Eidola is an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band from Spanish Fork,

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, formed in 2011. The band consists of lead vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Wells, guitarist Sergio Medina, bassist Reese Ortenberg, guitarist and unclean vocalist Matthew Dommer, guitarist Skylar Caporicci, and drummer Matthew Hansen. They self-released their debut studio album, ''The Great Glass Elephant'', in 2012. The group signed to

Blue Swan Records William Swan (born December 5, 1985) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance and as the founder and owner of record label Blue Swan Records. He is ...

in 2014 and released their second and third albums, ''Degeneraterra'' (2015) and ''To Speak, To Listen'' (2017). In December 2017, lead guitarist Brandon Bascom left the band and was replaced by

Royal Coda Royal Coda is an American rock music, rock band based in Sacramento, California, founded by lead guitarist Sergio Medina. They are known for their amalgamation of progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and post-hardcore. The band currently consists ...

guitarist Sergio Medina.

Career

2011–12: Formation and ''The Great Glass Elephant''

Eidola first formed as a four-piece

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

band from Spanish Fork,

, in 2011, with lead vocalist and guitarist Andrew Michael Wells, screamer and guitarist Matthew Dommer, bass guitarist James Johnson, drummer Matthew Hansen, and on-stage lighting engineer Harold the Hallowed. The group became well known in the local

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

scene in the Salt Lake City area, eventually garnering an online and local cult following. The band became known for their eclectic amalgamation of

math rock Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...

post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

, post-hardcore, and ambient music and their electric live concert performances. The band recorded their debut full-length studio album with music engineer Randy Cordner, who produced, mixed, and mastered the record. The band self-released their debut studio album, ''The Great Glass Elephant'', on December 1, 2012.

2013–16: ''Degeneraterra''

In late 2013, the band added guitarist Brandon Bascom to take on live guitar duties to allow Andrew to focus on vocals. Eidola toured briefly with American band I, Omega in the US from December 5 to December 12, 2014. Eidola began writing and recording their second studio album with

Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American Rock music, rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of lead guitarist Will Swan (musician), Will Swan, drummer Matthew Mingus, harsh vocalist Jon Mess, and lead vocalist and rhythm gui ...

guitarist Will Swan and former Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Josh Benton, in 2014. The album was recorded and produced at Pus Cavern Recording Studios in

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. On January 30, 2015, the band announced on social media that Harold the Hallowed was amicably departing from the band. Their second studio album, ''Degeneraterra'', was released on May 5, 2015, and was the group's first release on Swan's independent record label

. In support of ''Degeneraterra'', the band embarked on a headlining tour from October 18 to November 8, 2015, with support from rock bands Makari and Que Sera. On May 31, 2016, the band announced that they were touring as support on

Hail the Sun Hail the Sun is an American post-hardcore band from Chico, California. Formed in 2009, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and drummer Donovan Melero, guitarist Shane Gann, guitarist Aric Garcia, bass guitarist John Stirrat, and tourin ...

's tour, with additional support from Belle Noire, from July 18 to July 25, 2016.

2017–2019: ''To Speak, To Listen''

Eidola toured as support on

and

CHON CHNOPS and CHON are mnemonic acronyms for the most common elements in living organisms. "CHON" stands for carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, which together make up more than 95 percent of the mass of biological systems. "CHNOPS" adds ...

's co-headlining tour in North America, with Vasudeva, from February 24 to March 19, 2017. On March 28, 2017, it was announced that Eidola would tour in support of

's headlining U.S. tour with American rock bands Capsize and Limbs, taking place from May 21 to June 24, 2017. On April 28, 2017, Eidola announced their third studio album, entitled ''To Speak, To Listen'', with a scheduled release date of June 2, 2017, on

. The band revealed that they had recorded with producer Dryw Owens. The album featured collaborations with American musician Joey Lancaster, former

A Lot Like Birds A Lot Like Birds (often abbreviated as ALLB) are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2009 in Sacramento, California. Before their breakup in 2018, ALLB had released four albums: an independent debut ''Plan B'' (2009), and three LPs under E ...

bass guitarist Matthew Coate, and musician and saxophonist Nicholas Pope. In support of ''To Speak, To Listen'', the band headlined a North American tour with musical groups

The Ongoing Concept The Ongoing Concept is a metal band from Rathdrum, Idaho, formed in 2009. They have released two independent EPs and four studio albums. The band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist Dawson Scholz, vocalist Kyle Scholz, drummer Parker Scholz ...

and Save Us From The Archon, which took place from August 17 to September 19, 2017. On December 15, 2017, Eidola announced their headlining To Speak, To Listen Tour, with support from rock band Capstan and singer Andrés, which took place from February 8 to March 3, 2018. On the same day, the group released an instrumental version of their third studio album, ''To Speak, To Listen''.

2019–2023: ''The Architect''

On November 11, 2019, the band confirmed that their fourth studio album was completed and would be "ready in early 2020" with a tour announcement to follow in support of its release. In December 2019, it was confirmed that Eidola will be performing at the second annual SwanFest on April 25, 2020, in

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, SwanFest was postponed to April 2022 and the group withheld the announcement of their 2020 headlining tour. In April 2020, Andrew Wells confirmed the title of their upcoming fourth record would be '' The Architect'' but expressed uncertainty on the release date amidst the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

outbreak and its effect on the music industry. On June 29, 2021, Eidola released the single "Counterfeit Shrines", their first new song in over four years, as the lead single from their fourth studio album ''The Architect'', which was released on September 17, 2021. The band toured as support on Dance Gavin Dance's Afterburner Tour in September and October 2021.

2024–present: ''Eviscerate'' and ''Mend''

On February 9, 2024, Eidola released a new single, "No Weapon Formed Shall Prosper", and announced their fifth studio album, ''Eviscerate'', which released on April 12, 2024. ''Eviscerate'' is the first half of a "double album," and the second half, entitled ''Mend'', is completed. Eidola supported

Periphery Periphery or peripheral may refer to: Music *Periphery (band), American progressive metal band * ''Periphery'' (album), released in 2010 by Periphery *"Periphery", a song from Fiona Apple's album '' The Idler Wheel...'' Gaming and entertainme ...

on their Wildfire Tour in May 2024. In June and July 2024, they embarked on their headlining Eviscerate tour with support from

Wolf & Bear Wolf & Bear is an American post-hardcore band from Sacramento, California. Formed in 2013, the band consists of vocalists Marcus Cisneros and Tyler Watt, guitarists Cameron Nunez and Louie Baltazar, and drummer Jacob Koval. The band originated i ...

, and Sani Bronco. On November 11, 2024, Eidola announced that ''Mend'' would be releasing on January 17, 2025, followed a few days later by the announcement that touring members Skylar Caporicci and Reese Ortenberg had become permanent members of the band. On November 15, 2024, Eidola released the first single of ''Mend,'' "The Faustian Spirit." A month later the second single, "Prodigy," was released on December 13, 2024.

Musical style

Eidola has been labeled

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

, and

progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

Band members

;Current band members * Andrew Wells – lead vocals, guitar (2011–present) * Matthew Dommer – guitar, unclean vocals (2011–present) * Matthew Hansen – drums, percussion (2011–present) * Sergio Medina – guitar (2018–present), backing vocals (2018–2022) * Reese Ortenberg – bass, backing vocals (2024–present) * Skylar Caporicci – guitar (2024–present) ;Former band members * Brandon Bascom – guitar, backing vocals (2013–2017) * James Johnson – bass guitar (2011–2024) ;Touring musicians * Ian Joshua Cooperstein – guitar, keyboard, backing vocals, occasional unclean vocals (2023–2024) * Jayden Mermella – drums, percussion (2024–present) ;Timeline

Discography

;Studio albums * ''The Great Glass Elephant'' (2012) * ''Degeneraterra'' (Blue Swan Records, 2015) * ''To Speak, To Listen'' (Blue Swan Records, 2017) * '' The Architect'' (Blue Swan Records/Rise Records, 2021) * '' Eviscerate'' (Blue Swan Records/Rise Records, 2024) * '' Mend'' (Blue Swan Records/Rise Records, 2025) ;Other albums * ''To Speak, To Listen (Instrumental)'' (2017) * ''Eviscerate (Instrumental)'' (2024) ;Extended Plays * ''Eidola'' (2011)

References

{{Authority control Musical groups from Salt Lake City Musical groups from Utah Rock music groups from Utah Indie rock musical groups from Utah American post-hardcore musical groups American progressive rock groups 2011 establishments in Utah American musical quintets