The Handshake Murders

Last updated

The Handshake Murders
Origin Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres
Years active2000–2011
LabelsGoodfellow [4]
Spinoff of Eso-Charis, Norma Jean
Past membersJayson Holmes
John Ridenour
Brian Evans
Jeff Hickey
Cory Brandan Putman
Daniel Wiggins
Bryce Lucien
Jeff King
Brandon Rogers
Keith Baskett

The Handshake Murders was an American mathcore/metalcore band from Fort Smith, Arkansas. It included many members from Eso-Charis and Norma Jean. When Eso-Charis, disbanded, Holmes made The Handshake Murders full-time. The band has released one full-length album, and two EPs. [5] The band has been compared to Coalesce, Meshuggah, and A Life Once Lost [5] and have gone on tour with bands such as The Chariot, Norma Jean, and Darkest Hour. [6] After 10 years of being active, the band broke-up. [7] [8]

Contents

Members

Discography

Studio albums
EPs
Compilation appearances

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CKY (band)</span> American rock band

CKY is an American rock band from West Chester, Pennsylvania formed in 1998 by vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller, guitarist Chad I Ginsburg and drummer Jess Margera. In 2011, Miller left the band which has since continued with Margera and Ginsburg, along with touring bassist Ronnie Elvis James who began performing with the band in 2023. Since Miller's departure in 2011, Ginsburg has taken over as frontman. Miller has since reformed pre-CKY group Foreign Objects and founded 96 Bitter Beings, his own continuance of the material he previously played with CKY.

Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson as a more thrash metal and death metal oriented band. The band evolved into a groove metal and metalcore style beginning with Reborn (1997) under Solid State Records with the original guitarist Bruce Fitzhugh on vocals. In 2003, the group disbanded due to other projects and later their label, Solid State, released their best-of album, In Memoriam (2005). In 2008, Living Sacrifice reformed and released a two-song digital only single called Death Machine. They then began working on The Infinite Order which was released on January 26, 2010. Lance Garvin and Bruce Fitzhugh are the two remaining original members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid State Records</span> American record label

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.

Spitfire is an American metalcore band from Virginia Beach, Virginia. They first formed in the late 1990s and were previously signed to Goodfellow Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deron Miller</span> American musician

Deron John Miller is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band CKY, which he co-founded in 1998. Other bands Miller fronts include the progressive metal band Foreign Objects, the melodic death metal band World Under Blood, the death metal band Malevolent Creation, and the alternative metal band 96 Bitter Beings.

Eso-Charis, originally called Elliot, was a Christian metalcore/mathcore band that formed in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Founding members, brothers Cory Brandan Putman and Matthew Putman, and Arthur Green, eventually went on to join the band Living Sacrifice. In late 1997, the band recorded their first and only full-length album with Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice. The album was first produced independently, but was after leased to Day-Glo Records of Stockholm, Sweden. Later on, production of the album moved to Solid State Records, the same label as Living Sacrifice. Cory has stated that they most likely will not do a reunion. He also stated that after his brother and Green quit the band they added two guitarists, bassists, and drummers, with Cory and Jayson being the vocalists.

<i>Eso-Charis</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Eso-Charis

Eso-Charis is an album of the band Eso-Charis. The album was originally released independently in 1998, later being released by Day-Glo Records of Sweden, and even later by Solid State Records, the label of Living Sacrifice, which three of the members were also a part of.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norma Jean (band)</span> American metalcore band

Norma Jean is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997, numerous lineup changes have left the band with no original members. To date, Norma Jean has released nine studio albums and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2006 for Best Recording Package for their second album O' God, the Aftermath. The band's name is derived from the real name of actress Marilyn Monroe.

Bruce Patrick Fitzhugh is an American musician. He the second lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of Arkansas's Christian metal band Living Sacrifice. The lead vocalist role was left to Bruce shortly after the departure of Darren Johnson and prior to the recording of Living Sacrifice's 1997 album, Reborn. Fitzhugh is featured in Zao's The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD. Fitzhugh's nephew is Drew Garrison, Vocalist for Descended From Wolves and Becoming Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory Brandan</span> American vocalist

Cory Brandan Putman is an American singer who has been the lead vocalist for the metalcore band Norma Jean since 2004.

Djent is a subgenre of progressive metal, termed for an onomatopoeia of the guitar sound that characterizes it. While sources such as The Guardian and Guitar World describe djent as a genre, some notable musicians including Randy Blythe and Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) say it is not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erra (band)</span> American progressive metalcore band

Erra is an American progressive metalcore band from Birmingham, Alabama, formed in 2009. The band was named after the homonymous Akkadian god of war and plague. The band has released six studio albums and three EPs to date. Their latest album, titled Cure, was released on April 5, 2024. They have toured with bands such as As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, TesseracT, Born of Osiris, Ice Nine Kills, Glass Cloud, Within the Ruins, Bad Omens, I See Stars, and Texas in July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volumes (band)</span> American progressive metalcore band

Volumes is an American progressive metalcore band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The group currently consists of bassist Raad Soudani, vocalists Michael Barr and Myke Terry, and drummer Nick Ursich. Throughout the band's history, bassist Raad Soudani has remained the only constant member. They are currently signed to Fearless Records and have released four studio albums: Via (2011), No Sleep (2014), Different Animals (2017) and Happier? (2021). They have also released three EPs: The Concept of Dreaming (2010), Coming Clean (2019) and Bend(ed) (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Putman (musician)</span> American drummer

Matthew Putman is an American drummer based in Arkansas. He is best known for being a member of the bands Norma Jean, Unwed Sailor, Living Sacrifice, and Lovedrug, as well as his work as a producer and engineer.

Arthur Chester Green is the fourth and current bassist for the American extreme metal band Living Sacrifice. He, along with brothers Cory Brandan Putman and Matthew Putman, also founded the mathcore band Eso-Charis.

Society's Finest is an American metalcore band from Dallas, Texas. Their first full-length album, The Journey...So Far, was released on Solid State Records in May 2000. Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring and recording to focus on their personal lives. During this hiatus, vocalist Josh Ashworth toured with the metalcore band Zao.

Earth Groans is a metalcore band that formed in May 2015. The band is from South Dakota.

<i>All Hail</i> (Norma Jean album) 2019 studio album by Norma Jean

All Hail is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Norma Jean. The album was released on October 25, 2019 through Solid State Records, the band's sixth overall release on the label. It is the last album to feature guitarist Jeff Hickey, as well as the first to feature guitarist Grayson Stewart and drummer Matt Marquez.

Currents is an American metalcore band formed in Newtown, Connecticut in 2011 by former drummer Jeff Brown. After numerous line-up changes, they consist of singer Brian Wille, guitarists Ryan Castaldi and Chris Wiseman, bassist and backing vocalist Christian Pulgarin, and drummer Matt Young. Since 2018, no original members remain with the band.

References

  1. 1 2 Beard, Mason (March 24, 2022). "Jayson Holmes of Eso-Charis and The Handshake Murders passes away". The Metal Onslaught Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  2. "Goodfellow Records inks deal with the Handshake. Murders". Bravewords. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Bergman, Keith. "The Handshake Murders – Usurper". Blabbermouth.net .
  4. THE HANDSHAKE MURDERS Sign With GOODFELLOW RECORDS at Blabbermouth.net on May 3, 2006
  5. 1 2 "The Handshake Murders biography on AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  6. "The Handshake Murders on Got Djent". Got Djent. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  7. wookubus (October 8, 2011). "The Handshake Murders calls it a day". Theprp. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  8. Shotwell, James (October 7, 2011). "The Handshake Murders disbands". Under the Gun review. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  9. "Jayson Holmes (Ex-The Handshake Murders, Eso-Charis) Has Passed Away". Theprp. March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  10. "The Handshake Murders, Eso-Charis vocalist Jayson Holmes dies". Lambgoat. March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  11. Bowar, Chad. "Usurper review". About.com . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  12. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "AllMusic review of Usurper". AllMusic . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  13. Deneau, Max (February 14, 2007). "The Handshake Murders – Usurper review". Exclaim! . Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  14. "Usurper review". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "The Handshake Murders". Sputnikmusic . Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  16. [11] [12] [13] [14] [3] [15]