''Project 86'' is the debut album of the American band
Project 86
Project 86 is an American metal band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The band has released ten albums, which have collectively sold nearly 500,000 units worldwide, two EPs, two DVDs, and one live album.
In 1998, BEC Recordings ...
. It was released on June 16, 1998 on
BEC Recordings
BEC (Brandon Ebel Company) Recordings is a Christian rock record label that is an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. The label was formed in 1997 in partnership with the EMI Christian Music Group.
The label promotes bands with more adult Christi ...
, the Christian imprint of
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a Christian rock record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington where it is situated today. It is home to many well-known musical acts, including Undero ...
. This album established Project 86 as one of the more promising hardcore/metal groups in the Christian music scene.
According to one critic, Project 86 became "one of the few Christian acts to gain exposure to the general market" by the turn of the millennium.
The album sold over 30,000 copies before the release of the
band's second album in the year 2000.
Style and content
''Project 86'' features a
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
styled vocal delivery over hard-edged, downtuned guitars.
While the music itself was not heavily influenced by
hip hop,
vocalist Andrew Schwab was a fan of the
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx, New York City.
In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip ...
scene.
Partly due to this influence, and the popularity of
rapcore
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, res ...
at the time of this album's release, many reviewers classified the album with that genre.
Others saw the prominent influence of other hard music genres such as
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
,
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
, and
speed punk.
Their music, which was said to "take passion and intensity to a unique level,"
was matched with a "gloomy lyrical perspective."
The closing cut, "When Darkness Reigns," exemplifies the form,
which one reviewer called a "climate of
pitch black darkness."
Christian reviewers noted that this was
introspection
Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies on the observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may refer to the examination of one's sou ...
, one stating that the lyrics deal with "wrestling with the inner man and life core issues."
Themes of
apathy
Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of intere ...
,
guilt
Guilt may refer to:
*Guilt (emotion), an emotion that occurs when a person feels that they have violated a moral standard
*Culpability, a legal term
*Guilt (law), a legal term
Music
* ''Guilt'' (album), a 2009 album by Mims
* "Guilt" (The Long Bl ...
, and
oppression
Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination ...
appear on the album; one reviewer described these as the vocalist as wearing his "wounded heart on his ragged sleeve."
For his part, Schwab states, "there were a lot of things that I was going through, personal struggles, life issues."
The same reviewer went on to state that the album wasn't really dark, but "merely honest."
The music video for their song "Pipe Dream" received rotation on
The Box and later
MTV2.
The album features
Sonny Sandoval
Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of metal band P.O.D.
Biography
Sandoval was born in San Diego, California. to a Chamorro-Hawa ...
of
P.O.D.
P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
on "Six Sirens". Frontman
Andrew Schwab
Andrew Schwab is the lead singer for the band Project 86. He is also a graphic designer, calligrapher, author, and hosts Pioneers Podcast: Finding Your Creative Voice.
Project 86
In 1996, Schwab formed Project 86 with, Matt Hernandez, Ethan Luc ...
stated that
P.O.D.
P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
was an influence and of all Christian bands the one he most respected.
"The Warriors Tour" later featured P.O.D., Project 86, and
Blindside.
As for rapcore, the band maintains that it was never their intention to become associated with the genre. "You wouldn't call
Beck a rapper, even though he raps,"
Schwab once told an interviewer. Guitarist
Randy Torres
Randy Torres is a guitarist, drummer, keyboardist and background vocalist from Seattle. He has previously played for the bands Project 86, a Christian rock group, and Crash Rickshaw. He has filled in as rhythm guitarist for the band Demon Hunter ...
echoed the sentiment, stating, "I feel the new wave of rapcore is both predictable and boring" in a year 2000 interview.
Their follow up effort, ''
Drawing Black Lines
''Drawing Black Lines'' is the second studio album by the American band Project 86. The success of their debut, especially the song "Pipe Dream", attracted the attention of several major record labels. Originally released on BEC Recordings on Mar ...
'', followed and expanded upon the style of "Pipe Dream" most closely.
Originally released for a generic Christian compilation titled ''Moms Like Us Too Vol. 1'' (Tooth & Nail, 1999
), there is a separate track titled "Numb" that is sometimes cited as the 11th track on the B-side of this album. Due to album production dates and its musical similarity to the debut disc, "Numb" was most likely recorded at the same time, but not included in the main release. In ''
Drawing Black Lines
''Drawing Black Lines'' is the second studio album by the American band Project 86. The success of their debut, especially the song "Pipe Dream", attracted the attention of several major record labels. Originally released on BEC Recordings on Mar ...
'', the final song titled "Twenty-Three" is most likely named because, with the inclusion of "Numb", it is the 23rd track released by the band.
Project 86 eschewed the label of being a Christian band from the beginning, hoping to avoid stereotyping associated with the genre. In an interview for ''HM'' magazine the band stated that many "Christian bands" bill themselves as such because it is easier to make a successful start in that market.
Andrew Schwab continued, "One thing we want to do is to be ourselves... were coming at it with more of a creative outlet lyrically. I don't always say specifically what I'm talking about."
Even so, the band considers their work to be a ministry. Project 86 seeks to "put out the best art possible"
in the hopes of reaching out to the secular world.
"If we're playing at
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
or on
Family Values...," the band told ''7ball'' after the release of their second album, "there is a greater level of tact necessary in order to reach that sort of audience."
Track listing
All songs were written by
Project 86
Project 86 is an American metal band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The band has released ten albums, which have collectively sold nearly 500,000 units worldwide, two EPs, two DVDs, and one live album.
In 1998, BEC Recordings ...
.
#"Spill Me"
– 5:25
#"Rebuttal"
– 4:47
#"Pipe Dream"
– 4:35
#"Stalemate"
– 6:16
#"Run"
– 3:37
#"Independence?"
– 4:27
#"Six Sirens (ft.
Sonny Sandoval
Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of metal band P.O.D.
Biography
Sandoval was born in San Diego, California. to a Chamorro-Hawa ...
of
P.O.D.
P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...
)"
– 3:35
#"Bleed Season"
– 5:16
#"1 X 7"
– 3:55
#"When Darkness Reigns"
– 6:40
Separate Release Track: "Numb" – 5:40
Personnel
*
Andrew Schwab
Andrew Schwab is the lead singer for the band Project 86. He is also a graphic designer, calligrapher, author, and hosts Pioneers Podcast: Finding Your Creative Voice.
Project 86
In 1996, Schwab formed Project 86 with, Matt Hernandez, Ethan Luc ...
– vocals
*
Randy Torres
Randy Torres is a guitarist, drummer, keyboardist and background vocalist from Seattle. He has previously played for the bands Project 86, a Christian rock group, and Crash Rickshaw. He has filled in as rhythm guitarist for the band Demon Hunter ...
– guitar
*
Steven Dail
Steven Dail is a musician who is known for playing bass guitar in several Christian metal bands including Project 86 and White Lighter, and Christian punk band Crash Rickshaw. Other bands he has played in are Starflyer 59, Low & Behold, Inne ...
– bass
*Alex Albert – drums
*
Sonny Sandoval
Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of metal band P.O.D.
Biography
Sandoval was born in San Diego, California. to a Chamorro-Hawa ...
– guest vocals
*Bryan Carlstrom – producer,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
*Brian Gardner –
mastering
*
Project 86
Project 86 is an American metal band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. The band has released ten albums, which have collectively sold nearly 500,000 units worldwide, two EPs, two DVDs, and one live album.
In 1998, BEC Recordings ...
– producer, art direction
*
Jason Parker Jason Parker may refer to:
*Jason Parker (sport shooter) (born 1974), American sport shooter
* Jason Parker (American football) (born 1985), American football player
*Jason Parker (speed skater) (born 1975), Canadian speed skater
*Jason Parker, a ...
– art direction, layout
*Suzy Splab – artwork
*Tim Owen – photography
References
External links
"Pipe Dream" music video
{{Authority control
Project 86 albums
1998 debut albums