Death by Stereo
(also referred to as D. B. S.
) is a hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1996 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their name can be attributed to the 1987 horror film The Lost Boys
, for which Corey Haim speaks the line.
Death by Stereo has released five full-length studio albums and one live album. Their most recent studio album, entitled Death Is My Only Friend
, was released on July 7th 2009 in the United States. They also have a DVD in the works.
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DEATH BY STEREO TICKETS
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Biography
Beginnings (1997-1999)
The band was formed by
Ian Fowles,
Jarrod Alexander,
Efrem Schulz,
Paul Miner and
Jim Miner out of what were the remnants of their former bands. Jarrod and Ian were from the band
D-Cons, Efrem was from
Clint
and Paul and Jim, who are brothers, were from
CleanX. All five members had known each other long before Death by Stereo formed, as their former bands had toured and recorded together previously. Paul's record label
Dental Records
had released music by Clint and D-cons and would later go on to put out the first Death by Stereo release.
The five practiced in Jarrod's garage for a few months before recording a demo. It was called Cheese and Masturbation. They recorded five songs at For The Record Studios, where Paul worked. Out of the five songs, four of them went on to be rerecorded and included on their first album. On March 5, 1998, they played their first show, and soon after began playing more shows around Southern California. By late 1998, the band released their first official release
Fooled By Your Smile
7inch. Following this release, Ian decided to leave the band, and was replaced by
Keith Barney.
In 1998, Death By Stereo was signed to
Indecision Records, and released their first album-
If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
- in the following year. Shortly after Jarrod moved to Boston to pursue music full time at the Berklee School Of Music, and was replaced by
Tim Bender. Keith also left the band, to pursue his other bands
Throwdown and
Eighteen Visions. He was replaced by
Dan Palmer, formerly of the band
Eyelid. They toured for the rest of the year.
Early career (1999-2002)
In the winter of 1999, during a tour with
Straight Faced and
Ignite,
Brett Gurewitz from
Epitaph Records approached the band about releasing an album, ultimately signing them in 2000. Between a tour with
Bane and
Adamantium, they finished their second album,
Day of the Death
, which was released in January 2001.
Death By Stereo spent almost all of 2001, touring North America, with bands such as
Sick Of It All,
BoySetsFire,
The Hope Conspiracy,
AFI,
Rise Against,
Nicotine and The Planet Smashers. At this time, Tim decided to leave the band and was replaced by
Todd Hennig from 'Heckle' and 'Seven Years War'.
By 2002, Death By Stereo had become fairly popular, as evidenced by a spot on the
Warped Tour for that year. During the tour however, there was some conflict between the band, and some of the behind the scenes crew. It was rumoured that one Death By Stereo's crew had assaulted someone, which forced the band to drop off the tour for a few dates, even though they denied the accusation. They returned to their tour nevertheless. Their 2003 album
Into the Valley of Death contains a track called 'I Wouldn't Piss In Your Ear If Your Brain Was On Fire', which
Dan Palmer has said was written about their warped experience.
Increasing popularity (2002-2005)
In early 2003, during the recording of their third album,
Jim Miner left the band.
Tim “Tito” Owens replaced him during a European tour. They released
Into the Valley of Death
, which was mostly recorded while Jim was still in the band, later that year. It is for this reason, that the albums liner notes, still credit Jim and Dan as the bands guitarists. Tito was credited also, as 'additional guitars'.
On September 28, 2003, during a tour supporting
Thursday, Death by Stereo played a solo show in Blacksburg VA, at a venue called Solar Haus. During this show, a fault in the venue set up caused five people to be injured and one person to die. After this, Death By Stereo canceled the rest of their tour dates, and returned home. On October 29, 2003, they played a show to benefit the victims, at the Chain Reaction, in Anaheim, CA. This show was recorded and given away for free, with ‘Law of Inertia’ magazine.
Death By Stereo resumed touring, and began writing their fourth album in late 2004. During early 2005, founding member
Paul Miner left to pursue recording, producing and mixing. He has since worked with many big bands, including
New Found Glory,
Atreyu and
Thrice. He was replaced by
Tyler Rebbe from
Pulley. They released their fourth album,
Death for Life
, in June 2005.
In
July 2005, Death By Stereo's guitarist Tito left the band. They played as a four piece band up until late 2006. In
December 2005 former guitarist
Jim Miner returned to the band to play two shows, but he did not return to the band full time. In addition, Efrem stated that they looked forward to collaborating with Jim, in the future.
Playing as a four-piece (2005-2006)
During the first half of 2006, Death By Stereo toured extensively despite having only one guitarist (Palmer). In February they played in
Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic, for the first time, marking the beginning of their
Death to the Third World
tour. They also played their first shows in Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. They also played in
New Zealand for the first time, during June 2006, and supported
Strung Out later that month in an Australian tour. The second half of 2006 saw few shows, as they worked on their new album and faced changes to their lineup.
They played in
Ecuador at
Quito Fest on December (2006).
In
August 2006, drummer
Todd Hennig left the band to pursue other creative endeavours. Currently Todd is playing with the punk rock group
Sex N Violence featuring
Gene Bullets, Brent Clawson, and Kevin Besignano from
Bullets And Octane, and the reality TV star/
Criterion Records owner
Jeremy Miller..
Current events (2006-present)
Changing line-ups
In
September 2006, it was announced that the band's former drummer
Jarrod Alexander and guitarist
Jim Miner have officially rejoined Death by Stereo in time to record the band's fifth studio album.
In December, Efrem said that the new studio album will be recorded with both Jarrod and Chris Dalley (formally of
Ten Foot Pole) on drums. Chris Dalley, who has toured with the band for the last few months, since Todds departure will be doing the bulk of future tours, while Jarrod tours with
A Static Lullaby.
Efrem also stated that Jim Miner will be doing random shows here and there, but will not be doing full tours. However he will be writing and recording the new album, only months after his recent wrist surgery. Founding member Paul Miner will also return to the band to play bass on the new album alongside Tyler, who will be recording another album with his other band
Pulley.
The touring lineup, as of
December 2006, is Schulz, Rebbe, Dalley and Palmer.
Future releases
Rumored DVD
On
January 23,
2006, which happened to be the fifth anniversary of their second album
Day of the Death
, frontman
Efrem Schulz posted on his Myspace blog that saying that Death by Stereo will release a
DVD that will contain "any footage". Bassist
Tyler Rebbe stated on the band's message board that he is uncertain if it will be released any time soon.
A new album
In
June 2006, reported that Death By Stereo would begin writing their fifth studio album, which was originally scheduled to be released in spring
2007. The album has not yet been titled. In a with guitarist
Dan Palmer, a question was asked if there were still plans for a new album, he replied:
:
“
| Yeah it's true. I've personally been writing a lot of riffs for it. We actually have a month off which is very rare for us. Actually, it won't be a month off because we'll be writing music and we'll be writing with our old guitar player Jim Miner too. We might even record with our old bass player Paul - we'll see what happens. The new stuff I wanna go more melodic - not so much not heavier stuff but I want to work on vocal harmonies - I just wanna go out with that! - Palmer (2006)
| ”
|
On
March 13,
2007, Death By Stereo announced on their Myspace page they entered the studio to begin recording the new album. As of
April 2008, according to
Punknews.org, the album is now in the finishing stages.
On
October 28,
2008, in a interview with Rebeltheory.com, it was announced the new album with be titled "Death Is My Only Friend".
Line-Ups
Year
| Band
| Recordings
|
Vocalist
| Guitarist
| Bassist
| Drummer
|
1996 - early 1999
| Efrem Schulz
| Ian Fowles, Jim Miner
| Paul Miner
| Jarrod Alexander
| Demo Tape
, Fooled By Your Smile 7" ep
,songs on various compilations
|
Early 1999 - Mid 2000
| Efrem Schulz
| Keith Barney, Jim Miner
| Paul Miner
| Jarrod Alexander
| EP: Death By Stereo/Ensign Split 7" (EP)
, LP: If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
|
Mid 2000 - Mid 2001
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer, Jim Miner
| Paul Miner
| Tim Bender
| Song: Little Fighter
(from Punk Goes Metal comp),
EP: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation 7 inch,
LP: Day of the Death''
|
Mid 2001 - Mid 2003
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer, Jim Miner
| Paul Miner
| Todd Hennig
| Song: Wasted Words Demo (From Punk-O-Rama 7)
, LP: Into the Valley of Death
|
Mid 2003-Early 2005
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer, Tim "Tito" Owens
| Paul Miner
| Todd Hennig
| Song: Anything Goes (from Bring You To Your Knees comp - ReIgnition Recordings/Law of Inertia Records)
, Live LP: Death Alive
|
Early 2005-Mid 2005
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer, Tim "Tito" Owens
| Tyler Rebbe
| Todd Hennig
| LP: Death for Life
|
Mid 2005-September 2006
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer
| Tyler Rebbe
| Todd Hennig
| Song: Bottled Up (From Masters Of Horror comp)
|
September 2006-December 2006
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer
| Tyler Rebbe
| Chris Dalley
| Live Shows Only
|
December 2006-August 2008
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer, Jim Miner
| Tyler Rebbe
| Chris Dalley
| Live Shows Only
|
August 2008-present
| Efrem Schulz
| Dan Palmer
| Jeff Clark
| Chris Dalley
| LP: Death Is My Only Friend
|
All members - Backing vocals
Current Lineup
- Efrem "The Bean" Schulz - Lead Vocals, Guitars
- Dan Palmer - Lead Guitar
- JP "The Kid" Gericke - Rhythm Guitar
- Jarrod Alexander - Drums, Percussion
- Jeff "JJ" Clark - Bass
The music of Death by Stereo
Genre
Death By Stereo's music blurs the lines between traditional,
punk rock,
hardcore, and
metal. Their music mixes metal riffs, solos, melodies and hooks, and results in a sound that is noted for its originality, among a
punk rock scene that some say has become stagnant in recent years. The music has evolved over time, mainly due to the unstable lineup, which has included 5 guitarists, 2 bassists, and 4 drummers. Their first album,
If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
, was
punk rock with a heavy influence of
hardcore. Their later albums, especially
Death for Life
, are more
heavy metal, with less
punk rock and
hardcore elements.
Influences
Bands that have influenced Death By Stereo are:
At the Gates,
Bad Brains,
Bad Religion,
Black Flag,
Dead Kennedys,
Descendents,
In Flames,
Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest,
Madball,
Minor Threat,
Pennywise,
Sick of It All,
Slayer and
Suicidal Tendencies.
The original bassist
Paul Miner, said that his top 10 albums of all time are:
Bad Brains -
ROIR tape
,
Minor Threat -
Out of Step
,
Iron Maiden -
The Number of the Beast
,
Iron Maiden -
Piece of Mind
,
Van Halen II
,
The Police -
Outlandos d'Amour
,
Dead Kennedys -
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
,
Sick of It All -
Scratch the Surface
,
Refused -
The Shape of Punk to Come
,
Annihilator -
Never, Neverland
.
On one occasion, Efrem said that his top five albums were
Dead Kennedys -
Bedtime for Democracy
,
Bad Religion -
How Could Hell Be Any Worse?,
Bad Brains -
The Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam
,
Slayer -
Reign in Blood
,
Iron Maiden -
Rock in Rio
.
On another occasion, Efrem said that his top five bands were:
Bad Brains,
Fishbone,
Slayer,
Bad Religion, and
Mickey Avalon.
Trivia
- The name Death By Stereo was taken from a scene in the movie The Lost Boys
.
- Vocalist Efrem also appeared as backup vocals for Atreyu on the album Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
, on the track "At Least I Know I'm A Sinner"
- He also appears on Welcome To Your Life's 2002 release, There Is No Turning Back
on backing vocals on track 9, One Way Road
.
- And in 2007 he was featured on a track from Aidens' Conviction
album, the track in question was called Son of Lies
.
- The song "Let Down and Alone" from their album Into the Valley of Death
was featured on the soundtrack to the game Downhill Domination.
- In the Nickelodeon show "Drake and Josh", the character Drake has a Death By Stereo poster in his room.
- A Christian R&B artist made a CD called "Life By Stereo" a reversal of the band's name.
- Vocalist Efrem also appears on the Buckethead album Enter the Chicken
(2005), contributing to the track "Botnus"
- In The Movie Grindhouse, Kurt Russell's Chevy Nova has ipso facto the Death By Stereo Logo on the hood (The Skull with lightning crossbones).
Discography
Studio albums
Year
| Title
| Label
| Format
| Other information
|
1999
| If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
| Indecision
| CD
|
- Only release on Indecision Records.
- Only album recorded with guitarist Keith Barney and drummer Jarrod Alexander.
|
2000
| Day of the Death
| Epitaph
| CD
|
- In Europe, this album was released in 2000 and in the United States in 2001.
- First release on Epitaph Records.
- First album recorded with guitarist Dan Palmer.
- Only album recorded with drummer Tim Bender.
- Also released on Vinyl format on Indecision Records
|
2003
| Into the Valley of Death
| Epitaph
| CD
|
- Last album recorded with guitarist Jim Miner and bassist Paul Miner.
- First release with guitarist Tim "Tito" Owens.
- Also released on Vinyl format on Indecision Records
|
2005
| Death for Life
| Epitaph
| CD
|
- First album recorded with current bassist Tyler Rebbe.
- Last album recorded with guitarist Tim "Tito" Owens and drummer Todd Hennig.
|
2009
| Death Is My Only Friend
| Serjical Strike & I Scream Records
| CD
|
- Death By Stereo's first album not on Epitaph since If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die
.
- First recording with new bassit Jeff Clark.
- Guitarist Jim Miner, returned to the band to help write this album.
- Original bassist Paul Miner returned to master this album.
|
Live albums
Year
| Title
| Label
| Format
| Other information
|
2003
| Law of Inertia Live Series Volume 3
| Law of Inertia Magazine
| CD
|
- Recorded Live 29 October 2003, at Chain Reaction in Anaheim CA.
- Chain Reaction Donated for free, and all proceeds donated to Solar Haus charity.
- Given away for free with Law of Inertia Magazine
- Out of print since late 2003.
|
2007
| Death Alive
| Reignition Records
| CD
|
- A re-release of the above album.
- Released March 13 2007.
|
EPs
Year
| Title
| Label
| Format
| Other information
|
1998
| Fooled By Your Smile
| Indecision
| 7"
|
|
2000
| Death by Stereo/Ensign
split
| Indecision
| 7"
|
- Split With Ensign
- Tracks 1. From The Minds Of Sick People 2. Emo Holocaust 3. Hippie Holocaust 4. Never Go Home Again 5. Basic, Simple True
- Tracks 1-3 Death By Stereo Tracks 4-5 Ensign
|
2000
| No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation
| Epitaph
| 7"
|
- Sometimes referred to as self tilted, because the cover has no writing whatsoever on it
- Side A = No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation, Side B = Would You Like To Be My Neighbour
- Side A From Day of the Death, Side B unreleased
|
2007
| Love Equals Death By Stereo
| Reignition Records
| CD
|
|
Demos
- Five-Song Demo Tape. The bands first recording. 4/5 songs went on to be re-recorded and included in their first album. (1998)
Compilations
(Name Of Compilation - Song)
- Devils Night (Live Compilation 7inch including other bands Ensign, Adamantium, Missing 23rd, Eyelid) (1999)
- Punk O Rama 5 - Lookin' Out For #1 (2000)
- Punk Goes Metal - Little Fighter (White Lion Cover) (2000)
- Punk O Rama 6 - Holding $60 On A Burning Bridge (2001)
- Indecision Records Split Series - 3 Songs from Ensign split (2001)
- Punk O Rama 7 - Wasted Words (Demo Version) (2002)
- Punk O Rama 8 - Unstoppable (2003)
- Bring You To Your Knees (G&R Tribute) - Anything Goes (Cover) (2003)
- Punk O Rama 9 - The Plague (Live Oct 03) (2004)
- Masters Of Horror Soundtrack - Bottled Up (From DFL Sessions) (2005)
Compilation DVDs
- Punk O Rama The Videos - Desperation Train (2002)
- Indecision Video Vault - Various performances and interviews (2003)
References