Sumo Cyco is a Canadian
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
, consisting of lead vocalist
Skye Sweetnam
Skye Alexandra Sweetnam (born May 5, 1988) is a Canadian singer, actress, and music video director. She first entered the music industry in 2003 with the release of her debut single " Billy S." More than a year later, her debut studio album, ''N ...
, Matt "MD13" Drake (guitar/vocals), Oscar Anesetti (bass/vocals), and Joey Muha (drums). The band launched in March 2011 and has released three albums, twenty-six singles, and twenty-four official music videos.
Biography
Sumo Cyco first appeared as a punk-metal female-fronted band in Toronto, Canada in 2011.
The band currently consists of
Skye Sweetnam
Skye Alexandra Sweetnam (born May 5, 1988) is a Canadian singer, actress, and music video director. She first entered the music industry in 2003 with the release of her debut single " Billy S." More than a year later, her debut studio album, ''N ...
(lead vocals), Matt Drake (guitars/vocals), Oscar Anesetti (bass/vocals), and Joey Muha (drums).
2011–2013: Formation
Sumo Cyco launched in March 2011 and had their first show, opening for
Hollywood Undead
Hollywood Undead is an American rap rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2005. All of the band members use pseudonyms and previously wore their own unique mask, most of which were based on the common hockey goaltender design. The ...
, in April of that year, performing to a crowd of a thousand. Sumo Cyco has also shared the stage with
Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is an American nu metal band formed by Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, the two had also created the band She's in Pain, in 1992. The original lineup also consisted of bassist ...
,
Filter
Filter, filtering or filters may refer to:
Science and technology
Computing
* Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming
* Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream
* Filter (video), a software component tha ...
,
Life of Agony
Life of Agony is an American alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1989 by singer Mina Caputo (then known as Keith Caputo), bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. The band has released six studio albums to date, mos ...
,
Finger Eleven
Finger Eleven is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album '' The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing them into th ...
,
The Salads
The Salads are a punk rock band from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, with strong reggae tendencies. They are currently signed to their own label, Maui Wowie Records, after having been signed to Kindling Music, a sub-division of Warner Music Canada.
...
, and
Raggadeath with
Michie Mee
Michelle McCullock (born November 1, 1970), better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actress. Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.
Early life and career
McCullock was born i ...
. Their songs have been mixed by Jag Tanna (
I Mother Earth
I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadians, Canadian rock band. The band formed in 1990 and reached its peak in popularity in the mid-to-late 1990s. After an eight-year hiatus, the band reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, I Mother Earth was among ...
),
Julius "Juice" Butty (
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike.Band is a scream", CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are George Pettit ( ...
), and Matt DeMatteo (
Big Wreck
Big Wreck are a Canadian-American Rock music, rock band formed by Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty in Boston, Massachusetts in 1994. The band was rounded out with David Henning and Forrest Williams. They disbanded in 2002 and Ian Thornley pursued ...
), among others. One song, "Interceptor", was featured on YouTuber
Ray William Johnson
Ray William Johnson is an American internet celebrity best known for his eponymous YouTube channel and his web series on that channel, ''Equals Three''. In 2013, the channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and had over 2 billion views, making ...
's channel, garnering over five million views. Sumo Cyco has a strong presence online and directs both their own music videos and promotional films.
The band mixes influences from the likes of
System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
,
Rob Zombie, and
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
. Musically, their sound blends
heavy metal guitars,
blast beats, and
dancehall rhythms.
The group won Best Female-Fronted Band at the Toronto Independent Music Awards of 2012. They also won at Indie Week Toronto, October 20, 2013, and attended Indie Week Ireland in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in April 2014.
During this period, the band released seven singles, all of which were launched with music videos, and all self-directed and self-produced.
2014–2016: Touring and ''Lost in Cyco City''
In October 2013, the Sumo Cyco won in the Indie Week Toronto and attended Indie Week Ireland in April 2014. Using the opportunity of being overseas, the band set up their first international tour, which they called Lost in Ireland & the UK, to promote their material to an international market. They toured various cities across Ireland, Scotland, and England.
On June 10, 2014, the band released their first album, ''
Lost in Cyco City
''Lost in Cyco City'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Sumo Cyco. The album was released independently in Canada on June 10, 2014.
The band has released eight singles and music videos to promote the record.
Track listing
All songs ...
''. They later toured various countries in Europe, including the UK, Italy, Austria, and Slovakia, on their No Mercy tour, which took place in mid- to late-April.
On March 10, 2015, Sumo Cyco announced that they had signed with TKO / The Kirby Organization Booking Agency for worldwide representation. TKO are known for booking hard rock and heavy metal acts such as
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
,
Anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The sk ...
, and
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and rhythm guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and lead guitarist Clint Lowery ...
.
In February 2016, touring drummer Andy Joseph left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by new touring drummer Matt Trozzi.
In April 2016, Sumo Cyco's song "Fighter" was announced as the theme song for the World Darts Association's (WDA) 2016 Merseyside Open.
2017–2019: Touring and ''Opus Mar''
On March 31, 2017, it was announced via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that Sumo Cyco would release their sophomore album, titled ''Opus Mar''. The record includes a guest appearance by
Benji Webbe
Clive John "Benji" Webbe (born 11 March 1967) is a Welsh singer, best known as the lead vocalist and synthesizer player for the reggae metal band Skindred. Aside from his main project, he is also active in Diamond Spider, Dub War, Mass Mental a ...
of
Skindred
Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum ...
on the single "Move Mountains," released on February 1, 2017.
In 2017, Sumo Cyco replaced Ludovico Technique in its tour with
The Birthday Massacre
The Birthday Massacre (abbreviated TBM) is a Canadian rock band , formed in 1999 in London, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto, Ontario. The current lineup consists of lead vocalist Sara 'Chibi' Taylor, rhythm guitarist Michael Rainbow, le ...
and
Army of the Universe. During this tour, Oscar Anesetti of
The Rabid Whole filled in for Ken Corke.
Sumo Cyco opened up the main stage for
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
at the Sound of Music outdoor festival on June 10, 2017.
In October 2017, the band was able to travel to New Zealand to open for
Devilskin
Devilskin is a four-piece alternative metal band from Hamilton, New Zealand, formed in June 2010. The band consists of lead vocalist Jennie Skulander, guitarist Tony "Nail" Vincent, bassist Paul Martin and drummer Nic Martin.
Devilskin's debut ...
on their seven-date cross-country tour.
Starting on April 25, 2018, Sumo Cyco opened for
Butcher Babies and
Nonpoint
Nonpoint is an American rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band currently consists of vocalist Elias Soriano, drummer Robb Rivera, lead guitarist Jaysin Zeilstra, rhythm guitarist Rasheed Thomas, and bassist Adam Woloszyn.
History
...
on their co-headline tour.
On June 14, Sumo Cyco played the Kerrang! Avalanche Stage at
Download Festival
Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...
2019.
In September 2019, they joined
Jinjer
Jinjer ( "ginger") is a Ukrainian metalcore band from Donetsk, formed in 2008. None of the founding members remain with the band. The current lineup considers 2009 as its official year of formation, with the arrival of singer Tatiana Shmailyuk ...
and
The Browning
The Browning is an American metalcore band formed in Kansas City, Missouri in 2005. The band's musical style is characterized by an eclectic blending of electronicore and deathcore. The group currently consists of vocalist Jonny McBee, drummer ...
for a 44-date tour of North America.
In December 2019, Sumo Cyco announced that they would be opening for
Wednesday 13
Joseph Michael Poole (born August 12, 1976), better known by his stage name Wednesday 13, is an American singer and musician. Apart from his solo career, he was the frontman of the horror punk/ heavy metal band Murderdolls and has also played i ...
and
The 69 Eyes
The 69 Eyes are a Finnish rock band. It was founded in 1989 in Helsinki by vocalist Jyrki 69 (who also writes the band's lyrics), guitarists Bazie, Timo-Timo and bassist Archzie, joined in 1992 by drummer Jussi 69; the lineup never changed sin ...
on a tour through the US, from January 24 through February 22, 2020.
2020–present: Napalm Records and ''Initiation''
In January 2020, the band announced their signing to
Napalm Records
Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg. The label l ...
. They released their third album, ''
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
'', on May 7, 2021. A deluxe version of ''Initiation'' was released on October 8, 2021, featuring the new single "Sun Eater".
Matt Trozzi departed from the band in 2021. He was replaced by
Joey Muha
Joey Muha is a Canadian drummer, best known for his YouTube videos, many of which have millions of views and have been featured on multiple websites. He is a member of the industrial metal band Threat Signal, death metal band Jungle Rot. and pop ...
.
Band timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Lost in Cyco City
''Lost in Cyco City'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Sumo Cyco. The album was released independently in Canada on June 10, 2014.
The band has released eight singles and music videos to promote the record.
Track listing
All songs ...
'' (2014)
* ''
Opus Mar
''Opus Mar'' is the second studio album by Canadian rock band Sumo Cyco, released on 31 March 2017.
The band has released music videos for "Anti-Anthem" "Move Mountains", "Sleep Tight", and "Free Yourself".
Track listing
All songs written by S ...
'' (2017)
* ''
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...
'' (2021)
Singles
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Musical groups from Hamilton, Ontario
Canadian alternative metal musical groups
Canadian alternative rock groups
Musical quartets
Musical groups established in 2011
Skye Sweetnam
2011 establishments in Ontario
Female-fronted musical groups