-Barre Festival in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
![As Friends Rust at 33 Tyler Street 2000 8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/As_Friends_Rust_at_33_Tyler_Street_2000_8.jpg)
After a slight line-up change, As Friends Rust returned to Goldentone to record "The First Song on the Tape You Make Her" with McGregor.
The song would appear on a
split CD and 7" vinyl with Discount, released by Good Life Recordings in December 1998. The two bands toured Europe from December 1998 to January 1999, in promotion of the release and accompanied by Swedish hardcore band Purusam.
In the spring of 1999, As Friends Rust was signed to American record label
Doghouse Records and a month later returned to Goldentone to record six songs with McGregor.
The new material was released on a
self-titled compact disc and 8" vinyl by Doghouse Records in September 1999; the European version was erroneously promoted under the title ''
God Hour'' by Good Life Recordings during the summer of 1999.
As Friends Rust toured the east coast of the United States during three weeks in June 1999 accompanied by acoustic musician Keith Welsh.
The tour included stops to play the Wilkes-Barre Summer Music Festival in Kingston, Pennsylvania and
Syracuse Hell Fest in Syracuse, New York.
The band quickly followed up with a five-week European tour in July and August 1999, playing at such festivals as Good Life Midsummer Hardcore Festival in Kuurne, Belgium, Festival Hardcore in Sant Feliu De Guíxols, Spain and
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Ypres, Belgium.
The European tour was intended to be shared with Hot Water Music, but due to disagreements, the two bands booked separate tours.
In October 1999, Japanese record label Howling Bull Entertainment released the compact disc compilation ''
Eleven Songs'', which included a selection of the band's recorded material from 1996, 1988 and 1999.
In December 1999, the band played
Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida. A December 1999-January 2000 tour with The August Prophecy and Dragbody was booked but cancelled at the last minute.
![As Friends Rust at The Star & Garter 2000 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/As_Friends_Rust_at_The_Star_%26_Garter_2000_7.jpg)
During the first half of 2000, As Friends Rust went on mini tours with New Jersey hardcore band Fast Times and Washington D.C. hardcore band
Good Clean Fun, and also played The Copper Sun Indie Records Winter Festival in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Detroit Festival, in Detroit, Michigan and
Krazy Fest 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. In June 2000, Doghouse Records re-issued ''
The Fists of Time: An Anthology of Short Fiction and Non-Fiction'' on compact disc, 12" vinyl and digitally. As Friends Rust immediately embarked on a four-week tour to promote the release, playing shows across the entire United States with Virginia hardcore band
Strike Anywhere. The tour included such festivals as Mixed Messages in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Pheer Festival, in College Park, Maryland and
Hellfest 2K in Auburn, New York (which As Friends Rust did not play due to a last-minute change in venue).
In July 2000, Good Life Recordings invited As Friends Rust back to Europe for a week's worth of shows in Belgium and the Netherlands, including a performance at
Dour Festival
Dour Festival is an annual music festival in the municipality of Dour, Belgium. Since its creation in 1988, the festival has grown to an attendance of about 225,000 in 2015 (over 5 days). The first year, only five bands were programmed (includin ...
in Dour, Belgium and another at Metropolis Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In mid-August 2000, the band returned to Europe for a full five-week tour, which included a handful of cross-over shows with Canadian hardcore band
Grade and New Jersey hardcore band
Ensign. This European tour also included stops at
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Ypres, Belgium and TurboPunk Festival, in Poznań, Poland. Tensions during the European tour caused three of the five members of As Friends Rust to quit the band.
![As Friends Rust at Underground 2001 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/As_Friends_Rust_at_Underground_2001_3.jpg)
Moyal again reconstructed the band, recruiting former Culture, Crucible and Morning Again bass guitarist
Christopher "Floyd" Beckham, former
Twelve Tribes
The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( he, שִׁבְטֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל, translit=Šīḇṭēy Yīsrāʾēl, lit=Tribes of Israel) are, according to Hebrew scriptures, the descendants of the biblical patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, throu ...
drummer Alexander Vernon and future
Rehasher
Rehasher is a punk rock band based in Gainesville, Florida, signed to No Idea Records. Although started as a band, Rehasher became the solo side project of ska punk band Less Than Jake bass player/back up and lead singer Roger Lima as their l ...
bass guitarist Guillermo Amador.
This line-up recorded two songs at Goldentone with McGregor in February 2001, both of which were released as ''
Morningleaver / This Is Me Hating You'' by Doghouse Records as part of its 7" vinyl Fan Series in March 2001.
After further line-up changes, As Friends Rust record its debut full-length ''Won'' in July 2001, with producer James Paul Wisner at Wisner Productions.
Former As Friends Rust drummer Matthew Crum contributed additional percussion, while backing vocals were provided by
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three s ...
bass guitarist Chad Neptune.
''Won'' was delayed by several months, ultimately being released in October 2001, in the United States by Doghouse Records, in Japan by Howling Bull Entertainment and in Europe by German record label
Defiance Records
Defiance Records was a record label based in Cologne, Germany, which was the German and European distributor of several American and international post-hardcore and punk bands. The label was founded in 1994 and closed down in 2013.
Artists
List o ...
.
As Friends Rust began touring full-time in support of ''Won'', starting with an American summer tour supported by Vangard,
Keepsake and
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three s ...
in August and September 2001.
The last leg of the American tour was cut short due to the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
in New York City,
but the band managed to perform at Orlando Magic Festival in Orlando, Florida, Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and Philly Music Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
As Friends Rust then reunited with Strike Anywhere for a five-week European tour from October to December 2001. In promotion of these shows, British record label Golf Records reissued the band's earlier compilation album ''
Eleven Songs'' on compact disc. A highlight performance at
London, England
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
's
Camden Underworld from November 16, 2001, was filmed and later
released on video and DVD by British record label Punkervision in December 2002.
As Friends Rust played its last show of 2001 at
Gainesvillefest in Gainesville, Florida.
In February 2002, As Friends Rust recorded six songs at Wisner Productions with producer James Paul Wisner, as part of a one-off loan-out to
Equal Vision Records.
Tension within the band resulted with Moyal recording his vocals separately, without the other four members' presence.
A week later, Moyal quit As Friends Rust, citing dissatisfaction with touring and wanting to focus on school, but encouraged the band to find a new vocalist and continue under the established name.
At the time of his departure, As Friends Rust was already in the midst of booking an entire year's worth of tours.
The final recordings with Moyal were released on ''
A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times'' in May 2002 on compact disc and 12" vinyl by Equal Vision Records in the United States and Defiance Records in Europe. As Friends Rust continued on with Beckham initially taking over vocal duties, until
Adam D'Zurilla
As Friends Rust is an American melodic hardcore band based in Gainesville, Florida. The original line-up, which included vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez and drummer Matthew Crum, formed in Davie, Fl ...
came in as proper vocalist.
The band honored its touring obligations throughout the summer, but by September 2002, the remaining members opted to rename the band Salem.
![As Friends Rust at The Atlantic 2008-12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/As_Friends_Rust_at_The_Atlantic_2008-12.png)
In March 2008, Moyal announced that As Friends Rust would regroup for a series of European shows. It was further revealed that the band would be performing with its 1998–2000 line-up, for a total of six European shows (including Ieperfest) and a single American show in Gainesville, Florida.
In 2011, Moyal announced that As Friends Rust had begun to demo new material, though the band was not satisfied with the material. In 2014, As Friends Rust travelled to Asia for the ''Japan Tour 2014'', which spanned from June 12–15, 2014, supported by Japanese hardcore bands Endzweck, Noy and Nervous Light of Sunday.
In promotion of the tour, Japanese record label Cosmic Note released a compact disc best of compilation titled ''
Greatest Hits?'', which included a selection of the bands recordings from 1996 to 2002, hand-picked by Moyal.
The compilation was also released on compact cassette by Indonesian record label D'Kolektif in December 2014, and on 12" vinyl by Dutch record label Shield Recordings in April 2015.
As Friends Rust played three shows in 2015: the first at
Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York; the second at
Groezrock
Groezrock was an annual music festival that took place in Meerhout, Belgium. It started as a small rock and pop festival with one stage and a few hundred people attending, but evolved into a large punk rock/hardcore punk festival, with attendan ...
in Meerhout, Belgium; the last at
The Fest in Gainesville, Florida.
In May 2015, German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment released
'' The Porch Days: 1998 to 2000'' on 12" vinyl. The release compiled all of the band's studio recordings from 1998 to 2000, as well as previously unreleased live recordings of two of the three songs composed-but-never-properly-recorded by the band with that line-up.
As Friends Rust performed three shows in 2019: one at The Kingsland in Brooklyn, New York, and two on the same day at Molotow in Hamburg, Germany as part of the Booze Cruise Festival.
Later that year, they recorded two new songs, their first in nearly two decades, which were released in July 2020 on the 7" vinyl ''Up From the Muck'' by Unity Worldwide Records. In September 2021, Moyal revealed in an interview that As Friends Rust was working on a new full-length album.
Bridgeburner R (1999–2000)
In the summer of 1999, Moyal teamed up with As Friends Rust bass guitarist and backing vocalist
Kaleb Stewart, Radon drummer Bill Clower, and ex-Speak 714 guitarist Eryc Simmerer, to form the hardcore punk band Bridgeburne R.
The band recorded eight songs at Goldentone Studios with Rob McGregor in September 1999: "T.V. Gone Awry", "Girls Up Front!", "OK, One Positive Song, But That's It.", For the Kidding", "Hardcore Means I'm Not Allowed to Smile", "Myth of Terrorism", "Holocaust Revisionism" and "We Mean Business".
The material would only be released an entire year later by Belgian record label Genet Records, on the band's sole album, a compact disc titled ''What Do You Know About Bridgeburne R? 1986-1992 The Singles Collection''.
To market the release, the band took on a fictional persona as a defunct hardcore punk act from Texas, once active from 1986 to 1993 (according to the album liner notes), or 1984 to 1994 (according to the press release).
The liner notes proclaimed the release as a collection of songs lifted from its out-of-print records from the late 1980s and early 1990s, including split 7" vinyls with Born Against and Nausea (band), Nausea.
The press release also proclaimed that Bridgeburne R had headlined tours with such supporting acts as Black Flag (band), Black Flag,
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...
,
Negative Approach,
Biohazard
A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bioh ...
and
Nuclear Assault between 1985 and 1994.
To support the album, Bridgeburne R embarked on a real three-week European tour, which spanned from September to October 2000, accompanied by American hardcore band Fall Silent.
Stewart, however, quit the band a week before the tour (at the same time as he quit As Friends Rust); Mykel Tre Beaton replaced him as bass guitarist for the tour.
![Damien Done in 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Damien_Done_in_2018.jpg)
Rubbers and Damien Done (2002–present)
After leaving As Friends Rust in February 2002,
Moyal began working on solo material under the moniker Rubbers.
Rubbers was renamed Damien Done and the band was immediately signed to Belgian record label
Good Life Recordings
Good Life Recordings is a Belgian independent record label which was founded in 1996 by Edward Verhaeghe, who had been the lead vocalist of Nations on Fire. The label specializes in hardcore punk bands. It has released albums by the majority of the ...
.
Handling vocals and acoustic guitar, Moyal recruited drummer and keyboardist
Matthew Crum, then member of
The Rocking Horse Winner; electric guitarist Juan Montoya, formerly of
Floor
A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the expected load ...
and
Cavity
Cavity may refer to:
Biology and healthcare
*Body cavity, a fluid-filled space in many animals where organs typically develop
**Gastrovascular cavity, the primary organ of digestion and circulation in cnidarians and flatworms
*Dental cavity or too ...
and later of
Torche; and electric guitarist and bass guitarist James Paul Wisner to record the six-song debut EP ''
Love Thongs'' in September 2003.
Wisner also engineered and produced the session.
''Love Thongs'' was scheduled for release through Good Life Recordings as a CD and DVD combo package in April 2004, but the release remained stuck in limbo for over a decade.
![Damien Done at Whisky's Unrockbar 2018 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Damien_Done_at_Whisky%27s_Unrockbar_2018_4.jpg)
While awaiting the release of ''Love Thongs'', Moyal recruited several new musicians, including former
I Hate Myself drummer Jon Marberger; former Shai Hulud, Cavity,
108 108 may refer to:
* 108 (number)
* AD 108, a year
* 108 BC, a year
* 108 (artist) (born 1978), Italian street artist
* 108 (band), an American hardcore band
* 108 (emergency telephone number), an emergency telephone number in several states in Ind ...
,
Against All Authority and
Where Fear and Weapons Meet drummer (and then-member of
Hazen Street
Hazen Street (also typeset Hazen St.) is an American supergroup that formed in early 2004. The band features Freddy Cricien and Hoya Roc (Madball); Toby Morse ( H2O), David Kennedy (Box Car Racer, Over My Dead Body, later Angels & Airwaves), ...
and
Until the End) Jason Lederman;
former Where Fear and Weapons Meet,
Dashboard Confessional and
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
bass guitarist Dan Bonebrake;
and former
Glasseater
Glasseater was a post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. ...
guitarist (and future
Poison the Well Poisoning the well (or to poison the well) is a logical fallacy.
Poisoning the well may also refer to:
*Well poisoning, the literal meaning of the phrase
*"Poisoning the Well", a ''Stargate Atlantis'' episode
*Poison the Well (band), a hardcore pu ...
touring guitarist)
Ariel Arro.
With Arro, Damien Done recorded a cover of Integrity's song "Eighteen", which was released on Escapist Records' Various Artists compilation ''Harder They Fall: Tribute to Integrity'' in February 2007.
''Love Thongs'' was eventually renamed ''
Stay Black'' and was finally released on 12" vinyl by German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment in July 2016.
Demons Run Amok Entertainment simultaneously released a 7" vinyl of two newly recorded Damien Done songs: "He Really Tried" and "And Now the Rain"
The new songs featured drummer
Timothy Kirkpatrick
Timothy James Kirkpatrick (born June 11, 1978) is an American drummer. Originally from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Kirkpatrick played in punk band Shaft and emotional hardcore bands Roosevelt and Burgundy in his teens. After moving to Gaines ...
, formerly of
Moments in Grace; bass guitarist Mike Hasty, formerly of
Walls of Jericho; and electric guitarist Juan Montoya.
Hasty also engineered and produced the session.
![Damien Done in 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Damien_Done_in_2019.jpg)
In December 2016, Moyal rebuilt the band with former
Child Bite
Child Bite is an American punk/metal band formed in 2005 in Detroit, Michigan. The band's core members are founding vocalist Shawn Knight and longtime bassist Sean Clancy. Child Bite's sound has been described as "enormous and predatory, from th ...
drummer Benjamin Moore, former Earthmover guitarist Andrew Dempz, and bass guitarist Laura Jane Leonard. In 2017, the band was signed to California-based record label Mind Over Matter Records,
releasing in September of that same year a 7" vinyl single of two new songs: "Curious Thing" and a cover of
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
's "Primitive".
Damien Done follow-up with ''
Charm Offensive
Charm offensive may refer to:
* ''Charm. Offensive.'', a 2017 album by Die!_Die!_Die!
* '' Charm Offensive'', a 2018 album by Damien Done
* ''Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive
''Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive'' is a British radio comedy p ...
'', the band's first full-length album, released on 12" vinyl by Mind Over Matter Records in March 2018.
The album was released on 12" vinyl in Europe by Belgian record label Hypertension Records, and promoted through a nine-date European tour in August 2018.
The band kicked-off their European tour by playing at
Ieperfest
Ieperfest is a Belgian hardcore music festival held in Ypres ( nl, Ieper). The summer edition of the festival was first held in September 1992, then annually each August from 1994 to 2018 (no summer event was held in 1993). Since 2019, the summ ...
in Ypres, Belgium, followed by shows in Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and England.
On Valentine's Day 2020, Damien Done released the digital EP ''Baby, Don't Hearse Me''; an 11" screen-printed vinyl version was released by Mind Over Matter Records a month later. The band quickly followed up with the ''To Night'' EP, released digitally in May 2020; a tape edition was released by Contraband Goods in October 2020, while Mind Over Matter Records and Speedowax Records co-released a double 7" vinyl version a year later in October 2021.
In November 2020, Damien Done released the three-song EP ''Demos from the Year 2020'', which includes working versions of the band's forthcoming full-length album. In February 2021, Damien Done released the single "
Nightclubbing", a cover of the 1977
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
song.
On Bodies (2011–2017)
![On Bodies at Nishi-Ogikubo Flat 2015-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/On_Bodies_at_Nishi-Ogikubo_Flat_2015-1.jpg)
In 2011, Moyal rejoined former Culture member
Richard Thurston
Richard Thurston (born January 6, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter and mixed martial artist. Thurston was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Florida in his late teens. He notably performed in such hardcore and metalcore bands ...
to start up the metallic hardcore band On Bodies, which the pair had been discussing since 2009. After tracking nine songs as a two-piece for their debut EP ''Planet Hospice'' (with Thurston playing all the instruments), the band was immediately signed to John Wylie's record label
Eulogy Recordings
Eulogy Recordings is an American independent record label established in early 1997 by hardcore guitarist John Wylie. The record company was founded in Cooper City, Florida but its headquarters moved around in various parts of Broward County, ...
. On Bodies recruited drummer Julio Marin and guitarists
Chip Walbert and Chad Kishick (with Thurston assuming bass guitarist duties) in time for the EP-release shows in February 2012.
''Planet Hospice'' was released on CD by Eulogy Recordings and on vinyl by American Enemy Records.
The full band next recorded five songs for their sophomore EP, ''The Long Con'', released after some delay in May 2013 on vinyl through German record label Coffee Breath and Heartache, and much later, again on vinyl through American record label Irish VooDoo in March 2015.
Irish Voodoo also released the band's third EP, ''Unremarkably Mortal'', on vinyl in August 2015, which was again recorded as a two-piece band (with Thurston playing all the instruments).
In March 2015, On Bodies embarked on a Japanese tour promoting a compilation of their second and third EPs, ''Unremarkably Mortal + The Long Con'', released on compact disc through Cosmic Note.
The band by then consisted of Moyal on vocals, Thurston and Zachary Colina on guitars, Josh King on bass and former Culture drummer Joshua Williams. Later that year, Williams was replaced by Boone Haley and King was replaced by Megan Schroer. German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment released the compilation ''Unremarkably Mortal + The Long Con'' on vinyl in September 2015.
Ekstasis (2022–present)
In April 2022, Moyal teamed up with Canadian multi-instrumentalist David Williams to form the
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
band Ekstasis.
The pair recorded a four-song demo, which included the tracks "Magmatic Decimation", "Paralyzing Impermanence", "Holes" and the
Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Valar, from Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main antagonist of ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Children of Húrin'', ''Beren and Lúthien'' and ''The Fall of Gondolin''.
...
cover "Eternal Sanctity";
the material was eventually released as the band's debut extended play, ''Paralyzing Impermanence'', on cassette tape and digitally through American record label Unspeakable Axe Records, on October 28, 2022.
After the recording of the demo, but before it was released, the band recruited Swedish drummer
Fred Estby
Fred Estby (born 14 March 1972) is a Swedish drummer. He is best known as the drummer and main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dismember. Before he played drums in the band Carnage. Estby appeared in various other projects including ...
,.
Other bands and guest contributions
One of Moyal's lesser-known bands was Some Sort of Radio,
a metal project which was active from late 1998 to early 1999, and featured guitarists
Joseph Simmons and Robert Proctor (from
Assück
Assück was an American grindcore band from Saint Petersburg, Florida, active from 1987 to 1998.
History
Assück was founded by vocalist Paul Pavlovich and guitarist Steve Heritage. The band went through several line-up changes, in particular ...
), bass guitarist Gordon Tarpley, and drummer Bradley Bulifant.
The band was named after an unreleased As Friends Rust song, and although recordings of rehearsals exist, Some Sort of Radio never entered a studio nor played a show.
Moyal and
Kaleb Stewart also collaborated on a number of projects outside of As Friends Rust and Bridgeburne R. In autumn of 2002, Moyal co-produced Stewart's band
Grey Goose
The waterfowl genus ''Anser'' includes the grey geese and the white geese. It belongs to the true geese and swan subfamily (Anserinae). The genus has a Holarctic distribution, with at least one species breeding in any open, wet habitats in th ...
's ''Love'' EP, which was originally planned for release on Good Life Recordings, but was shelved by the record company (in a similar situation that Damien Done would go through a year later).
Moyal also contributed vocals to a number of songs on the release.
In January 2005, Moyal and Stewart formed an acoustic folk duo named Goodnight at the End of the Tunnel, which recorded the single "Lately It's the Cross", produced by Moyal.
In May 2005, Moyal produced and contributed vocals and synthesizers to Stewart's acoustic project Bread Riot.
In March 2002, shortly after departing from As Friends Rust, Moyal contributed guest vocals to Gainesville pop punk band Loyal Frisby's song "Deceitful Happiness and Made Up Pain".
The song was recorded at Goldentone Studios with Rob McGregor and was released in May 2002 on Loyal Frisby's split CD with Rick Derris and Mindlikewater.
In September 2003, Moyal invited guitarist Juan Montoya to contribute to Damien Done's ''Love Thongs'' EP.
In return, Montoya invited Moyal to contributed guest vocals to his band Pandabite's song "Painkiller", which was recorded that same month at The Dungeon with producer Jeremy Dubois, and released on their sole EP ''Doom Box'' later that year.
In 2006, shortly before relocating to Ann Arbor, Michigan, Moyal briefly played in the Miami, Florida metallic hardcore band Best Wishes.
The band included guitarists
Chip Walbert and
Ariel Arro, bass guitarist Chad Kishick, and drummer Brian Ray.
Throughout 2008, Moyal (under the pseudonym DJ Done) and Nik Fortman (under the pseudonym Dead Nik) hosted a series of old-school punk and metal nights named Old Man Underground.
The events were held several times a month in various clubs around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan.
In 2015, Moyal contributed guest vocals to Belgian metalcore band Deconsecrate's song "Planetary Holocaust"; the track was released on the album ''Nothing Is Scared'', through Good Life Recordings in May 2015. In 2016, Moyal contributed guest vocals to French metalcore band Lazare's song "Mass Murder of Clear Minds"; the track was released on the album ''From Hate... With Love'', through French record label Terrain Vague on October 14, 2016.
In 2019, Moyal contributed guest vocals to American artist Nathaniel Shannon & The Vanishing Twin's song "Mater Suspiriorum", which appeared on the concept EP ''The Three Mothers'', released by Aqualamb Records on October 20, 2020. In 2021, Moyal contributed guest vocals to American electro-pop artist La Femme Pendu's song "La Somnambule", which appeared on her album ''Vampyr'', released on October 22, 2021.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moyal, Damien
1976 births
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male singers
20th-century Dutch male singers
20th-century Dutch musicians
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American male singers
21st-century Dutch male singers
21st-century Dutch singers
21st-century Dutch musicians
Album-cover and concert-poster artists
American designers
American heavy metal singers
American lyricists
American male guitarists
American male singers
American male singer-songwriters
American male songwriters
American people of Jewish descent
American punk rock singers
American rock guitarists
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
American spoken word artists
Artists from Florida
As Friends Rust members
Culture (American band) members
Damien Done members
Dutch artists
Dutch heavy metal singers
Dutch male guitarists
Dutch male singers
Dutch male songwriters
Dutch people of Jewish descent
Guitarists from Florida
Guitarists from Michigan
Hardcore punk musicians
LGBT rights activists from the United States
Living people
Morning Again members
Musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan
Musicians from Gainesville, Florida
Musicians from Miami
Post-hardcore musicians
Shai Hulud members
Singer-songwriters from Florida
Singer-songwriters from Michigan
American veganism activists