What kind of band is formed
by members that grew up listening to The Police, other 80's pop / rock
sensations and of course Metallica? Embodyment. Truly defying all musical
genres, one might be quick to call Embodyment a metal band. However, it
goes far beyond that. Anyone that models his musical talent after The Police
is going to make a great band, no matter what kind of band it might be.
Guitarist, Andrew Godwin, fashions his creativity after 80's rock, classical
guitar and, dare I say, metal. Few riffs repeat themselves. Live, Andrew
is known for his energy and expression; jumping around, kicking and jabbing
his guitar at the crowd.
Fuse the fury of Andrew's
metal hammering with the genius and perfection of drummer, Mark Garza,
and you have the backbone of one of the most brutal / beautiful hardcore
metal creations. Watching Mark pound away is like watching a good movie.
If you look away, you miss something. One will definitely see the influence
of off-time jazz beats fueled by death metal blast beats and plenty of
double bass.
Take those two and top
off this beautiful mess with lyricist / vocalist Kris McCaddon and bassist
Jason Lindquist. Kris is the artist of the group and brings his creativity
into his lyrics and vocals. Lyrically, one can expect intricately written
poetry (without rhyme) of true life experiences, emotions and praise, using
his vocals to spill them out like sweet tasting vomit. Imagine low, guttural
spurts of destruction billowing over mid to high chaos with the occasional
off-key verse. He imitates a mad man live, or one that just had his heart
broken. At times, he can be seen swinging the mic stand around or rolling
on the ground with fits of rage and sorrow, while sometimes bouncing with
joy-always quick to share the mic with the crowd.
Bassist, Jason Lindquist,
carries distortion like a prized trophy, melting the thick, heavy sound
of the other three with twisted, tuned down bass lines like a dragon awaking
from slumber. He never lets up, always moving around while playing. It's
not uncommon for him to get careless live, while remaining stop-on-a-dime
tight. Caught in his own world, he lashes his bass around and falls into
the crowd with no apologies.
In 1993, while still
in high school, Andrew Godwin, Mark Garza and former bass player, Kevin
Donnini, formed Embodyment. Jason Lindquist came shortly after the birth
of this monster to fulfill the second guitar duty. The first two years
included two demos, which sold quickly and helped spread the name and popularity
Embodyment was quickly receiving. They played mostly to metal crowds in
and around the Dallas / Fort Worth area with bands such as Dying Fetus,
Pyrexia, Devourment and Living Sacrifice.
After
playing with this lineup for a couple of years, they decided to recruit
friend, Kris McCaddon, as vocalist. The new member meant new songs and
even more creativity and intensity. This introduction began to open them
up to a wider audience, attracting fans of all musical genres; the most
prevalent being that of the hardcore community in the DFW area and around
Texas. Through this, they were introduced to, and friendships were built
with, other Texas hardcore bands such as 1066, Within, New Year, Society's
Finest, Employer Employee, Kill Ratio, etc. It also meant playing with
major touring bands such as No Innocent Victim (Victory), Zao (Solidstate),
Training For Utopia (Solidstate) and P.O.D. (Atlantic).
In 1996, they released
their third and most intense demo, selling hundreds and gaining fans all
over the world. In the summer of 1997, guitarist Jason Lindquist decided
to leave the band. Sadly, they let him go and introduced Andrew's cousin
James Lanigan to take Jason's place. With the popularity spreading, this
demo attracted the likes of several labels with interest of helping Embodyment
broaden their fan base. After much consideration, they decided to sign
with Seattle based Solid State Records, a division of Tooth and Nail Records.
Eager to introduce their
new lineup, and ever evolving sound of death metal and hardcore, Solid
State sent them to record at Poynter's Palace (Living Sacrifice, Zao, Bobgoblin)
in April, 1998. Released in July 1998, "Embrace the Eternal" introduced
the world to Embodyment. This recording included nine tracks of fire and
fury written throughout the bands history. At times chaotic. At times beautiful.
Always tight and always heavy.
Shortly after the release
of this full length, long time member and great friend Kevin Donnini decided
to put his bass away and say goodbye to the monster that sheltered him
for so long. Soon after his departure, Jason Lindquist returned to pick
up where Kevin left off, only to prove that metal never dies, and guitarists
make better bass players. Upon his arrival, James Lanigan decided to call
it quits in the fall of 1998. Leaving Andrew to take on the duty of guitar
alone. Since the release of their first full length, they have seen their
album sales increase and, more importantly, their fan base rise.
Embodyment cares about
their fans, and would more likely consider them their friends. They have
two major tours under their belt in support of this. The first was in June,
1998 with Arkansas-based Living Sacrifice and Eso-Charis. It was a short,
but successful two week journey from Texas to California, playing with
bands like Overcome, Training For Utopia and Warlord. The second tour in
October, 1998 took them up and down the East Coast, from Michigan to Florida
and back to Texas in just under one month, playing with the likes of Coalesce,
Burn It Down, Subsist, Prevail, Ensign, Endeavor and Stretch Armstrong.
1999 proves promising
for the Embodyment crew. They recently recorded two new songs for a Solid
State compilation to be released this summer. The first entitled "Halo
of Winter," which is by far their best and most perfected song to date.
This song proves how diverse Kris McCaddon's vocals actually are; taking
us back to the lower end of the spectrum, as portrayed on the third demo,
and moving away from the mid-high range represented on the full length.
Musically, you just have to hear for yourself. It's complicated and confusing
while maintaining structure. The second song is a cover of "Time After
Time," originally performed by none other than 80's pop sensation Cindy
Lauper. Proving that Embodyment can deconstruct a song and rebuild it better
than it was originally performed, while maintaining a hint of the melody
that Cindy Lauper created; it is nothing short of amazing.
In short, Embodyment
can be summed up like this: The most devastating, yet exhilarating; scary,
yet comforting; angry, yet joyful bands to mold themselves into the hardcore
/ metal persuasion. Strap yourself into the electric chair, because they
will execute you. Don't worry, after the shock you will awaken to the most
beautiful place in all creation. Thank Embodymenent for taking you there.
Tour Dates:
07.17.99 - Denver, CO
- Tom Fest
Discography:
1998
Embrace the Eternal