Crimson Eye

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Band Bio

PERSONNEL:

Josh Jones - vocals
Adam Young - lead guitar, backing vocals
Jimmy Gibbons - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Angus Page - bass guitar
Billy Homme - drums/percussion

BAND HISTORY:

"Eye of the Storm: Crimson Eye Rages" - InsideStonerRock.com

Founded in Chicago in early 2004 by guitarists Adam Young and Jimmy Gibbons, Crimson Eye quickly established themselves on the Midwest metal scene as the heaviest of the heavy. Says Young, "There were some pretty heavy bands around at the time; Operation Overlord, Flaming Anvil, Steelhenge, but we set out to crush them all into the dust." Adds Gibbons, "We were aiming WAY high - or low, I suppose. I remember hearing Kurt Cobain say that Nirvana was like the The Knack being molested by Black Sabbath. Our goal was to sound like Sabbath being triple-teamed by Kyuss, Sleep and Electric Wizard."

Though they set some lofty goals, their dedication and focus quickly gained attention, and helped them recruit like-minded players. "We went through a couple drummers before we finally came across Billy [Homme]", says Young. "No one was hitting with as much power as we wanted, it was a constant frustration." Adds Gibbons, "Billy combines the power and groove of Bonham with the mad energy of Keith Moon. I don't think he's really reached his peak yet - he's played some things in rehearsal that are just unreal."

Another key pickup was bassist Angus Page, who was pilfered from Flaming Anvil. "We were playing a gig with them one night, and during our break AP came over to talk. We started telling him he needed to get away from those pussies, and into a really heavy band," recalls Young with a chuckle. Not long after, Flaming Anvil folded due to conflicting priorities of its' members, and Page joined up with Young, Gibbons & co.

As for their singer, Young remarks, "With the foundation we lay every show, a tone-deaf monkey could stand there and sound good." "No, no, we love Josh," Gibbons quickly adds. "He's got a better voice than people realize. He does all that gruff singing, but his natural voice is pretty amazing. He's also written some amazing lyrics for us, so it's all good!"

With their lineup in place by the end of 2006, Crimson Eye began their quest for domination in earnest. Constant gigging throughout the Midwest and Northeast earned them a rep as a relentlessly aggressive and heavy live act, and generated a lot of attention from niche metal labels, as well as a bit from a few of the majors. It was relative newcomer Long Bong Records that finally signed them in early 2008. Says Young, "It was the NAME, man, the NAME..." "We've had a little experience with weed", notes Gibbons with a roll of his eyes. "Nah, but seriously, we really liked what they had to say, and they shared our vision - it was a natural fit all the way around."

Crimson Eye's debut album 'Tenth Exodus' was released in early 2009 to modest sales and positive reviews. It was followed shortly thereafter by an EP, 'Warmonger', which further cemented their position among the heaviest bands on the planet. It also exhausted their catalog of songs. "Everything on the first two discs were songs we'd been slowly refining over our first years together," says Gibbons. "Some were things Jim and I had put together way back in 2004, when it was just the two of us jamming," adds Young. "From this point on, everything will be new", says Gibbons, "and we're stoked to see what new havoc we can come up with." Chances are, so are their fans....

TOUR INFORMATION:

Crimson Eye joins the Lords Of Carrion Tour, running from late March - late May, with dates in Europe and Asia.

http://www.figment.cc/home/viewband.fig?id=2769

The Fallout Tour [with guests Blackened Skull Ensemble and Death Plus Damnation Equals Hell] begins in June, running through September, with dates in North and South America.

http://www.figment.cc/dashboard/editband.fig?bandid=2775

Band Gear

This band doesn't own any gear!

Albums / EPs

The Radiation Chronicles Date Released: 3/22/2011   Tracks: 20 Sales: 10   Listens: 15 Crimson Eye follow their acclaimed 'five' with a new concept masterpiece; 'The Radiation Chronicles'. The storyline of a nuclear apocalypse [the US/Russia versus China] and the aftermath is deftly handled - broken into 3 chapters [plus Epilogue] separated by spoken-word sections that act both as political critique and plot devices. Grim and timely subject matter is paired with a musical assualt that ranges from sludge grind to full-bore thrash for another classic from the doom masters. [2 CDs]

five Date Released: 10/22/2010   Tracks: 16 Sales: 10   Listens: 18 Crimson Eye unleash another metal concept masterpiece with their latest: 'five'. Inspired by the "Canonical Five" Jack The Ripper murders in London in 1888, 'Five' parallels the increasingly ritualistic series of murders with increasingly aggressive and complex compositions in a pseudo-operatic format. Interspersed with eerie skit-like interludes, 'Five' is a masterpiece of shifting moods, building tension and frenzied release, and will likely prove a landmark concept album across any genre.

Reign Of Terror Date Released: 12/7/2009   Tracks: 11 Sales: 7   Listens: 8 Crimson Eye deliver a return to form on their latest release 'Reign Of Terror', going back to what they do best; crushingly-heavy riffage paired with powerful lyrical themes. Heading straight to the studio from the road, the band is extremely tight and firing on all cylinders. Case in point, the punishing title track, and the grinding "ad Vincula" and "SUV" [Selective Use of Violence, not your momma's Suburban...]. A heavied-up cover of "Witch Hunt" brings real menace to Rush's classic.

Skull Session Date Released: 11/9/2009   Tracks: 6 Sales: 7   Listens: 7 Recorded in several studios during their North American Karma Bullet Tour, Crimson Eye's latest EP 'Skull Session' is yet another exercise in bone-crushing heaviness from the doom metal masters. Going for less-is-more, Crimson Eye reportedly pared down over a dozen recorded tracks to the six heaviest and most brutal. All these tracks are outstanding, but the title track and the closer "Dominion Of Brutality" are the clear highlights.

Underground Nuclear Test Site Date Released: 7/29/2009   Tracks: 3 Sales: 6   Listens: 9 The mystery behind Crimson Eye's instrumental "UNTS" has finally been revealed. 'Underground Nuclear Test Site' is the latest EP from Crimson Eye, featuring Zandergriff Miggs, of Parliament Of Owls fame, on his beloved Hammond organ. The EP contains only three tracks, but they are superlative: a re-mix of the original "UNTS"; an extended 28-minute jam session, in which "UNTS" morphs from grinding doom to full-on funk and back again; and a blistering cover of Deep Purple's "Space Truckin'".

Karma Bullet Date Released: 7/28/2009   Tracks: 9 Sales: 6   Listens: 6 Crimson Eye are back with their latest effort, 'Karma Bullet'. Once again straining their classification as "doom metal", Crimson Eye turn in a tight set of 9 tracks that range from full-on thrash ["Assault Regulator"], to doom sludge ["The Third Follower"], to the a capella closer - in latin of all things - "Epitaph". Crimson Eye once again provide their many fans a feast for the ears, and reinforce their position among the top bands in the Long Bong Records stable.

Rome-Berlin 5.15&16.09 [Live] Date Released: 5/19/2009   Tracks: 20 Sales: 10   Listens: 11 What better way to capture the live performance of their 'Imperium' album in its' entirety, than to record Crimson Eye shows in the two cities that loomed large over the album itself: Rome and Berlin. Crimson Eye deliver the goods in two inspired shows, tearing through the full 'Imperium' plus other prime cuts from their 'Tenth Exodus' and 'Warmonger' discs. Packed with tour art and other goodies, this live double CD set is a must-own for the many fans of the band.

Untitled ["Death's Head EP"] Date Released: 4/21/2009   Tracks: 6 Sales: 8   Listens: 8 Crimson Eye's original theme for what became 'Imperium' was the clash of Nazi Germany and the USSR in WWII. A number of tracks were developed that were ultimately discarded, given the more general totalitarian theme of the completed 'Imperium' [though "Death's Head" was reworked into "Praetorian Elite"]. Their newly released EP [untitled, known as the "Death's Head EP" based on the cover art] reveals some of the heaviest tracks, both thematically and musically, that Crimson Eye have released.

Imperium Date Released: 4/19/2009   Tracks: 16 Sales: 9   Listens: 10 "Cast Iron" is not just the first track on Crimson Eye's second full-length release, 'Imperium' [Long Bong Records], it's also the consistency of their balls. Daring to release a metal concept double-album certainly took a huge pair, but their risk was well-calculated. With powerful subject matter [totalitarianism], and their signature devastating sonic assault, Crimson Eye take insipiration from Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' and '...And Justice For All' and arguably do them one better.

Warmonger Date Released: 3/21/2009   Tracks: 4 Sales: 13   Listens: 18 Crimson Eye are back with a new EP, 'Warmonger' [Long Bong Records], pushing the bounds of sonic mayhem beyond those set by their debut, 'Tenth Exodus'. While 'Warmonger' builds upon Crimson Eye's strengths, case in point the steamroller-being-molested-by-jackhammer grind of the mysterious instrumental "UNTS", it also broadens their range. The thrash metal attack of the blistering "Panzerfaust" and the complex structures of the epic 18-minute "Dread Legion" suite offering ample evidence.

Tenth Exodus Date Released: 3/20/2009   Tracks: 7 Sales: 18   Listens: 24 Thunderous riffs. Bludgeoning percussion. Complete sonic annihilation. Doom metallers Crimson Eye unleash their debut effort 'Tenth Exodus' on an unsuspecting world. Notice has been served, a new power has arisen...