Brock Lindow

36 Crazyfists were an American metalcore band formed in Anchorage, Alaska in 1994. The band's name comes from the Hong Kong martial arts film ''36 Crazy Fists'' (1977) starring Jackie Chan. To date they have released eight studio albums.

History

Early years (1994–1999)

36 Crazyfists formed in 1994 in Anchorage, Alaska. The original members were vocalist Brock Lindow, guitarists Steve Holt and Ryan Brownell, bassist JD Stuart, and drummer Thomas Noonan. Holt is from Kenai, and Lindow spent much of his childhood there. Lindow, Brownell, Stuart, and Noonan are all from Anchorage.

36CF originated from the remains of three local bands: Grin, Hessian, and Broke. JD Stuart played in Grin, Brock Lindow in Hessian, and Steve Holt and Ryan Brownell in Broke. One of the circumstances influencing the formation of 36CF was the murder of Broke's drummer Duane Monsen. On January 28, 1994, Broke played a set at the Underground bar in Anchorage. Later that night there was an altercation between Monsen and a drunken soldier who was stationed locally at Ft. Richardson. According to an article in the ''Anchorage Daily News'', Monsen tried to apologize and defuse the situation, but was fatally stabbed in the neck. He was 27 years old. In the wake of this tragedy, Monsen's friends organized a benefit concert to raise funds for his family. Monsen's protégé Thomas Noonan played the drums at this show and the musicians decided that they were an excellent match. In retrospect, it became the first 36CF performance.

36CF released their first EP, ''Boss Buckle'', in 1995 on cassette. At that time the band's local popularity was rising quickly and the tape became a rarity, with the entire printing sold or given away as promos. On May 13, 1996, 36CF opened for Primus at Egan Center in Anchorage. This concert was particularly interesting in a few ways. This was the one of the first times 36CF performed before an audience of thousands, though many locals were already familiar with the band's music. This was also the last show of Primus' Punchbowl tour and the last show for drummer Tim Alexander before his first hiatus from Primus.

36CF were planning to relocate to Tacoma, Washington, in search of professional recording contracts when another tragedy struck. On June 16, 1996, JD Stuart died in a car collision at age 23. This was a huge loss for the band because Stuart's musicianship and showmanship were a large part of the band's appeal. Nevertheless, the band persevered. At that time, Brownell retired from the band and the remaining members recruited bassist Mick Whitney, who is also from Anchorage. 36CF then relocated to the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area.

In 1997, the band released their second EP, ''Suffer Tree'', on cassette. Later that year they self-published full-length demo CD, ''In the Skin''. They next relocated to Portland, Oregon. In 1999, they released a four-song demo that, through their friends in Skinlab, ended up in the hands of Monte Conner, A&R rep at Roadrunner Records. In an interview with ''AntiHero Magazine'', vocalist Brock Lindow states that the demo was produced by Steev Esquivel and Scott Sargeant of Skinlab.

Roadrunner Records years (2000–2007)

Signed by Roadrunner Records in 2000, the band recorded their major debut album ''Bitterness the Star'' which was released on April 4, 2002. In support of its release they toured with bands such as Candiria, God Forbid, Chimaira, Diecast, and Hotwire. After touring the United States, they headed off to Europe to begin the European Road Rage Tour with Killswitch Engage and Five Pointe O.

The band re-emerged two years later, on March 16, 2004 with their second album '' A Snow Capped Romance'' which was produced by James Paul Wisner (who also produced albums for bands like Dashboard Confessional and As Friends Rust). They toured intensely behind the record (playing shows with acts like Killswitch Engage and Poison the Well) through December, taking two months off before beginning the work on their next album.

36 Crazyfists entered the studio with producer Sal Villanueva (who had worked with Thursday and Taking Back Sunday) in October 2005 to commence recording their third album '' Rest Inside the Flames'', which was released across Europe on June 12, 2006. Ultimately, Roadrunner decided not to release the album in North America. A deal with DRT Entertainment was later struck, and the album received a belated release on November 7, 2006.

The album was a success in the UK, with ''Rest Inside the Flames'' debuting at No. 71 on the UK Albums Chart, and reaching No. 2 on the BBC
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