hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier pu ...
band based in Indianapolis whose music contained many
anti-authoritarian
Anti-authoritarianism is opposition to authoritarianism, which is defined as "a form of social organisation characterised by submission to authority", "favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom" an ...
themes.
Band history
The concept behind The Dream Is Dead began in 2000 when Clark Giles (founder of
Happy Couples Never Last
Happy Couples Never Last was an American independent record label founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1998 by Clark Giles.
According to Giles, the label started when he saved up money to take his girlfriend on a trip, however they broke up and Gi ...
Records) and long-time friend
Jason McCash
The Gates of Slumber is an American doom metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The group is better known in Germany and England than in their native United States.Circle City hardcore band Burn It Down) kicked around the idea of doing a project band dedicated to putting the threat and politics back into hardcore. A feeling of youthful rebellion and resistance to the status quo initially drew them to hardcore punk in their teenage years, and it was the integrity of the music that sustained their love for the genre.
Initial attempts to get the band off the ground failed but the breakup of Burn It Down left McCash without a band and revitalized The Dream Is Dead's prospects. Jared Southwick (from Indiana death metal band Harakiri) was recruited for guitar duties, eventually parting from his former band to devote his time fully to The Dream Is Dead. Alex Bond, fresh from the breakup of his screamo band The Sutek Conspiracy, completed the lineup on drums in September 2001.
Alex Bond left the band late in the Spring of 2002 and was replaced by local drummer Dustin Boltjes. By August, Boltjes was acclimated, and the band resumed a heavy regimen of touring.
The toll of being on the road and family responsibilities led founding member McCash to bow out in the fall of 2003. Beaten but not broken, the band resurfaced in early 2004 with former Ice Nine guitarist Dave Lawson on bass.
The bulk of 2004 was spent writing the band's first album, once again for Escape Artist. A short tour with fellow hoosiers Phoenix Bodies in late 2004 allowed them to polish the new material. In the meantime, in-demand Los Angeles producer and current Theory of Ruin guitarist Alex Newport (formerly of Fudge Tunnel and
Nailbomb
Nailbomb was a heavy metal band formed in 1994 as a side project by Brazilian musician Max Cavalera of Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy and Soulfly, and English musician Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. The band recorded one studio album, ''Point Bl ...
) was recruited to handle recording and production duties for the album. Having recorded several current indie staples for the likes of
the Melvins
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
,
the Locust
The Locust was an American hardcore punk band from San Diego, California, known for their mix of grindcore aggression and new wave experimentation.
The band has been noted for their use of insect costumes when performing live.
History
Prio ...
,
Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms ...
, and others, the band and the label felt he was the man for the job.
A short tour brought The Dream Is Dead to the west coast in March 2005, where they recorded their debut album, ''Hail The New Pawn''. In June 2007, the band announced it would be releasing a split 7-inch on
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists.
History
The label w ...
with
The Gates of Slumber
The Gates of Slumber is an American doom metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The group is better known in Germany and England than in their native United States.Burn It Down and
The Gates of Slumber
The Gates of Slumber is an American doom metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The group is better known in Germany and England than in their native United States.Jared Southwick
The Dream Is Dead was an American hardcore punk band based in Indianapolis whose music contained many anti-authoritarian themes.
Band history
The concept behind The Dream Is Dead began in 2000 when Clark Giles (founder of Happy Couples Never ...
, 34, died at a
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie ( ) is an incorporated city and the seat of Delaware County, Indiana. Previously known as Buckongahelas Town, named after the legendary Delaware Chief.http://www.delawarecountyhistory.org/history/docs/lenape-villages.pdf It is located in ...
hospital, from complications from a hepatic and renal condition he had been hospitalized for earlier that month; he suffered complications of the illness and his condition deteriorated.
Bass player Jason McCash died from a heroin overdose on April 5, 2014.
Discography
*''Letter of Resignation'' EP (2001, What Else? Records)
*''Taking Friendly Fire'' EP (2002,
Escape Artist Records
Escape Artist Records was an American independent record label formed in 1997 and based in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The label, which helped to launch the careers of bands such as Isis, Keelhaul and Time in Malta, ceased operations in ...
)
*''Revolution Summer''
split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertain ...
7-inch with Find Him and Kill Him (2002,
Happy Couples Never Last
Happy Couples Never Last was an American independent record label founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1998 by Clark Giles.
According to Giles, the label started when he saved up money to take his girlfriend on a trip, however they broke up and Gi ...
)
*''Split 7-inch w/Phoenix Bodies'' (2004, Melting Wing Records)
*''Hail the New Pawn'' (2005,
Escape Artist Records
Escape Artist Records was an American independent record label formed in 1997 and based in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The label, which helped to launch the careers of bands such as Isis, Keelhaul and Time in Malta, ceased operations in ...
)- pressed on cd and limited edition blood-splattered clear vinyl.
*Self-titled split 7-inch with
The Gates of Slumber
The Gates of Slumber is an American doom metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana. The group is better known in Germany and England than in their native United States.Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists.
History
The label w ...
)
Videography
*''Decade of Destruction'' DVD (2004,
XYZ Entertainment
XYZnetworks was an Australian media company that owned, operated and distributed eleven subscription television channels in Australia. XYZnetworks was jointly owned by Foxtel and Austar. Based in Sydney, they had roughly 170 employees, with o ...
)- skate video with
Unsane
''Unsane'' is a 2018 American psychological horror film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer. The film stars Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Matt Damon, Juno Temple, Aimee Mullins, and Amy ...
,
Eyehategod
Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has re ...
,
Lamb of God
Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...
, Slayer, etc.
*''Pinnernation'' DVD (2007, XYZ Entertainment)
Demiricous
Demiricous is a death/thrash metal band from Indianapolis, Indiana formed by Nate Olp, Scott Wilson, Ben Parrish (of Upheaval), and Christopher Cruz. In 2005, they self-released a demo which caught the attention of Metal Blade. After the releas ...