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The Word Alive is an American
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 formed in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of vocalist Tyler Smith and guitarist Zack Hansen. The group has had several line-up changes throughout their career, with Hansen as the only remaining founding member. Their second EP, ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' reached No. 15 on the
Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009. The following year, the group recorded and released their debut studio album, '' Deceiver'' on August 31, 2010, which reached No. 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and 15 on
Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' maga ...
.


History


Formation (2008–2009)

The Word Alive was founded in 2008 by
Craig Mabbitt Craig Edward Mabbitt (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and recording artist. He is the lead vocalist for American rock band Escape the Fate. He was formerly the lead vocalist for the bands Blessthefall and The Word Alive. He ...
(lead vocals) with Zack Hansen (guitar) and Tony Pizzuti (guitar) who were former members of the bands Clouds Take Shape and Calling of Syrens. As a side-project of Mabbitt during his part in
Escape the Fate Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 and originally from Pahrump, Nevada. They are signed to Eleven Seven Music. The group consists of Robert Ortiz (drummer), Craig Mabbitt (lead vocalist), TJ Bell (rhy ...
, the remaining required members he recruited to start The Word Alive were chosen to be Nick Urlacher (bass guitar), Dusty Riach (keyboards) and Tony Aguilera (drums). The group recorded songs with the intention of releasing them as a self-titled EP, never being officially released but leaked to P2P networks such as Soulseek. Later on, the band forced Mabbitt to leave due to their dissatisfaction with Escape the Fate's schedules, which required Mabbitt to work as a full-time member. The day after, Mabbitt posted a blog to his fans explaining that leaving the band was not his decision and that " he Word Alivepretty much replaced me while I was on the road due to the fact that they wanted to tour and couldn't until I was available, I started that band with those guys and I'm very hurt at how they replaced me while I was touring...it's bullshit." On December 3, the band officially announced that Tyler Smith, who was formerly one of the vocalists for
In Fear and Faith In Fear and Faith was an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2006, the group was signed to Rise Records and released three studio albums and two EPs. Their debut full-length, ''Your World on Fire'', being released ...
and bassist for
Greeley Estates Greeley Estates was an American metalcore band from Maricopa County, Arizona. Formed in 2002, the band released five full-length studio albums and four EPs. The group initially had an emo-influenced post-hardcore sound, but later shifted to the ...
, joined The Word Alive as their new vocalist. Feeling somewhat stagnant in their progression beforehand, the addition of Smith catapulted the band's ambitions to the forefront. With this initiation, their goals and aspirations were much more a reality, and they set to work on what would become their record label debut, ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
''.


''Empire'' (2009–2010)

During March 2009, the band was taken in with a contract by a new label, later on during that month the group officially confirmed that the label they were then signed to was Fearless Records. Smith stated "We hope to just keep touring, touring, touring... we couldn't be happier or more appreciative to be on tour right now, I think despite having some of the worst luck in the early beginnings of being a touring band yet never missing a show, we always have a positive attitude and that will make us a stronger band." The band set out to create an EP to be released through the label wherein it was titled ''
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' and was recorded with producer Andrew Wade in Ocala, Florida. It was released on July 21, 2009, where it reached No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Heatseeker chart. In regards to the creation of the EP, Smith stated that The Word Alive all "feed off of each other really well, we take a little bit of everything we like and put it together to try and give the listener at least something to grasp onto when they hear a song for the first time. We consider ourselves a
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 ...
band who enjoy singing a lot. As much as we love being brutal, we love being referred to as 'epic' and 'beautiful'. It works for us." After the release of their EP, the band went on multiple tours with bands such as
Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee and Patrick Thompson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Recordings and Artery Recordings. Alesa ...
, A Skylit Drive and Silverstein. The Word Alive headlined with
We Came as Romans We Came as Romans (sometimes abbreviated as WCAR) is an American metalcore band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band has gone through one name change and multiple line-up changes, and signed to SharpTone Records in 2016 after having b ...
on the "Dreams & Empires Tour" during the summer of 2009; from late July to mid-August. In October 2009, the band went on tour with Silverstein,
Madina Lake Madina Lake is an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 2005. The band released their debut album, '' From Them, Through Us, to You'', through Roadrunner Records on March 27, 2007. Madina Lake won Best Inter ...
and
I See Stars I See Stars are an American electronicore band from Warren, Michigan formed in 2006. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Devin Oliver, guitarist Brent Allen, keyboardist and co-vocalist Andrew Oliver, and bass guitarist Jeff Valentine. ...
. Shortly after that tour they played on the "You'd Be Way Cuter in a Coffin Tour" with Alesana on "The Emptiness Tour" which took place during early 2010. The Word Alive's single "Battle Royale" from ''Empire'' was hugely successful, leading the song to be featured in the popular ''
Tap Tap ''Tap taps'' ( ht, Taptap, ) are gaily painted buses or pick-up trucks with metal coversHa ...
'' series as well as it being featured as downloadable content in the ''
Rock Band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
'' series of music games. The track is also featured on the 2010 Vans Warped Tour Compilation and later went onto being credited as the group's
signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...
. During February the band reached an agreement to leave founding drummer, Tony Aguilera out of the group. Both parties (Aguilera and the rest of the band) shared their concerns and reasoning for the matter publicly. It was overall described that the band wanted to pursue a different percussionist of alternate talent than the founding member. Aguilera was replaced with Justin Salinas, who was previously a part of the bands
Scars of Tomorrow Scars of Tomorrow is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, Orange County, California. History Scars of Tomorrow released its first material on Thorp Records, issuing two albums before signing to Victory Records in May 2003. ...
and
Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...
as well as serving as a past live drummer for MyChildren MyBride. On March 23, 2010, a live music video for the song "The Only Rule Is That There Are No Rules" was released and includes Aguilera in its filming, making it the last release of media by the band to feature him. The video premiered on AOL's
Noisecreep Noisecreep is a hard rock and heavy metal music news and media website based in the United States. The site was created by AOL AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an Ameri ...
with a highly positive acclaim:


''Deceiver'' (2010–2011)

In April 2010, the band entered the studio in
Ocala Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, with Andrew Wade to record their debut studio album, '' Deceiver''. Frontman Tyler Smith noted that "We wanted to step it up in every aspect of our songs compared to ''Empire''. When we're heavy, it's heavier. When we do things big, they are huge! When we slow it down, it's something beautiful." After the recording process of the album was finished, the band accepted to be featured as one of the many performing acts at the Bamboozle Music Festival in New Jersey on May 1, 2010, and following Bamboozle, The Word Alive participated in a headlining tour with Stray from the Path for two weeks, which was also in May. By June, ''Deceiver'' was fully mastered and engineered. On June 23, 2010, the band premiered their first single from the album, "Epiphany" as
streaming media Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
online. The following day, Fearless Records released their 2010 Summer Sampler which also featured the track "Epiphany". A week later, the album's album art and track listing was released. Guitarist Zack Hansen explained upon this premiere that "We all felt like that was going to be the best choice considering how comfortable the recording process is with Andrew. The tracking was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time. We got the opportunity to stay in a house while we recorded and surprisingly we didn't party as much as I thought we would haha." Hansen later followed along explaining that his favorite track on the record is "
The Hounds of Anubis "The Hounds of Anubis" is a song by The Word Alive. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, '' Deceiver''. The song is the opening track on the record and was written by the guitarists, Tony Pizzuti and Zack Hansen. H ...
", which was written by him and Pizzuti and stated that he "wrote this song with an '
Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
feel' to it and I think we got our point across." Smith described that its lyrics describe the times of when The Word Alive overcame their hardships that they face with the help and support from their fans. "The Hounds of Anubis" was released as the album's second single on July 26, 2010. It premiered on the official ''
Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
'' website. The Word Alive performed on
Warped Tour 2010 The Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the ...
along with
Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee and Patrick Thompson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Recordings and Artery Recordings. Alesa ...
, Artist vs. Poet,
Sparks the Rescue Sparks the Rescue is an American rock band from Maine. They formed when members of three high school bands, Pozer, Short of April, and Two Girls Later, converged. Their debut EP, ''Stumbling Skyward,'' was released independently in 2005 with McA ...
and
Motionless in White Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Ju ...
, it has also been confirmed that they will as well be participating the 2011 Warped Tour in its entirety. The band was a part of "The Anti-Hero Tour" where the group performed alongside
Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. In 2004, ''Revolver'' magazine hailed Bleeding Through as one of eight bands ushering in the "Future of Metal" cover story, and '' Spin'' called Ble ...
,
After the Burial After the Burial is an American progressive metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released five of their six full-length albums through the label. Since their inception in 2004, the band h ...
, Stray from the Path and Dead & Divine. The tour ran from September to October. Upon ''Deceiver''s release on August 31, it charted at No. 97 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The band is featured in the compilation album ''
Punk Goes Pop 3 ''Punk Goes Pop Volume 03.'' is the tenth compilation album released from the '' Punk Goes...'' series created by Fearless Records and the third installment in the ''Punk Goes Pop'' franchise to feature various post-hardcore, metalcore and al ...
'', covering the
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
song " Heartless". The song was produced by
Matt Grabe Matt Grabe (born 1985 in Phoenix, AZ) is a record producer based out of Los Angeles, California. Matt studied audio engineering at The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. Upon finishing his studies, he became a member (guitar/piano) of Eq ...
and was released on November 2, 2010. In 2011, the band also recorded a cover version of the
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
song "
Over the Mountain "Over the Mountain" is the opening track of heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne's album ''Diary of a Madman (album), Diary of a Madman''. The song debuted at number 42 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, ''Billboard'' Top Tracks chart and reached ...
". Both the "Heartless" and "Over the Mountain" covers by the band are the last recorded songs to feature bassist and founding member, Nick Urlacher before his departure from the group on December 27, 2010. Daniel Shapiro of Sharks Never Sleep served as a touring member for The Word Alive shortly after Urlacher's leaving. The music video for their song "2012" was released on January 17, 2011, where Shapiro is featured in its recording. Months later, still searching for a bassist and before leading into the summer of 2011, it was then decided on Shapiro becoming a permanent member of the band.


Departure of Riach and Salinas and ''Life Cycles'' (2012–2013)

By November 2011, the band made plans to return to the studio on February 7, 2012, with
Joey Sturgis Joey Sturgis (born January 3, 1985) is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Sturgis started recording in 2004 including producing the Asking Alexandria single "The Final Episode" whic ...
to begin recording their next album, with an expected recording session lasting from that time until mid-March. However, by February (and before the date of entering the studio), the announcement of two members leaving occurred; keyboardist, Dusty Riach and drummer, Justin Salinas were simultaneously confirmed to no longer be a part of the band. Salinas stated his reason was because he grew tired of touring, although Riach's reason was preferred to be kept silent. In regards to the band's second studio album, it was reported that 17 songs were recorded in its process; 13 of which make up the album. Two of the four remaining songs that did not get included on the album, were put up as bonus tracks on Amazon & iTunes. As for the other two tracks, one of them was never completed and the other was thrown out. The name of the album is '' Life Cycles'' and was released on July 3. On March 23, the group issued a statement that 19-year-old Arizona resident
Luke Holland Luke Daniel Holland (born June 14, 1993) is an American drummer, most popular for his YouTube videos. Biography He was born in Peoria, Arizona. Despite his father being a professional drummer, Holland gained interest in the drums after hea ...
(of
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
fame) had joined as the new drummer, however, Holland was not included for the recording sessions of ''Life Cycles''. The drumming for the record was performed by drummer Matt Horn wherein Holland joined after these sessions were already completed. The band's performance of March 31 at Las Vegas' Extreme Thing music and sports festival was the first ever live performance with Holland. In November 2012, they supported
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. As of 2018, Parkway Drive have released six studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The ...
on the "European Atlas Tour" with
Emmure Emmure () is an American metalcore band formed in 2003. Originally based in New Fairfield, Connecticut, before moving to Queens, New York, the group has released eight albums, with their first public release being a 2006 EP entitled '' The Comp ...
and Structures. Once again, They also joined Parkway Drive again in March 2013 with
Veil of Maya Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, by members Marc Okubo and Sam Applebaum in 2004. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released six studio albums. Their first four albums are considered ...
and
While She Sleeps While She Sleeps are a British metalcore band from Sheffield. Formed in 2006, the group consists of vocalist Lawrence Taylor, guitarists Sean Long and Mat Welsh, bassist Aaran McKenzie and drummer Adam Savage. They are currently signed to t ...
for the "United States Atlas Tour". In May 2013, they supported Sleeping with Sirens on their UK tour along with Our Last Night. They will also appear at the Slam Dunk festival in May 2013. In the summer of 2013, they supported Killswitch Engage along with Miss May I, Darkest Hour and Affiance on the "Disarm the Descent U.S Tour".


''Real'' (2013–2015)

In an interview with ''Dead Press!'' while on the Manchester date of their UK tour supporting
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. As of 2018, Parkway Drive have released six studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The ...
in November, guitarist Zack Hansen revealed that the band plans to release a new EP in 2013 followed by another full-length record in 2014. On August 1, 2013, the band entered the studio with
Cameron Mizell Cameron Pierce Mizell is an American artist, songwriter, singer, record producer and owner of Chango Studios. He began producing music in 2003 & has worked with Billboard charts, Billboard top charting artists such as Sleeping With Sirens, Memphis ...
to work on their third studio album which will probably be released in early 2014. On August 18, the band posted a photo on Instagram detailing the progress on the new album. On August 27, Sumerian Records released a tour trailer video announcing the "Started From The Bottom Now We Here Tour" which is a North American tour where The Word Alive will co-headline with
I See Stars I See Stars are an American electronicore band from Warren, Michigan formed in 2006. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Devin Oliver, guitarist Brent Allen, keyboardist and co-vocalist Andrew Oliver, and bass guitarist Jeff Valentine. ...
. The tour also features
Crown the Empire Crown the Empire is an American metalcore band formed in 2010 in Dallas, Texas. They have released one EP and four studio albums. History Formation and ''Limitless'' EP (2010–2011) Crown the Empire was formed in May 2010, when "Brandon ...
,
Get Scared Get Scared was an American post-hardcore band from Layton, Utah, United States, formed in 2008. After their formation they released their first EP ''Cheap Tricks and Theatrics'' in 2009. A self-titled EP followed several months later in 2010. ...
,
Dayshell Dayshell is an American metal band from Southern California, United States. Their debut self-titled was released on October 15, 2013. The band's second album, ''Nexus'', was released on October 7, 2016. The band released their third album calle ...
, and Palisades. On November 5, an interview with the band's frontman Smith he discussed the band's new album being released in spring 2014. On the sound of the album Smith stated that the album will have some of the heaviest songs they have ever written, along with songs that will be composed of all singing vocals. He also stated that the album is completely recorded and currently being mastered. The reason behind the delay is that the band are trying to get some of their friends to contribute on the album. The band also expects to have a single released by the end of the year. On December 18, the band announced "The Unconditional Tour" beginning in late February through March with fellow acts Memphis May Fire, A Skylit Drive,
Hands Like Houses Hands Like Houses are an Australian rock band from Canberra. Formed in 2008, the group is currently signed to Hopeless Records and UNFD. Their debut album, ''Ground Dweller'', was released on 13 March 2012 and charted at number 141 on the Bil ...
and Beartooth. Later that day, the band released their first studio update in a planned series for their forthcoming album with a projected spring release through Fearless Records. On January 6, 2014, the band officially announced that Cameron Mizell and John Feldmann are the producers for their forthcoming album on
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
. On March 18, the band released a new single entitled "Play the Victim". Along with the song, they also announced their third studio album ''
Real Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...
'' would be released on June 10. The album will be the first to feature
Luke Holland Luke Daniel Holland (born June 14, 1993) is an American drummer, most popular for his YouTube videos. Biography He was born in Peoria, Arizona. Despite his father being a professional drummer, Holland gained interest in the drums after hea ...
on drums. ''Real'' remains the most personal album to date from The Word Alive, which has received enormous support from fans (especially the track "Never Forget"). The band also played the entire Vans Warped Tour in 2014. In November 2014, the band also did their own headlining tour to support the album ''Real'' with
Myka, Relocate Myka Relocate was an American metalcore band formed in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2007, later based in Houston, Texas. The band has released three studio albums,'' Self Portrait as a Frozen Father'', '' Lies to Light the Way'' and '' The Young S ...
,
The Dead Rabbitts The Dead Rabbitts are an American metalcore supergroup from Phoenix, Arizona. The band is a side project of Escape the Fate's lead vocalist, Craig Mabbitt. The Dead Rabbitt's debut EP, ''Edge of Reality'', was released in 2012. The band's secon ...
,
Our Last Night Our Last Night is an American post-hardcore band formed in 2004, consisting of brothers Trevor (vocals) and Matthew (guitar, vocals) Wentworth and Timothy Molloy (drums). The band is known for its post-hardcore and alternative metal renditions ...
and
The Color Morale The Color Morale is an American metalcore band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 2007. The band includes vocalist/keyboardist Garret Rapp, guitarists Devin King and Aaron Saunders, bassist Mike Honson, and drummer Steve Carey. Rapp and Carey are ...
as support. In March 2015, the band also supported The Devil Wears Prada on the "Zombie 5 Tour" along with
Born of Osiris Born of Osiris is an American progressive metalcore band formed in 2003 in Palatine, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Ronnie Canizaro, lead guitarist Lee McKinney, rhythm guitarist/bassist Nick Rossi, ...
and
Secrets Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
. In April, The band did headlining shows in Hong Kong, Taipei and Bangkok. Then they played at
Pulp Summer Slam Pulp Summer Slam was an annual music festival in the Philippines. It was founded and produced by Pulp Live World Productions, Inc. The festival consisted of local and international rock and metal bands with the occasional line-up of hip hop, ska, ...
XV: Angels Descend in the Philippines on April 25 with bands such as
Escape the Fate Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 and originally from Pahrump, Nevada. They are signed to Eleven Seven Music. The group consists of Robert Ortiz (drummer), Craig Mabbitt (lead vocalist), TJ Bell (rhy ...
,
Cradle of Filth Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their ly ...
,
Chthonic The word chthonic (), or chthonian, is derived from the Ancient Greek word ''χθών, "khthon"'', meaning earth or soil. It translates more directly from χθόνιος or "in, under, or beneath the earth" which can be differentiated from Γῆ ...
, Suffocation,
Carcass Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to: *Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. *Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being *The str ...
and
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast (band), Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joe ...
with the crowd of 30,000 metal fans. Following this, the band embarked on a co-headlining tour with
Chelsea Grin Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group have released two EPs and five full-length albums. Since 2018, no original members remain in the band. Chelsea Grin was originally founded under ...
with support from
Like Moths to Flames Like Moths to Flames is an American metalcore band from Columbus, Ohio, formed in 2010 by former members of various bands, including Emarosa, Agraceful, the Crimson Armada, and My Ticket Home. The band has released four studio albums and thr ...
and
Sylar Sylar (Gabriel Gray) is a fictional character and a primary antagonist of the NBC superhero drama series '' Heroes''. Portrayed by Zachary Quinto, he is a super-powered serial killer who targets other Superhumans in order to steal their powers. ...
. After a brief break during the summer, which the band used to work on their new album, the band continued touring and supported
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. As of 2018, Parkway Drive have released six studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The ...
on the Australian leg of the "IRE Tour" with Memphis May Fire and
Thy Art Is Murder Thy Art Is Murder is an Australian deathcore band from Blacktown, Sydney, that formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Chris "CJ" McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, drummer Jesse Beahler and bassist Kevin Butler. Thy Art I ...
. While on the "Apollo X Tour" with
Motionless in White Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Ju ...
and The Devil Wears Prada in mid-November, frontman Tyler Smith broke his back, several ribs, and bruised a lung while stage diving during a show. The band released a statement the following day saying they would not be missing any dates despite their frontman's injury. Smith continued to perform, though his movements were very limited, and he had to wear a back brace.


''Dark Matter'' and departure of Holland and Shapiro (2015–2017)

The band announced they would be releasing their fourth studio album, ''
Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
'', on March 18, 2016. The band also revealed the tracklist and a headlining North American tour with support from
Fit for a King ''Fit for a King'' is a 1937 American film starring Joe E. Brown and directed by Edward Sedgwick. Plot summary Newspaper reporter "Scoop (term), Scoops" (Brown) is sent out on assignment, to investigate the failed assassination attempts on Arc ...
and Out Came the Wolves. The album's lead single, "Trapped", was released January 8. In March 2016, American band Rainey's Revenge got into an altercation with the
tour manager A tour manager (or concert tour manager) is the person who helps to organize the administration for a schedule of appearances of a musical group (band) or artist at a sequence of venues (a concert tour). In general, road managers handle tour deta ...
for The Word Alive. In November 2016, Luke Holland announced he will be leaving the band at the end of 2016 after finishing their last tour of the year to pursue other musical endeavors. In February 2017, the band announced that Matt Horn would be taking Holland's place as drummer. Shortly after, a new single "Misery" was released. On August 7, the band and Daniel Shapiro mutually announced they were parting ways due to a "new musical adventure" of Shapiro's. The next day, the band announced that they would be joining
I Prevail I Prevail is an American rock band formed in Southfield, Michigan, in 2013. They released their debut EP '' Heart vs. Mind'' (2014) and rose to popularity from releasing a metal cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" as a single, which eventual ...
on their "Rage on Stage Tour". We Came as Romans and Escape the Fate will also be joining the tour.


''Violent Noise'', ''Monomania'' and departure of Pizzuti and Horn (2018–present)

On March 29, 2018, the band announced their fifth studio album, '' Violent Noise'', to be released on May 4. On May 8, the band confirmed during a Reddit AMA that Matt Horn would be their permanent drummer. The band also supported Blessthefall on their "Hard Feelings Tour" with Ded, Thousand Below and A War Within also joining up on the line-up. On September 26,
Riot Games Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop ''League of Legends'' and went on t ...
released the song "Rise" on which the band collaborated with electronic artists
The Glitch Mob The Glitch Mob is an American electronic music trio from Los Angeles, California. It consists of edIT (Edward Ma), Boreta (Justin Boreta) and Ooah (Josh Mayer). Chris Martins of '' LA Weekly'' noted that they "have undoubtedly found the largest ...
and
Mako , better known by the mononym name Mako (sometimes stylised MAKO), is a Japanese voice actress, singer and a member of the band Bon-Bon Blanco, in which her prominent role is as the maraca player. She has also performed in a Japanese television ...
. The song was the official theme of the
2018 League of Legends World Championship The 2018 ''League of Legends'' World Championship was an esports tournament for the multiplayer online battle arena video game ''League of Legends''. It was the eighth iteration of the ''League of Legends'' World Championship, an annual interna ...
. On October 24, Riot Games released an official remix of "Rise" featuring Bobby from the South Korean boy band
iKON iKon (), stylized as iKON, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2015 by YG Entertainment, consisting of six members: Jay, Song, Bobby, DK, Ju-ne and Chan. Originally a seven-piece band, leader B.I departed from the group in June 2019. Ini ...
. In 2019, the band did a summer tour playing their debut album ''Deceiver'', in celebration on the album's 10th anniversary. They co-headlined the tour with Miss May I, with Thousand Below and Afterlife as support. On November 1, 2019, the band released the lead single of their upcoming album titled "Burning Your World Down". On January 10, 2020, the band released the second single and title track "Monomania" along with an accompanying music video. That same day, the band revealed the tracklist, album's official artwork and announced that their new upcoming sixth studio album ''
Monomania In 19th-century psychiatry, monomania (from Greek , one, and , meaning "madness" or "frenzy") was a form of partial insanity conceived as single psychological obsession in an otherwise sound mind. Types Monomania may refer to: * De Clerambaul ...
'' is set for release on February 21, 2020. On January 24, the band released the third single of the album titled "No Way Out" and its corresponding music video. On February 7, two weeks before the album release, the band released the fourth single "Searching for Glory". On October 16, the band released their cover of
Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
' "Pardon Me" on streaming music services. On October 22, 2021, the band unveiled new single "Wonderland" along with a music video directed by frontman Tyler Smith. At the same time, they also announced that drummer Matt Horn and founding guitarist Tony Pizzuti departed from the band on good terms. Tyler Ross formerly of
Being as an Ocean Being as an Ocean is an American post-hardcore band from Alpine, California, formed in 2011. They have released five studio albums: ''Dear G-d...'', '' How We Both Wondrously Perish'', a self-titled album, ''Waiting for Morning to Come'', relea ...
and
Mat Madiro Mathew Madiro (born September 30, 1991) is an American musician. He is the current drummer for From Ashes to New and former drummer of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Trivium (band), Trivium. He was also the touring drummer for The Word Aliv ...
of
From Ashes to New From Ashes to New is an American rock band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The band's lineup frequently shifted in its early years, musician Matt Brandyberry being the founding and sole constant member of the group. The band has released three stu ...
will fill up their places on
Starset Starset is an American rock band from Columbus, Ohio, formed by Dustin Bates in 2013. They released their debut album, '' Transmissions'', in 2014 and their second album, '' Vessels'', on January 20, 2017. The band has found success in expandin ...
's Horizons U.S. tour along with All Good Things which will start in November 2021. On November 17, 2022, the band announced that they had parted ways with Fearless Records and signed with Thriller Records, and they released a new single "Nocturnal Future" along with a corresponding music video.


Musical style

The Word Alive's musical style has been described as
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 ...
,
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. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
, and
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
.


Band members

Current members * Zack Hansen – guitars, backing vocals ; keyboards, programming * Tyler Smith – lead vocals Current touring musicians * Jose DelRio – guitars, keyboards, programming, backing vocals * Daniel Nelson – drums Former members *
Craig Mabbitt Craig Edward Mabbitt (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and recording artist. He is the lead vocalist for American rock band Escape the Fate. He was formerly the lead vocalist for the bands Blessthefall and The Word Alive. He ...
– lead vocals * Tony Aguilera – drums * Nick Urlacher – bass * Dusty Riach – keyboards, programming * Justin Salinas – drums *
Luke Holland Luke Daniel Holland (born June 14, 1993) is an American drummer, most popular for his YouTube videos. Biography He was born in Peoria, Arizona. Despite his father being a professional drummer, Holland gained interest in the drums after hea ...
– drums * Daniel Shapiro – bass ; backing vocals * Tony Pizzuti – guitars, backing vocals ; keyboards, programming * Matt Horn – drums Former touring musicians * Tyler Ross – guitars, keyboards, programming, backing vocals *
Mat Madiro Mathew Madiro (born September 30, 1991) is an American musician. He is the current drummer for From Ashes to New and former drummer of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Trivium (band), Trivium. He was also the touring drummer for The Word Aliv ...
– drums Timeline


Discography

Studio albums * '' Deceiver'' (2010) * '' Life Cycles'' (2012) * ''
Real Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...
'' (2014) * ''
Dark Matter Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
'' (2016) * '' Violent Noise'' (2018) * ''
Monomania In 19th-century psychiatry, monomania (from Greek , one, and , meaning "madness" or "frenzy") was a form of partial insanity conceived as single psychological obsession in an otherwise sound mind. Types Monomania may refer to: * De Clerambaul ...
'' (2020)


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Word Alive, The 2008 establishments in Arizona Metalcore musical groups from Arizona Fearless Records artists Heavy metal musical groups from Arizona Musical groups established in 2008 Musical groups from Phoenix, Arizona Musical quintets American post-hardcore musical groups American alternative metal musical groups