Having become somewhat of an underground sensation since their 2007 debut, What Demons Do To Saints and their 2008 follow up, The Day The Music Died, BENEATH THE SKY certainly had their fair share of trials and tribulations that tested them considerably. 2009 proved to be a new chapter for the band as they hit the road for most of the year appeasing the masses with their no holds-barred brand of grinding, extreme hardcore metal. They entered the studio in early 2010 to record what would be the defining record for the band. Rising from the ashes of various local bands, including scene favorite Blind Judgment, original members, singer Joey Nelson, axemen Jeff Nelson and Chris Profitt, keyboardist Matt Jones, bassist Nick Scarberry and drummer Brandon Sowder came toget Read more ...

Having become somewhat of an underground sensation since their 2007 debut, What Demons Do To Saints and their 2008 follow up, The Day The Music Died, BENEATH THE SKY certainly had their fair share of trials and tribulations that tested them considerably. 2009 proved to be a new chapter for the band as they hit the road for most of the year appeasing the masses with their no holds-barred brand of grinding, extreme hardcore metal. They entered the studio in early 2010 to record what would be the defining record for the band. Rising from the ashes of various local bands, including scene favorite Blind Judgment, original members, singer Joey Nelson, axemen Jeff Nelson and Chris Profitt, keyboardist Matt Jones, bassist Nick Scarberry and drummer Brandon Sowder came together in mid-2004. “We knew each other when we were in different bands,” Nelson recalls. “Over time, we first became friends, and eventually we decided to create our own band. It was similar to the music we were playing early on, only that we wanted to be a little more melodic with this band.” It didn’t take long for the sextet to realize their immense potential. “From the start, we wanted to create a different sound,” Jeff says. “We knew we had it right after the first show. Everything just clicked.” While unsigned, BENEATH THE SKY sold 5,000 units of their four-song demo, 1000 of those sold being from the first week alone. It was shortly after co-headlining the Toledo Metalfest in September 2006 to a crowd of 700+ people as well as the Rockstar Energy Drink Fest in Cleveland, OH, VICTORY RECORDS took notice of the band and quickly signed them to their roster. What Demons Do to Saints was released in 2007 and has scanned over 15,000 copies to date. Their music video for “7861” had a short stint on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball which helped expose the band to thousands of metal fans across the country. Roughly a year and a half later, with extensive touring under their belt, the band went back to the studio to record what would be The Day the Music Died. Labeled as “Blistering” by Kerrang! and “Vicious” by Outburn Magazine, this release continued their formula of moving, passionate lyrics and memorable heavy metal. The success of this album drove BENEATH THE SKY’s total record sales over 30,000 sold in the US alone! Shortly after their sophomore release, the band faced a temporary set-back when original bassist Nick Scarberry left the band to fulfill family obligations. “We actually broke up about two months after the second album came out. A lot of it had to do with monetary issues and not being able to get out on the road, and with Nick having a daughter to take care of. There wasn’t any bad blood in the band.” explained Kevin Stafford, one of the band’s current guitarists. With a new lineup including Joey Nelson as vocals, Jeff Nelson and Kevin Stafford on guitar, Randy Barnes on bass, drummer Bryan Cash in the lineup change, BENEATH THE SKY was back and ready to antagonize the world. Today finds the band gearing up for their slot on OTEP’s summer tour. Their latest homage, In Loving Memory, was released on May 11th, just in time for fans to amp up and head out to their shows. “We’re really excited about it. All of us feel it’s 10 steps up from our last album, as far as the writing goes and the structure of the songs. It’s a lot heavier and the choruses are catchier.” Says Stafford. The new songs have more focus on song structure, arrangements, and lyrics whilst avoiding the usual “pummel-the-listener-with-breakdowns-and-blastbeats just for the sake of it.” But never fear; each song is still packed with brutal breakdowns, chainsaw guitar riffs and blood-curdling death metal vocals. Consider this the new model of an old favorite, BENEATH THE SKY 2.0 if you will. They are taking everything to the next level and metal fans everywhere had better be prepared.