Don Clark | |
---|---|
Birth name | Donald Christopher Clark |
Also known as | Chuck Knuckles |
Born | San Jose, California, United States | May 30, 1975
Genres | Heavy Metal, Christian metal |
Occupation(s) | Musician, graphic designer |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, bass guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1992–2009 |
Donald Christopher Clark [1] (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and bassist for the Christian metal band, Demon Hunter, which he co-founded with his brother, vocalist Ryan Clark. [2] Before Demon Hunter, Clark was a former guitarist and co-founder of Training for Utopia with Rob Dennler. He appears on Zao's The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD.
Before forming TFU and Demon Hunter, Clark was in a local band called Offset. [3] Offset never recorded anything and was short lived.
Clark then started Training for Utopia with Rob Dennler. [4] Clark formed the band with the Rob Dennler (vocals), Steve Saxby (bass) and Morley Boyer (drums). Dennler left the band in 1996 and Ryan joined the band. The band released an EP, a Split EP, and two studio albums.
He and his brother formed Demon Hunter in 2000 and released their debut album late the following year through Solid State Records. The group would continue to steadily gain exposure throughout the 2000s.
His grandfather, an artist, helped inspire his grandsons' work in graphic design, which is their true day job. Ryan and Don founded Seattle-based Asterik Studio [5] with their friend Demetre Arges in 2000. The design studio has created CD packaging, poster art, web design, and/or merchandise design for hundreds of artists including Poison the Well, Liz Phair, P.O.D., and The White Stripes; however, Clark also notes that he is not a fine artist and that such work is typically outsourced. Based on their design experience, Don and Ryan authored a chapter in the book New Masters of Photoshop, Volume 2 ( ISBN 1590593154). In 2007, the brothers had announced that they were leaving Asterik to start Invisible Creature. [6]
Clark was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album packaging for The Folds' Secrets Keep You Sick. He lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife and two children.
On August 12, 2009 in Seattle, Washington, at El Corazón, Demon Hunter announced that Don Clark had left the band to pursue his career in graphic design and to be with his family.
In an interview with Matt Johnson Clark stated that, he, Don & Ryan, and Nathan Burke formed a project called Deathbed Atheist. [7] Clark quit the band to focus on life and work. [7]
Year | Artist | Album | Credit(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Focal Point | Neglected (EP) | Layout, design [8] |
Focal Point | Suffering of the Masses | Layout, design [9] | |
1997 | Eighteen Visions | Lifeless (EP) | Layout [10] |
Torn Apart | Nothing Is Permanent.... | Design, layout [11] | |
Training for Utopia | The Falling Cycle (EP) | Artwork (cover concept) [12] | |
Unconquered | You Say Moderation, I Scream Prohibition! | Layout [13] | |
1998 | Training for Utopia | Plastic Soul Impalement | Layout, design [14] |
1999 | Stretch Arm Strong | Rituals of Life | Art direction, design [15] |
Through the Eyes of Katelyn | Your Role Model's Dead | Layout, design [16] | |
Spitfire | The Dead Next Door | Art direction, design [17] | |
2000 | Embodyment | The Narrow Scope of Things | Art direction [18] |
AP2 | Suspension of Disbelief | Art direction, layout [19] | |
2001 | God Forbid | Determination | Art direction, design [20] |
The Juliana Theory | Music from Another Room (EP) | Layout [21] | |
Various | Happy Christmas Vol. 3 | Art direction [22] | |
2002 | Cherryholmes | Dressed for Success | Photography [23] |
Soul Embraced | This Is My Blood | Layout, design [24] | |
Poison the Well | Tear from the Red | Artwork, design [25] | |
Various | Stafcatorce Soundandculture | Design [26] | |
Poison the Well | Tear from the Road (DVD) | Artwork, design concept [27] | |
2006 | Atreyu | A Death-Grip on Yesterday | Artwork, layout [28] |
Twelve Gauge Valentine | Shock Value | Design [29] | |
Kutless | Live from Portland | Design [30] | |
2007 | Drop Dead, Gorgeous | "They'll Never Get Me (Word With You)" | Art direction [31] |
Various | Country Christmas | Design, illustration [32] | |
Mnemic | Passenger | Design [33] | |
John Reuben | Word of Mouth | Design [34] | |
Jackson Waters | Come Undone | Design [35] | |
Machine Head | The Blackening | Design (special edition package) [36] | |
Chasing Victory | Fiends | Design [37] | |
Chris Cornell | Carry On | Design [38] | |
Pierce the Veil | A Flair for the Dramatic | Design [39] | |
Seven Places | Glowing | Design [40] | |
Drop Dead, Gorgeous | Worse Than a Fairy Tale | Design [41] | |
Foo Fighters | "The Pretender" | Art direction, design [42] | |
Foo Fighters | Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace | Art direction, design [43] | |
Falling Up | Captiva | Design [44] | |
Foo Fighters | "Long Road to Ruin" | Art direction, design [45] | |
2008 | Bullet for My Valentine | Scream Aim Fire | Illustration [46] |
Advent | Remove the Earth | Design [47] | |
The Out Circuit | Pierce The Empire With A Sound | Illustration, design [48] | |
Our Last Night | The Ghosts Among Us | Design [49] | |
Pennywise | Reason to Believe | Illustration, design [50] | |
Hawk Nelson | Hawk Nelson...Is My Friend! | Illustration, design [51] | |
P.O.D. | When Angels & Serpents Dance | Design [52] | |
Coalesce | 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening | Design (reissue) [53] | |
Since October | This Is My Heart | Design [54] | |
Inhale Exhale | I Swear... | Design [55] | |
Kutless | To Know That You're Alive | Design [56] | |
The Living End | White Noise | Art direction, design [57] | |
Various | Kurt Cobain: About a Son | Design (CD Packaging) [58] | |
Starflyer 59 | Dial M | Design [59] | |
The Red Shore | Unconsecrated | Design [60] | |
2009 | Coalesce | Ox | Design [61] |
Coalesce | OXEP | Design [62] | |
2010 | Sing It Loud | Everything Collide | Design [63] |
The Red Shore | The Avarice of Man | Art direction, design [64] | |
Young the Giant | Young the Giant | Design [65] | |
2014 | Propaganda | Crimson Cord | Art direction, design [66] |
Jackie Hill Perry | The Art of Joy | Art direction, design [67] | |
Zao is an American metalcore band founded in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and later relocated to Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in March 1993, Zao has hosted several musicians and endured numerous roster changes to the point where no original members remain. Former drummer Jesse Smith, vocalist Dan Weyandt, and guitarists Scott Mellinger and Russ Cogdell are seen by some fans as the "core" of Zao, with the current line up being the longest running in the band's history.
Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark in 2000. Ryan is the band's only remaining original member, as Don left in 2009. As of the 2010s, the band has sold over 600,000 albums.
Solid State Records is a metalcore record label, an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore punk and heavy metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, it signed several bands with Christian members which don't label themselves as Christian bands, including Stretch Arm Strong, Gwen Stacy, He Is Legend, the Famine, Training for Utopia, and the Agony Scene.
Demon Hunter is the debut studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter. It was released on Solid State Records on October 22, 2002.
Summer of Darkness is the second studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter, released through Solid State on May 4, 2004. In the first week, the album sold 4,247 copies.
The Triptych is the third studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter, released on October 25, 2005. Produced by Aaron Sprinkle and mixed by Machine, The Triptych had three different album covers—implying a traditional triptych—by Dan Seagrave.
Strong Tower is a worship album released by the Christian rock group Kutless and is also their third studio album. An enhanced deluxe edition of this album was released on March 20, 2007, with additional tracks and the "Strong Tower" live music video. The title track of this record, "Strong Tower", was once in the Top 5 on ChristianRock.net. The album peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Billboard Christian Albums. Five years later, in 2010, the album reached the Billboard Catalog Albums chart peaking at No. 39. The album was certified Gold by RIAA in 2009 and is Kutless's best-selling album to date. The official music video for "Strong Tower" came out on YouTube on February 27, 2009, and included lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall, guitarists James Mead and Nick DePartee, bassist Dave Luetkenhoelter and drummer Jeffrey Gilbert.
Tom Rothrock is an international musician, composer, record producer, and owner of Bong Load Records. Tom Rothrock has worked with James Blunt, Foo Fighters, Moby, Beck, Badly Drawn Boy, R. L. Burnside, Athlete, Sloan, Gwen Stefani, Motörhead, Elbow, Stevie Nicks, Poison, Elliott Smith, Richard Thompson, and Yonder Mountain String Band. Rothrock has also composed or contributed to soundtracks for notable motion pictures such as About A Boy, Good Will Hunting, Collateral, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
Coalesce is an American metalcore band formed in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1994. They are considered pioneers of mathcore and were known for its aggressive style of music and reckless live shows. The band broke up in 2010 and has performed several reunion shows since then.
Randy Torres is an American guitarist, percussionist, keyboardist and background vocalist from Seattle. He has previously played for the bands Project 86, a Christian rock group, and Crash Rickshaw. He has filled in as rhythm guitarist for the band Demon Hunter and as keyboardist, guitarist, percussionist and background vocalist for Anberlin on a recent tour. He has worked as a producer/engineer for Aaron Sprinkle, and for the A&R division of Tooth & Nail Records. He is now a composer for film & TV. He currently is working on a project with Ryan Clark called NYVES, funded through Kickstarter.
Ethan John Luck is an American musician, producer, multi-instrumentalist and photographer who has played in several bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones, Demon Hunter, Kings of Leon, Morgan Wade, and pop punk band Relient K. He has played on albums for Kutless, Roper, Nikki Clan and Last Tuesday.
Aaron Sprinkle is an American record producer and musician from Seattle, Washington.
Phenomenon is the second studio album by Christian rock band Thousand Foot Krutch, being their first project on Tooth & Nail Records. Inspired by acts like Linkin Park and Papa Roach, Phenomenon presents a fusion of nu metal and modern rock. Having been influenced by band frontman Trevor McNevan's "faith and life," the album's lyrics frequently explore Christian faith and contemporary issues from a Christian worldview. The album was released on September 30, 2003.
Ryan Curtis Clark is an American musician who also has performed under the stage name Maven. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the Christian metal band Demon Hunter, which he co-founded with his brother, guitarist Don Clark. He was also the frontman for Christian metalcore band Training for Utopia along with being one of the guitarists for Focal Point. He is featured on Zao's The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD and Mark Salomon's Podcast, Never Was.
Training for Utopia, also stylized as TFU, is an American metalcore band, initially active from 1996 to 2000.
Live from Portland is the first live album by the Christian rock band Kutless. It was released on December 5, 2006. It was recorded on March 16, 2006, in the band's hometown of Portland, Oregon. The album comes with a CD of the concert's audio, and a DVD with the concert itself. The DVD is slightly longer than the CD, including drum solos from drummer Jeffrey Gilbert. The DVD also contains the band's music video for "Shut Me Out", and a documentary about the show and the band being on tour. This is the band's last release with longtime guitarist Ryan Shrout, though his last studio album with them was Hearts of the Innocent.
Invisible Creature is an illustration and graphic design studio based in Seattle, Washington. It is run by brothers Don and Ryan Clark and was formed in 2006. Don and Ryan are also the co-founders of Asterik Studio (2000-2008). Clients include: NASA, Pixar, Target, Apple, USPS, LEGO, Warby Parker, Cinerama, etc. Don is also Art Director at Canlis restaurant in Seattle.Some of the studio's designs are highlighted in the two brothers' book "Face the Music: Twenty Years of Album Art". The book highlights Invisible Creature's work in album design and the meaning behind some of their more well known works.
The Ascendicate, originally known as The 7 Method is a Christian metal band from High Point, North Carolina. The band formed in 1999, but went on hiatus in 2012. The band put out tracks of one of their albums, which fell into the hands of Jimmy Ryan (Haste the Day, Trenches) and Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter, Training for Utopia), and the band signed to Solid State Records. They have shared stages with Staple, Extol, Alien Ant Farm, Disciple, Project 86, and Pillar. Guitarist Ryan Helm joined Demon Hunter, and then formed Damien Deadson.
Daniel Weyandt is the vocalist of the American metalcore band, Zao. He was also the bassist for Seasons in the Field and current bassist for Lonely//Ghost//Parade. Weyandt is also a tattoo artist and owns a shop in his hometown, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Kris McCaddon is an American musician. He was the second guitarist for the metalcore band Society's Finest and lead guitarist for Demon Hunter. He was also the vocalist for the bands Embodyment and The Famine. Since McCaddon left the Famine in 2010, he has not been active in the music industry as a recording or performing artist.