Society's Finest is a

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 from

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Their first full-length album, '' The Journey...So Far'', was released on

Solid State Records Solid State Records is a Christian metalcore record label, an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore punk and heavy metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, ...

in May 2000. Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring and recording to focus on their personal lives. During this hiatus, vocalist Josh Ashworth toured with the metalcore band Zao. When re-forming in 2004, the band joined Hand of Hope Records. With this label, they released '' Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word'' in mid-2004. It contained new songs, along with old songs from their debut EP, ''Private Conflicts and Suicides'' (Pluto Records). Their third album, '' And I, the Drunkard'', was released in June 2006. Vocalist Josh Ashworth is the only remaining original member. Past members have gone on to join other bands including

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

Demon Hunter Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. Although the brothers created the band together, only Ryan remains, since Don left the band to take care of his ...

, and

The Famine The Famine was an American death metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 2007. They were signed to Solid State Records. History Formation and three-song EP The band initially formed with three of the original members of Embodyment ...

. The band has shared stages with

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 ...

, Zao,

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...

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Stretch Arm Strong Stretch Arm Strong (Also known as Stretch Armstrong) is a hardcore punk band from Columbia, South Carolina, and the flagship band for We Put Out Records. They were primarily active from 1992 to 2005. Several of the band members are outspoken ...

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, and

Stavesacre Stavesacre are an American rock band from Huntington Beach, California formed in 1995. The band is composed of vocalist Mark Salomon, guitarists Jeff Bellew and Ryan Dennee, bassist Dirk Lemmenes and drummer Sam West. Stavesacre has released ...

History

Society's Finest started in 1997 with the original members of Josh Ashworth (vocals), Rob Pruett (guitars), Kris McCaddon (guitars), Joel Bailey (bass), and Chad Wilburn (drums). The band recorded their debut EP, a split with My Spacecoaster, and their debut album, '' The Journey...So Far'' (released via

) between 1998 and 2003. The band reunited in 2004 with Ashworth, Bailey and multiple new members including Nick Nowell (guitars), Daniel Clark (guitars) and Lucas Laskaris (drums). The band recorded their second album, '' Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word'', in 2004. Nowell and Poole left the band in 2006. The band replaced Nowell and Poole with Guy Turner (guitars) and former drummer Chad Wilburn. However, in the process of writing, Wilburn quit. The band could not find a replacement, so they hired former

Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (lead guitar, backing ...

drummer Jason Roe. Roe recorded part of the album before they found a replacement, Jesse Smith, formerly of Zao. Though Smith stated he never actually joined the band. '' And I, the Drunkard'' was released on Alveran Records in 2006. The band broke up for the second time in 2011. With a whole new line-up, Ashworth reunited the band with Tyler Berry (guitars), David Cezero (bass), and Jason Roe in 2014, for a celebration of the life of former guitarist Randall Watts. The band stated that they were currently writing for a new album, but no further information has been released. In 2017, Ashworth did an interview claiming that the band now consisted only of himself and former guitarist Eli Bowser. In 2021, the band announced a new release in the future with the lineup of Ashworth, Bowser, former bassist Daniel Barton, and Lasko(Laskaris) back on drums.

Members

Current * Josh Ashworth – lead vocals (1997–2003, 2004–2011, 2014–present) * Joel Bailey – bass guitar (1997–2003, 2004–2006, 2022–present) * Jordan Brady – drums (2002), bass guitar (2014), guitars (2022-present) * Chad Wilburn – drums (1997–2001, 2005–2011, 2017–2021, 2022-present) Former *

Kris McCaddon Kris McCaddon was the second guitarist for the metalcore band, Society's Finest and lead guitarist for Demon Hunter. He was also the vocalist for the bands Embodyment and The Famine. History McCaddon's career started in 1994 when he joined ...

– guitar (1997–2001) * Rob Pruett – guitar (1997–2000) *

Tim Lambesis Timothy Peter Lambesis (born November 21, 1980) is an American musician and producer, best known as the founding member and lead vocalist of American metalcore band As I Lay Dying. He also had a solo/side thrash metal project in tribute to act ...

– guitar (2000–2001) * Kane Kelly – guitar (2000) * James Allain – drums (2001–2002) * Daniel Clark – guitar (2001–2003) * Pete Rose – bass guitar (2003) * Guy Turner – guitar (2004–2011) * Nick Nowell – guitar (2004–2006) * Randall Watts – guitar (2004–2005; deceased) * Stephen Poole – drums (2004–2005) * David Cerezo – bass guitar (2014–2016) * Tyler Berry – guitar (2014–2016) * Jason Roe – drums (2006, 2014–2016) * Eli Bowser – guitar (2004–2011, 2016–2022) * Daniel Barton – bass guitar (2006–2011, 2021–2022) * Iasko – drums (2021–2022)

Discography

; Studio albums EPs * ''Private Conflicts and Suicides'' (2000) * ''The Difference Between Us'' (2001;

split EP A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from " va ...

with Rise Over Run) * ''My Spacecoaster & Society's Finest'' (1998; split EP with My Spacecoaster)

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control Solid State Records artists Musical groups established in 1997 Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Musical groups reestablished in 2004 Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Musical groups reestablished in 2014 Musical quartets American Christian metal musical groups Metalcore musical groups from Texas