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Training for Utopia | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1996–2000, 2023–present |
| Labels | Solid State, Tooth & Nail, Weapons MFG |
| Past members |
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Training for Utopia, also stylized as TFU, is an American metalcore band, initially active from 1996 to 2000. [1] [2]
The band first signed with Tooth & Nail Records and was later moved to Solid State Records, the Tooth & Nail imprint that promotes heavy Christian music. Training for Utopia subsequently became popular in the Christian metal [3] scene during its active years, although the band actively tried to remove themselves from that label during their later years. [4]
Their brief existence included a tour with Zao and at the time the upcoming band Spitfire, as well as Warlord. [5] After a temporary hiatus the band returned with their second full length Throwing a Wrench into the American Music Machine, which has been noted as a shift away from the band's early metalcore sound, [4] utilizing heavier use of electronics and sampling. [6] After a small tour of the material the band disbanded.
At the demise of Training for Utopia, members Ryan (formerly of Focal Point) and Don Clark announced that they were starting a new project called The American Spectator in October 2000. [2] Don and Ryan Clark started "Asterik Studio" in Seattle, a graphic design shop where they completed many projects, including album artwork for former label-mates. In 2000, they founded the Christian metal band Demon Hunter.
On February 3, 2023, Training for Utopia was announced as one of several bands reuniting to play the 2023 Furnace Fest. [7] On September 1st, before their appearance at Furnace Fest, the band released their first single in 24 years, "Out on Parole". [8]
Additional members
| Title | Release date | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Falling Cycle EP | 1997-07-29 | Tooth & Nail | |
| Plastic Soul Impalement | 1998-03-03 | ||
| The Split EP | 1998-08-18 | Split with Zao | Solid State |
| Throwing a Wrench into the American Music Machine | 1999-11-02 | ||
| Technical Difficulties | 2004-04-20 | Best of |
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.
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.
Solid State Records is a Christian 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.
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.
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.
Storm the Gates of Hell is the fourth studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter, released on November 6, 2007. It is the band's last album to feature Don Clark and Ethan Luck.
Donald Christopher Clark 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. 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.
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.
The World Is a Thorn is the fifth studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter, which was released March 9, 2010. The album is described by the band as their "heaviest but most melodic" album yet. The first single, "Collapsing", which features Björn "Speed" Strid of Soilwork, and the title track were approved for sales on Rock Band's Rock Band Network. It is Demon Hunter's only album with rhythm guitarist Ryan Helm.
James Christopher "Jimmy" Ryan is an American singer. He is the original vocalist for the heavy metal bands Haste the Day, Trenches, and Upheaval.
True Defiance is the sixth studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter. It was released April 10, 2012. Production work for the album comes from regular Solid State and Tooth & Nail Records producer Aaron Sprinkle while mixing was finished by Jason Suecof.
Overcome are an American Christian metalcore band. They come from Phoenix, Arizona. The band started making music in 1993 until their decade-long hiatus from 2000 to 2010, when they commenced making music again. Tooth & Nail Records released the band's first two albums, Blessed Are the Persecuted in 1996 and When Beauty Dies in 1997. Facedown Records has released the other albums from the band signed the band. They released Immortal Until Their Work Is Done in 1999, More Than Death in 2001, The Great Campaign of Sabotage in 2011, and No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets. in 2013. They were one of the first "Spirit-Filled Hardcore" bands, along with Unashamed, Focused, Strongarm, and Zao. They were the first band signed to Facedown Records. The band is playing at Facedown Fest 2017.
Few Left Standing is a Christian metal band that primarily played Christian hardcore and was signed to Takehold Records. The band's debut album was produced by Living Sacrifice frontman, Bruce Fitzhugh. The band has toured with Underoath, Narcissus, and Tantrum of the Muse. On December 3, 2019, it was announced that the band would be returning to perform at Furnace Fest 2020, alongside a recently reunited Beloved.
Focused was a hardcore punk band that originated out of Long Beach, California in 1991, with a Christian hardcore style. The band broke up in 1996, but reunited briefly in 2009.
Warlord was an American Christian metal band that formed in 1997. The band's sound was described as "doom hardcore", a mix between doom metal and hardcore punk. The band was signed to Solid State Records during their brief existence. Before disbanding, the band did a tour with fellow Solid State band, Training for Utopia. The band has a compilation coming out, to help drummer Timothy Henderson with his health problems. The compilation has a new song and an unreleased track from Rock the Foe Hammer.
Outlive is the eighth studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter. The album was released by Solid State Records on March 31, 2017. The work was funded through PledgeMusic, with "Cold Winter Sun" broadcast prior to the showing for all album tracks.
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.
War is the ninth studio album by American Christian metal band Demon Hunter. The album, together with Peace, was released by Solid State Records on March 1, 2019. The band released a string of promotional singles prior to the album's release, along with a music video for the song "On My Side".
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