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The Chariot

 
Artist: The Chariot
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The Chariot

Group Members:

Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler, Dan Eaton, Jon Terry, Josh Scogin, Jake Ryan, Keller Harbin, Josh Beiser

Similar Artists:

Mychildren Mybride, Inhale/Exhale, Destroy the Runner, He Is Legend, Haste the Day, Demon Hunter, All That Remains, Underoath, Botch, Zao, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, Hatebreed

Followers:

Mychildren Mybride

Formal Connection With:

Norma Jean, Every Time I Die
See The Chariot Lyrics
  • Formed: 2002, Douglasville, GA
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Wars and Rumors of Wars," "The Fiancee," "Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing Nothing Is Dead and Nothing Is Bleeding"

Biography

Atlanta-based Christian alternative metal act the Chariot is a showcase for singer Josh Scogin. Formerly frontman for the popular Christian nu-metallers Norma Jean (originally known as Luti-Kriss, before Dirty South rapper Ludacris eclipsed their limited popularity), Scogin left Norma Jean for undisclosed personal reasons in 2003, following the release of their second album. Largely dispensing with the rap-rock and nu-metal aspects of Norma Jean in favor of a punkier metalcore direction, Scogin almost immediately formed the Chariot with members of other area metal and CCM groups. The original lineup of the Chariot consisted of Scogin, singer and guitarist Keller Harbin, guitarist Tony Medina, bassist Joshua Beiser, and drummer Jeff Carter. Signing to the popular Christian indie rock label Solid State Records in 2004, the band debuted later that year with the almost operatically titled Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead and Nothing Is Bleeding. Following the subsequent release of a live DVD, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Chariot, Medina and Carter left the band; new drummer Mark Nicks debuted on the 2005 EP Unsung, but was replaced by Jake Ryan before sessions began for the band's second full-length, The Fiancee. After the album was recorded, Beiser and Harbin left the Chariot (Harbin joining Every Time I Die) and were replaced by Jon Terry and Dan Eaton in time for an extensive North American package tour with other bands from the Solid State Records roster. Delayed by the rapid changeover in band personnel, The Fiancee eventually surfaced in early April 2007 with new bassist Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler on board. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: The Chariot (band)
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For other uses, see Chariot (disambiguation).
The Chariot

Josh Scogin performing with The Chariot at Cornerstone Festival 2006.
Background information
Origin Douglasville, Georgia
Genres Mathcore, Metalcore
Years active 2003–present
Labels Solid State
Associated acts A Rose By Any Other Name, Norma Jean, Queens Club
Website www.thechariot.com
Members
Josh Scogin
Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler
Bryan Russell Taylor
David Kennedy
Stephen Harrison
Former members
See past members

The Chariot is a Christian metal band from Douglasville, Georgia, formed in 2003. The band has experienced frequent lineup changes. The current lineup consists of drummer David Kennedy, bassist Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Bryan Russell Taylor and Stephen Harrison. The band plays an abrasive style of metalcore that does not adhere to typical stylings like melodic/abrasive dynamics and harmony singing. They have built a reputation around their live performances. Lyrics revolve around topics like materialism and sometimes touch on Christian themes.

The band was formed by Scogin shortly after he left his position of vocalist in Norma Jean. In 2004, a record deal was signed with Solid State Records and a debut album was released, entitled Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead, and Nothing Is Bleeding. The band has toured constantly since then. They released the Unsung EP in 2005, which was followed by two studio albums: The Fiancée in 2007 and Wars and Rumors of Wars in 2009.

Contents

Biography

2003–2004: Formation and debut album

The Chariot was formed by Josh Scogin almost immediately after leaving his previous band Norma Jean, a metalcore group based in Douglasville, Georgia.[1] He recorded one critically acclaimed album with them entitled Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child in 2002. Later that year, following Norma Jean's set at Furnace Fest, Scogin shocked the audience and his unaware bandmates by announcing his departure.[2][3] "I wish I had some great story about a big fight or aliens or something," he later explained, "but really it was just something that I felt led to do."[2] When asked if his leaving was the result of internal conflict, Scogin replied "Not at all. My leaving them was completely a peaceful event. It was all something personal for me and had nothing really to do with the band at all."[4] The event generated a public outcry from fans in hardcore circles.[5] Scogin returned to Douglasville in 2003 and started the Chariot with other musicians in the area; the first lineup included guitarists Keller Harbin and Tony "Taco" Medina, bassist Joshua Beiser, and drummer Jeff Carter. The band's name was inspired by the Biblical story of Elijah and the chariot of fire.[3]

In 2004, a record contract was signed with Solid State Records, a metal subdivision of Tooth & Nail Records.[1] The band traveled to Atlanta, Georgia and worked on their debut album with Matt Goldman.[2] The entire album was recorded live in one take. "It is more comfortable for everyone," said Scogin," [We] wanted to record it all natural and leave many of our screw ups and many of our flaws. [...People] see perfect shows and they hear perfect recordings. We really wanted everyone to hear something that was authentically us and not a computer."[6] The album was released in November and titled Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead, and Nothing Is Bleeding,[5] which was a parody of albums that featured morbid names: "[Death], or killing, or bleeding," Scogin explained, "[We] just sort of thought it would be a breath of fresh air to name our CD the exact opposite of all that."[6] The album debuted at #23 on Top Heatseekers,[7] and received favorable reviews from critics.[8] Touring followed with As Cities Burn, He Is Legend, and Showbread on the Young Bloods Tour in Winter.[9]

2005–2008: The Fiancée

Medina and Carter left the band soon-after; they were replaced by Brian Khounvichit and Mark Nicks respectively. Nicks was later replaced by drummer Jake Ryan. In September 2005, The Chariot began a 27-city tour at Poughkeepsie, New York with High On Fire, Every Time I Die, and The Red Chord.[3] An EP, entitled Unsung, was released at the beginning of December. It featured two new tracks and four re-recordings from their debut.[10] It was well received among critics.[11] The band played shows with labelmates As Cities Burn, mewithoutYou, and Underoath later that month.[3] Touring continued through 2006; the band shared a national tour with P.O.D. in spring,[12] and garnered a spot in the Sounds of the Underground Tour with As I Lay Dying that summer.[13] In June 2006, Beiser and Harbin stepped down and were replaced by bassist Dan Eaton and guitarist Jon Terry respectively. The two men had been longtime friends of the band.[14]

The Chariot embarked on the Youngbloods II Tour in fall with Solid State labelmates August Burns Red, Destroy The Runner, Inhale Exhale.[15] In January 2007, the band toured through Europe with Becoming the Archetype, and Shaped by Fate.[16] By this time, yet another bass player had been recruited—Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler.[1] In April of the same year, after delays relating to lineup changes, their second album, The Fiancée, was released.[17] The record was produced by Matt Goldman. The writing and recording process had been driven by time constraints. "It was actually a very easy record to write," said Scogin, "It came more naturally to us." However, Scogin waited until the music was written before writing lyrics, an exercise he vowed never to attempt again.[18] Hayley Williams of Paramore made a guest performance on the track "Then Came To Kill" as did Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou when he played the harmonica on "Forgive Me Nashville";[17] Scogin had been friends with both artists for many years.[4] The Fiancée broke the Billboard 200—it debuted at #169, selling 6,800 copies[19]— and was well received in the Christian and secular markets.[20] The group played a release tour with Misery Signals, I Am Ghost, and I Hate Sally,[21] and then made a short run on the Warped Tour in summer.[18] When Norma Jean vocalist Cory Brandan Putman became ill in Mexico, Scogin flew down and filled his place.[22] Another leg of The Fiancée Tour extended into spring 2008 with LoveHateHero, Alesana, Our Last Night, and Sky Eats Airplane.[23]

2009–present: Wars and Rumors of Wars

The group's third album, entitled Wars and Rumors of Wars, was released in May 2009. The lineup changed once again, leaving Scogin as the only member to appear on their previous records;[24] Ryan and Eaton left on amicable terms to form the indie pop band Queens Club and were signed to Tooth & Nail Records.[25] The album title was inspired by Matthew 24:6, which contains the passage "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars..." Scogin explained that the album title referred to internal conflict that people experience, not literal war.[4] The band hand-made the artwork and liner notes for the first 25,000 copies of the album.[26] Wars and Rumors of War debuted at #112 on the Billboard 200, their highest to date.[7] Critical reception was very positive about the release.[27] The Chariot performed on the Scream the Prayer Tour with Haste the Day, Oh, Sleeper, and Project 86 that summer.[28] Beginning late November, Norma Jean will headline the nationwide Explosions 2009 Tour with a group of handpicked artists, including The Chariot, Horse the Band, and Arsonists Get All The Girls.[29]

Musical style and influences

Josh Scogin performing with The Chariot at Camden Underworld, London in 2006.

The band's music is characterized by a metal sound,[30] and the screaming vocal style of band leader Josh Scogin.[31] Journalists have frequently referred to the music as "chaotic";[32] Allmusic writer Alex Henderson described it as a "dense, clobbering sledgehammer",[30] while Brian Shultz of Alternative Press called it "manically pounding, distortion-soaked exercises of catharsis".[33] The Chariot has often been labeled a metalcore band.[34] However, the music generally defies genre standards like melodic/abrasive dynamics and harmonizing vocals; it wouldn't leave room for the "nonstop firestorm of exploding drums, heaving guitars, and visceral shrieking," as Allmusic writer Corey Apar put it.[35] The band utilize time changes and start-stop shifts,[36] and typically write very short songs.[17] Some journalists believe the music is challenging and an acquired taste.[37]

Live performances are very important to the band. "We love playing live," said Scogin, "That's what this band are all about: playing live shows." This mentality leaked into their recording process: the band's first album was recorded entirely live in one take. Their next two efforts followed more traditional recording sensibilities: "We may go in and [fix] this one part," explained Scogin, "but [...] there's lots of stuff we probably should have tightened up. [Laughs.] But that [keeps] it feeling like a real record."[33] Despite their attentiveness to the recording process, Scogin has maintained that their focal point is live performances, "...recording records, that's all circled around hopefully bringing more kids to the live show so we can perform for them." The band's shows have built up a reputation; MTV called them "the thing of metalcore legend".[18] When tasked to describe their set on the Scream the Prayer Tour, HM Magazine president Doug Van Pelt wrote:

“ The best word I can find is destruction. There’s a frantic mix of bodies flailing, limbs flying, strings bending [..] Scogin threw his microphone twice, the guitarist climbed up on the stack of amps and hung from the rafters twice, and the set ended with the band piling up amps, drums, mic stands, lights and instruments in the middle of the stage and scraping their guitar strings across the edges of the pile. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they poured gasoline on the mess and lit it up.[28] ”
"And Shot Each Other"
In the fourth track from the The Fiancée, "And Shot Each Other", listeners can catch a glimpse of the band's chaotic start-stop style of metal.
"Daggers"
The eighth track from Wars and Rumors of Wars, "Daggers", contains lyrics about war, a prevalent theme in the album. However, the imagery pertains to internal strife inside everyone, not literal war.
Problems listening to these files? See media help.

Artists who possessed strong showmanship skills have largely influenced Scogin; some of these artists include James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.[4] He is also fond of Arcade Fire, The Beatles, Björk, Interpol, and The Killers.[38] In an interview, Scogin expressed a desire to have seen At The Drive-In and Nirvana before they disbanded.[6]

Scogin's introspective lyrics have covered topics like materialism, death, and the Nashville Christian music industry.[39] The lyrics for Wars and Rumors of Wars were formed after a family loss: "...only a year ago my father passed away. And I hate to say this, because it sounds like such a band-dude thing to say, but the lyrics are a lot darker than any other record just because of how personal they are for me."[33] Scogin usually refers to his lyrics as poems and has maintained that "a song is never finished but abandoned." "...as an artist you can forever be changing a song or making a song 'better' or whatever but the moment that you stop recording and send it off to be mastered you have not 'finished' the song…you have only abandoned the song and that is how it will stay forever."[4] His lyrics sometimes espouse Christian themes and beliefs, albeit subtly.[35] For example, the track "Yellow Dress: Locked Knees" from Everything... contains the Spanish lyrics "Jesus, yo quiero que este mundo te conozca."; when translated, it says "Jesus, I want this world to know you."[40] The song "And Shot Each Other" from The Fiancée contains the lyrics "How happy is a child of grace, who feels his sins forgiven / This world, he cries, is not my place / I seek a place in Heaven."[39]

The Chariot is frequently called a Christian band, which Scogin agreed with in a 2005 interview: "We are Christians in a band therefore we are a Christian band. We are not ashamed of our beliefs but we don’t force feed people what we believe either."[6] In 2006, he reaffirmed his previous statements and further opined, "When I was growing up, if I liked [a band], I listened to it — and I went to the shows. If I didn't, I didn't. It wasn't like, 'Oh, they don't believe the same thing I do,' [...] People care too much about the fashion of it all. To me, a band's either good or they ain't, and that's the only thing that should matter."[18]

Members

Present members

Name Instrument Years Other Groups
Josh Scogin Lead Vocals 2003-Present A Rose By Any Other Name, Norma Jean
Bryan Russell Taylor Guitar, Backup Vocals 2008-Present Slowriter, The Rein
Stephen Harrison Guitar, Backup Vocals 2009-Present Written in Red
Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler Bass 2006-Present Asleep for Dreaming
David Kennedy Drums 2008-Present The Rein

Past members

Name Instrument Years Other Groups
Dan Vokey Guitar, Backup Vocals 2008-2009 I Hate Sally
Mark McGee Drums (Fill In) 2008 I Hate Sally
Jon Terrey Guitar, Backup Vocals 2006-2008 The James Dean Trio
Dan Eaton Guitar, Backup Vocals 2006-2008 Flattery Leads to Ruins, Brunette, Queens Club
Jake Ryan Drums 2005-2008 Flattery Leads to Ruins, Golden Reach, Queens Club
Joshua Beiser Bass 2003-2006 The Glass Ocean, USS Shreveport
Keller Harbin Guitar, Vocals 2003-2006 The Glass Ocean, Every Time I Die, USS Shreveport
Mark Nicks Drums (Fill In) 2005 Cool Hand Luke
Jeff Carter Drums 2004-2005 Deus Invictus
Tony Medina Guitar 2003-2005 Juliette, USS Shreveport

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Filmography

  • 2004: Ladies and Gentlemen... The Chariot
  • 2007: One More Song

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Mason
  2. ^ a b c MTV staff
  3. ^ a b c d Sharpe-Young
  4. ^ a b c d e Koutsou
  5. ^ a b Taylor (2004-11-04)
  6. ^ a b c d Herbel
  7. ^ a b Allmusic staff
  8. ^ Henderson: Everything; Spenceley; Taylor (2004-11-04)
  9. ^ Taylor (2004-12-03)
  10. ^ Taylor (2005-12-06)
  11. ^ Loftus; Langley; Taylor (2005-12-06)
  12. ^ Cromwell (2006-03-23)
  13. ^ Cromwell (2006-04-05)
  14. ^ Harris & Wiederhorn (2006-06-16)
  15. ^ Foucart
  16. ^ Cromwell (2006-11-30)
  17. ^ a b c Goodman
  18. ^ a b c d Harris & Wiederhorn (2007-05-11)
  19. ^ Harris
  20. ^ Apar; Goodman; Whitman
  21. ^ Cromwell (2007-05-27)
  22. ^ Blabbermouth.net staff
  23. ^ Sailer
  24. ^ Estabrooks
  25. ^ Van Pelt: New member...
  26. ^ Shultz (2009-02-20)
  27. ^ Estabrooks; Goforth; Henderson: Wars; Shultz (2009-04-14)
  28. ^ a b Van Pelt (2009-07-28)
  29. ^ Karan
  30. ^ a b Henderson: Wars
  31. ^ Langely
  32. ^ Goforth; Goodman; Koutsou; Van Pelt (2009-07-28)
  33. ^ a b c Schultz (2009-04-14)
  34. ^ Goodman; Henderdon: Wars; Karan; Mason; Sharpe-Young
  35. ^ a b Apar
  36. ^ Langley
  37. ^ Goodman; Henderson: Wars
  38. ^ Koutsou; Herbel
  39. ^ a b Whitman
  40. ^ Henderson: Everything...

References

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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