Labonte was born on April 15th, 1975 in Chicopee, Massachusetts. He grew up in a military family; his father served in the U.S Air Force, his uncle served in the military, and both of his grandfathers served in World War II.[3] In his youth, he would listen to hits from the 1950s and 1960s while he sat in the back of his parents’ car.[4] As a teenager, he started to become a fan of brutal death metal, listening to bands like Cannibal Corpse, Exhumed and Gorguts.[5]
Career
In the mid-1990s, Labonte was in a death metal band called Perpetual Doom, with its members being teenagers at the time. The original vocalist of Perpetual Doom was Scott Estes; Labonte, however, took over the vocal position in 1993 after Estes joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC), with Labonte also playing the guitar. In August 1993, Labonte left to join the USMC and Perpetual Doom remained inactive for nine months in his absence. After finishing basic training, he moved on to combat training, where he sustained a serious injury to his ankle that stopped his training. This led to his commanding officer sending him home with an honorary discharge.[3] Upon Labonte's return to Massachusetts in June 1994, Perpetual Doom resumed making music, and in 1995 they recorded and released a seven-track demo called "Sorrow's End".[6][7] Other band members included Ken Robert (vocals, guitar), Bill Brault (bass), and Stephen "Steve" Gonsalves (drums), who went on to become a paranormal investigator and future cast member of Ghost Hunters.
Labonte left Perpetual Doom to join the melodic death metal band Shadows Fall. His new bandmates asked him to refrain from playing guitar, but he served as Shadows Fall's lead vocalist from 1996 to 1998. The band's debut record, Somber Eyes to the Sky, was released in 1997 through Lifeless Records, a label owned by Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand. Labonte was asked to leave Shadows Fall due to "musical differences"[8] and was replaced with current vocalist Brian Fair, leaving Somber Eyes to the Sky as the only Shadows Fall record with Labonte on vocals.
In 1998, Labonte formed All That Remains as a side project. After he left Shadows Fall, All That Remains became his main priority. Labonte has been the vocalist of All That Remains for its entire run. Their debut record, Behind Silence and Solitude, was released in 2002 through Prosthetic Records/Razor & Tie, and eight more albums have followed. Since then, the band has become a notable act within the American heavy metal scene,[9] with the group's 3rd studio album Fall of Ideals being celebrated as a metalcore classic. Their acclaimed 4th studio album Overcome took home Best Hard Rock/Metal album at the 2010 Independent Music Awards.[10][11] During his tenure, they have sold over a million albums worldwide, headlining and playing major festivals across the world.[12]
In March 2011, Labonte was interviewed by CNN to discuss his experiences during the 2011 earthquake in Japan. All That Remains were soundchecking for a performance in Tokyo when the earthquake struck, with Labonte not realizing the severity of the situation until their booking agent evacuated them. After the building's structural integrity was examined by authorities, the band was allowed to return to the venue.[14]
In 2016 and parts of 2017, Labonte filled in as the frontman for Five Finger Death Punch after lead singer Ivan Moody stepped away to deal with personal problems.[15] In 2023, alongside Howard Jones, he filled in for them again during a show in California.[16]
In 2020, Labonte reunited with Perpetual Doom to release a re-recording of their song "Apt. 213".[17]
Labonte and All That Remains released four more studio albums from 2012 to 2018. They then took a seven-year hiatus from making new music before eventually releasing their newest album, AntiFragile, on January 31st, 2025.[18]
Labonte's lyrics touch upon subjects such as relationships, personal struggles, society, and hope, with him stating that he writes his best stuff when he’s miserable.[23] He has stated that he intentionally keeps his lyrics somewhat vague, inviting listeners to interpret them through their own lens.[24]
Personal life
In 2021, during his appearance on Jamey Jasta's podcast, Labonte revealed that following his divorce in 2017, he quit drinking: "I don't know if I qualify as sober, because I haven't through AA[sic]; I just stopped drinking. I stopped because I got divorced and I hit a really low place. It was back in 2017, and it was January. And I'm, like, 'If I keep drinking, I'm probably gonna drink myself to death. So I've gotta put the bottle down.' And I just stopped. So I don't have a really good story or anything. I just was scared to die.”[25]
In 2012, Labonte visited service members aboard a Marine Corps base in Lejeune.[29]
Political views
Labonte has stated that he is a libertarian.[30] He expressed his support for gun rights,[31] cannabis legalization and criminal justice reform.[32] He has also advocated cutting the size of the military and was critical of U.S. intervention overseas and military bases in the Middle East; he stated: "You can be pro-military and not be pro-imperialism. You can be pro-military and pro-national events and still think that we have too many bases in foreign countries that we just don't need."[33]
He supported Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul in 2012,[34] and Rand Paul in 2016.[35] In 2020, he supported Libertarian nominee Jo Jorgensen for the presidential election, while also expressing his detest for the party's leadership.[36][37]
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