Job for a Cowboy
is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona, formed in 2003. They released their first EP, Doom
in 2005, and later that year signed with Metal Blade Records. Their official debut album, Genesis
, was released in 2007, peaking at #54 on the Billboard
200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week.
Job for a Cowboy started as a deathcore group, and evolved into a predominantly death metal sound with their full-length debut Genesis
. [1] [2] Their influences include bands such as Decapitated, Hate Eternal, Mastodon, Nile, and The End. [3] They have been defined by The New York Times
as "an Arizona band with a guttural, brute-force sound descended (indirectly) from hard-core punk" [4]
and "straightforwardly brutal act" by Rolling Stone
magazine. [5]
The band has played in several festivals, including Download Festival, Sounds of the Underground, Mayhem and Wacken Open Air. The current band members are vocalist Jonny Davy, guitarists Al Glassman and Bobby Thompson, bassist Brent Riggs, and drummer Jon Rice.
|
JOB FOR A COWBOY TICKETS
|
History
Formation and Doom
(2003–2006)
Job for a Cowboy was formed in
Glendale,
Arizona in December 2003.
[6] The group was founded by vocalist Jonny Davy, guitarists Ravi Bhadriraju and Andrew Arcurio, bassist Chad Staples, and drummer Andy Rysdam.
[7] In 2004, they created a
MySpace profile, posted songs online, and began to connect with several worldwide fans.
[8] Later that year, Staples and Rysdam left Job for a Cowboy and were replaced by Brent Riggs and Elliott Sellers respectively as bassist and drummer.
Traffic to the band's MySpace profile increased exponentially in late 2005, when the band released its first
EP, entitled
Doom
.
The EP attracted the attention of Arizona independent label King of the Monsters, who distributed the disc after an initial self-released pressing by the band.
Job for a Cowboy extensively promoted their debut EP, including three performances on the
Sounds of the Underground tour.
By the end of year, the band obtained professional management and signed a deal with
Metal Blade Records,
who reissued
Doom
with a bonus track.
Also in 2006, Arcurio left Job for a Cowboy, and new guitarist Bobby Thompson joined the group.
While Job for a Cowboy was writing material for their first full-length album, Sellers announced that he would be leaving the band to go back to school immediately after recording the album.
In search of a permanent drummer, the band then posted a bulletin on
Blabbermouth.net,
[9] which was seen by Jon "The Charn" Rice. He made a video of himself, posted it on
YouTube, and sent the link to the band.
Soon after, Rice was announced as the new drummer.
[10]
Genesis
and Ruination
(2007 onward)
In March 2007, Job for a Cowboy completed their full-length debut album,
Genesis
.
[11] The album was recorded at Blue Light Audio Media in
Phoenix,
Arizona with producer
Cory Spotts, and mixing of
Sabbat guitarist
Andy Sneap; released on May 15, the album peaked at #54 on the
Billboard
200, and sold nearly 13,000 copies in its first week, the highest-charting metal debut since 1999's
self-titled album by
Slipknot.
The album received generally positive reviews, with
Kerrang!
magazine saying, "an album that quite literally obliterates everyone else currently residing within the death and grind scenes" and "one of the year's most essential metal purchases".
[12]
In June 2007, the band performed at the
Download Festival in
Donington Park, England.
[13] The group also played at the
Sounds of the Underground festival along with
Amon Amarth,
Chimaira,
GWAR, and
Shadows Fall.
In October, Job for a Cowboy co-headlined the 2007 Radio Rebellion Tour, teaming up with
Behemoth,
Gojira and
Beneath the Massacre.
[14] The band featured on the 2008's
Gigantour with headliners
Megadeth,
Children of Bodom,
In Flames and
High on Fire.
[15] In addition, they have been confirmed for a number of festivals during 2008, including
Wacken Open Air in Germany
[16] and a second appearance at England's Download Festival.
[17] Job for a Cowboy have embarked on a U.S. headlining tour in November and December 2008 with supporting acts
Hate Eternal and
All Shall Perish.
[18] In late-2008 guitarist Ravi Bhadriraju left Job for a Cowboy to return to medical school; he was replaced with ex-
Despised Icon guitarist Al Glassman.
[19]
On May 1, 2009, the band announced that they completed recording their second studio album,
Ruination
, at AudioHammer studios in
Sanford,
Florida with producer
Jason Suecof.
[20] The album marks the debut of drummer Jon "the Charn" Rice, who has actually been with the band since the tour for
Genesis
, and also of guitarist Al Glassman.
Following the release of
Ruination
, expected for July 7, 2009 worldwide through
Metal Blade Records,
[21] Job for a Cowboy will take place in the second
Mayhem Festival, playing on the
Hot Topic stage along with bands such as
Cannibal Corpse and
Whitechapel.
[22]
In the fall Job For a Cowboy will be touring to support Ruination with a U.S. tour with Gwar and The Red Chord while Gwar supports their newest release Lust In Space. Occasional shows will have Lamb of God headlining.
Members
;Current
- Jonny Davy – lead vocals (2003 onward)
- Bobby Thompson – guitars (2006 onward)
- Al Glassman – guitars (ex-Despised Icon) (2008 onward)
- Brent Riggs – bass guitar, backing vocals (2004 onward)
- Jon "The Charn" Rice – drums, percussion (2007 onward)
;Former
- Chad Staples – bass (2003–2004)
- Andy Rysdam – drums, percussion (2003–2004)
- Andrew Arcurio – guitars (2003–2006)
- Elliott Sellers – drums, percussion (2004–2006)
- Ravi Bhadriraju – guitars (2003–2008)
Discography
;Studio albums
- Genesis
(2007)
- Ruination
(2009)
;EPs
Videography
| Year
| Title
| Director
|
| 2006
| "Entombment of a Machine"
| Richie Valdez [23]
|
| 2007
| "Embedded"
| Popcore [24]
|
| 2008
| "Altered from Catechization"
| Doug Spangenberg [25]
|
| 2009
| "Unfurling a Darkened Gospel"
| Doug Spangenberg [26]
|
References
- Job for a Cowboy - Genesis Review
- Dawn of the Deathcore
- Job for a Cowboy Interview
- Bringing Chaos to This Part of Universe
- Megadeth, In Flames, High on Fire Ground and Pound at Gigantour in New York
- Job for a Cowboy - Biography
- Job for a Cowboy > Biography
- Interview with Job for a Cowboy
- Job for a Cowboy Parts Ways with Drummer, Seeks Replacement
- Job for a Cowboy Announces New Drummer
- Job for a Cowboy Completes Work on New Album 'Genesis'
- Job for a Cowboy's Debut Has "Exceeded Expectations"
- Job For A Cowboy Confirmed For Download Festival and Sounds of the Underground 2007
- Job for a Cowboy, Behemoth, Gojira, Beneath the Massacre: North American Dates Announced
- Gigantour Lineup Officially Announced
- JOB FOR A COWBOY, UNEARTH Confirmed For Germany's WACKEN OPEN AIR Festival
- Download Festival 2008: Line Up
- JOB FOR A COWBOY, HATE ETERNAL, ALL SHALL PERISH: U.S. Dates Announced
- Job for a Cowboy Confirms Guitarist Split, Prepares to Enter Studio
- Job for a Cowboy Finish Recording New Album
- Job for a Cowboy: New Album Artwork Unveiled
- Slayer, Manson Unleashing 'Mayhem' on Tour
- Portifolio
- Job for a Cowboy: "Embedded" Video Posted Online
- Job for a Cowboy - "Altered from Catechization"
- Job for a Cowboy - "Unfurling a Darkened Gospel"