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Miss May I is an American
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 ...
band from
Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it Miami County's largest city and Ohio's 55th-largest. Troy lies along the Great Miami River about north of Da ...
. Formed in 2007, they signed to
Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...
in 2008 and released their debut album, '' Apologies Are for the Weak'' through the label while the members were still attending high school. The album reached 76 on the ''Billboard'' 200, No. 29 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s
Top Heatseekers The Heatseekers charts were "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales b ...
, and No. 66 on
Top Independent Albums The Independent Albums chart (previously titled Top Independent Albums) ranks the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays (EPs) in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by '' Billboard'' mag ...
. The band has also had some of their material featured in big name productions; the song "Forgive and Forget" is featured on the ''Saw VI'' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and their song "Apologies Are for the Weak" is included in the video game '' Saints Row: The Third''. The band had retained the same lineup since its formation until 2024 when guitarists B.J. Stead & Justin Aufdemkampe left the band, with the only exception being bassist Ryan Neff, who left the band in 2007 and rejoined in 2009. Miss May I released their second studio album, ''
Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
'', on August 16, 2010; their third album, '' At Heart'', on June 12, 2012; their fourth, '' Rise of the Lion'', on April 29, 2014; their fifth, '' Deathless'', on August 7, 2015. On June 24, 2016, the band left
Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...
and signed with
SharpTone Records SharpTone Records is an American independent record label started on September 11, 2013. The label was founded by Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger and former vice president of Sumerian Records Shawn Keith. History Conception and first releas ...
. On June 2, 2017, they released their sixth studio album, ''
Shadows Inside '' Shadows Inside'' is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Miss May I. Released on June 2, 2017, this was the band's first release on SharpTone Records after leaving Rise Records. The music video for "Lost in the Grey" was directe ...
'', their first under their new label. On September 2, 2022, Miss May I released ''
Curse of Existence ''Curse of Existence'' is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Miss May I. It was released on September 2, 2022, through SharpTone Records. It is the last album by the band to feature guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe, ...
''.


History


Formation and early releases (2007–2013)

Miss May I was formed in 2007, in
Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
with the original members being Levi Benton, Justin Aufdemkampe, BJ Stead, Jerod Boyd, and Ryan Neff. Neff left in late 2007 to join Cincinnati band, Rose Funeral and was then replaced by Josh Gillespie. In late 2007, the band released a five-track EP titled ''Vows for a Massacre'' followed by their 2008 demo the next year, both of which were self-released. This demo contained 6 tracks, including "Architect" and "Tides", which would later on be featured in their first full-length album, '' Apologies Are for the Weak''. The band would sign with
Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...
in late 2008 before releasing their aforementioned debut album through the label in 2009. According to the website of producer Joey Sturgis' Foundation Studios, the band had booked studio time in May 2010 to ostensibly record the follow-up to their debut album. ''
Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
'' was released on August 17, 2010. In December 2010, they confirmed plans to appear at
Warped Tour 2011 The Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the la ...
. The album peaked at 10 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, 15 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and 31 on the Top Rock Albums chart. The band toured with
Abandon All Ships Abandon All Ships was a Canadian post-hardcore band from Toronto, Ontario. Formed in 2006, it was signed domestically to Universal Music Group, Universal Music Canada via Underground Operations, along with an American deal to Rise Records and its ...
,
Sleeping with Sirens Sleeping with Sirens is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The band currently consists of Kellin Quinn (lead vocals, keyboards), Nick Martin (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Justin Hills ...
and
Bury Tomorrow Bury Tomorrow are a British metalcore band formed in 2006 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, Hampshire, England. The band is composed of six members; lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates, bassist Davyd Winter-Bates, drummer Adam Jackson, lead gui ...
to support the album. The band appeared on the
We Came as Romans We Came as Romans (sometimes abbreviated as WCAR) is an American metalcore band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band has gone through one name change and multiple line-up changes, and signed to SharpTone Records in 2016 after having ...
Merchnow.com + Arkaik Clothing "I'm Alive" Tour (September - October 2011) with Close To Home,
Of Mice & Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California, searching for ...
, and
Texas in July Texas in July is an American metalcore band from Ephrata, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. They released an EP, ''Salt of the Earth'', and their debut full-length album, ''I Am'', also produced by Slovak, through CI Records. After signing with ...
. Following the "I'm Alive" Tour, the band co-headlined the 'No Guts No Glory' tour with
Pierce the Veil Pierce the Veil is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 2006. It was founded by brothers Vic Fuentes, Vic and Mike Fuentes (musician), Mike Fuentes after the disbanding of Before Today, which formed out of the San Diego Pu ...
,
Woe, Is Me Woe, Is Me is an American metalcore band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2009. The band is signed to SBG Records. They were formerly signed to Rise Records and its subsidiary, Velocity Records. Their debut album, ''Numbers'', was released on A ...
, and
Letlive Letlive, stylized letlive., is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band's final lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jason Aalon Butler (son of Aalon Butler, vocalist, and guitarist of the soul group Aalon), guitaris ...
. The band also appeared on the 2011 Scream it Like you Mean it tour with We Came as Romans,
The Word Alive The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of vo ...
and
This or the Apocalypse HAWK (formerly This or The Apocalypse) is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania that formed in 2005. History ''Monuments'' (2005–2009) In 2008 the band signed to European metal label Lifeforce Records, and released the a ...
. On March 8, 2012, the band announced that they had completed work on their new album, '' At Heart'', and were set to release the album on May 29, 2012. To make last-minute changes, the band bumped back the release, to June 12, 2012. The band soon set out on tour with
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
,
After the Burial After the Burial is an American progressive metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released five of their six full-length albums through the label. Since their inception in 2004, the band h ...
,
The Plot in You The Plot in You is an American metalcore band formed in Hancock County, Ohio in 2010. Originally a side project of former Before Their Eyes member Landon Tewers, the group is composed of Tewers, guitarist Josh Childress, bassist Ethan Yoder an ...
, Rescued by a Sinking Ship, and Structures throughout March 2012, followed by a European tour with
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive are an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. Parkway Drive have released seven studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The band's la ...
, The Ghost Inside and
Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...
through April. The band also set out to tour with Whitechapel, The Ghost Inside,
Within the Ruins Within the Ruins is an American metalcore band formed in Westfield, Massachusetts in 2003. The group currently consists of guitarist Joe Cocchi, drummer Kevin McGuill, bassist Paolo Galang, and vocalist Steve Tinnon. They are currently signed to ...
and The Plot in You in the US during May 2012. The band played on Warped Tour in mid-2012. They supported
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...
for the United States Disarm the Descent tour in mid-2013 with others.


''Rise of the Lion'' and ''Deathless'' (2013–2016)

On December 14, 2013, the band stated that they are looking for a fan to get a tattoo of their infamous lion design for the cover of their forthcoming album. On February 25, 2014, '' Rise of the Lion'' was announced as the title of the new album. The album was released on April 29, 2014. In January 2015, the band supported
August Burns Red August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's lineup of guitarists John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker and Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin David ...
on the Frozen Flame Tour with
Northlane Northlane are an Australian metalcore band from Blacktown, formed in 2009. The band comprises guitarists Jon Deiley and Josh Smith, drummer Nic Pettersen and vocalist Marcus Bridge. Northlane have released six studio albums: '' Discoveries'' ( ...
,
Fit for a King ''Fit for a King'' is a 1937 American comedy film starring Joe E. Brown and directed by Edward Sedgwick. Plot Newspaper reporter "Scoop (term), Scoops" is sent out on assignment, to investigate the failed assassination attempts on Archduke Jul ...
and Erra. The band recorded their fifth studio album with
Joey Sturgis Joey Sturgis (born January 3, 1985) is an American record producer and owner of The Foundation Recording Studio in Connersville, Indiana. Sturgis started recording in 2004 including producing the Asking Alexandria single "The Final Episode" whic ...
, who recorded the band's first two records. '' Deathless'' was released on August 7, 2015.


SharpTone Records, ''Shadows Inside'', and ''Curse of Existence'' (2016–2023)

On June 24, 2016 the band announced that they had left
Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...
and signed with
SharpTone Records SharpTone Records is an American independent record label started on September 11, 2013. The label was founded by Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger and former vice president of Sumerian Records Shawn Keith. History Conception and first releas ...
. The band enbarked on a headline North American tour in support of their sixth album, ''
Shadows Inside '' Shadows Inside'' is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Miss May I. Released on June 2, 2017, this was the band's first release on SharpTone Records after leaving Rise Records. The music video for "Lost in the Grey" was directe ...
'', in 2017. That same year, they joined
The Amity Affliction The Amity Affliction is an Australian post-hardcore band from Gympie, Queensland, formed in 2003. The band's current line-up consists of Joel Birch (lead vocals), Dan Brown (guitar), Jonathan Reeves (bass, vocals) and Joe Longobardi (drums). Th ...
as a part of Motionless in White's "
Graveyard Shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, training, shift differenti ...
" tour. In 2018, they toured North America once again on the Gore Core Metal and More Tour, as support for
Gwar Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists, and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Since ...
and
Hatebreed Hatebreed is an American metalcore/ hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album ''Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universa ...
. In early 2019, the band supported August Burns Red on their Dangerous Tour. They played ''Monument'' in its entirety in mid-2019 in celebration of its nearing 10th-year anniversary, they co-headlined the tour with
The Word Alive The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of vo ...
with support from After Life and
Thousand Below Thousand Below is an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California. They are currently signed to Rise Records and Pale Chord and have released three full-length albums and one EP. The band consists of vocalist James Deberg, guitarist J ...
. In May 16, 2022, bassist and clean vocalist Ryan Neff joined
As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th century.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Lit ...
as replacement for their former bassist Josh Gilbert. On September 2, 2022, the band released their seventh studio album, ''
Curse of Existence ''Curse of Existence'' is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Miss May I. It was released on September 2, 2022, through SharpTone Records. It is the last album by the band to feature guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe, ...
''.


Lineup changes, signing with Solid State, and ''Apologies Are for the Weak'' 15th anniversary (2024–present)

On May 31, 2024 the band announced the departures of guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe. They were replaced with Elisha Mullins. On July 11, 2024, the band signed with
Solid State Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle where it is today. History Brandon Ebel and Michael Knott conceived the label as a joint venture, before Knott backe ...
. Following this, they announced a complete 15th anniversary re-recording of their debut album '' Apologies Are for the Weak'', which released in the fall. The announcement was accompanied by the re-recorded version of "Forgive and Forget", featuring members of
Fit for a King ''Fit for a King'' is a 1937 American comedy film starring Joe E. Brown and directed by Edward Sedgwick. Plot Newspaper reporter "Scoop (term), Scoops" is sent out on assignment, to investigate the failed assassination attempts on Archduke Jul ...
. The album features other guest vocals from members of
Silent Planet Silent Planet is an American metalcore band formed in Azusa, California, in 2009. Their name is derived from C. S. Lewis' science fiction novel '' Out of the Silent Planet''. The group consists of vocalist Garrett Russell, guitarist/clean vocal ...
,
Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. Influenced largely by hardcore punk and Swedish melodic death metal, the band was established by lead vocalist Brandan Schieppati as a personal projec ...
, Carnifex,
August Burns Red August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's lineup of guitarists John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker and Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin David ...
, and
The Word Alive The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of vo ...
, among others. On October 18th, 2024, Ryan Neff announced his departure from As I Lay Dying following what was later revealed to be a domestic abuse incident involving the band's lead vocalist
Tim Lambesis Timothy Peter Lambesis (born November 21, 1980) is an American musician, producer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founding member, lead vocalist, and the sole continuous member of the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. Lambesis was arre ...
, returning to full participation in Miss May I. On January 23rd, 2025, the band disclosed that they were laying out demos for new material. In February 2025, the band was chosen as the replacement for As I Lay Dying at the
Welcome to Rockville Welcome to Rockville is a four-day hard rock and heavy metal music festival. The festival is held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. History The inaugural Welcome to Rockville was held on Mother's Day, Ma ...
festival taking place in
Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona†...
on May 16th, 2025.


Musical style and influences

Miss May I's musical style has been described as
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 ...
or
melodic metalcore Melodic metalcore is a fusion genre, incorporating elements of melodic death metal and metalcore; it has a heavy emphasis on melodic instrumentation, distorted guitar tones, palm mute, palm muting, double bass drumming, blast beats, metalcore-sty ...
, mixing
melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...
and
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
riffs with
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 ...
. Almost all of their recorded songs feature both
unclean vocals Vocalists are capable of producing a variety of extended technique sounds. These alternative singing techniques have been used extensively in the 20th century, especially in art song and opera. Particularly famous examples of extended vocal techniq ...
, provided by the band's
lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
Levi Benton, and clean vocals, provided by their
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...
Ryan Neff (and formerly Josh Gillespie), in similar fashion to many other melodic metalcore bands. The band has stated their main influences are:
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
,
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
,
Unearth Unearth is an American metalcore band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1998. The group consists of lead guitarist Buz McGrath, vocalist Trevor Phipps, bassist Chris O'Toole, drummer Mike Justian and rhythm guitarist Peter Layman. They are cu ...
, White Zombie,
Gojira is the original Japanese name for Godzilla, a giant monster at the center of a media franchise. It may also refer to: Films *Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise, known as in Japan **Godzilla (1954 film), ''Godzilla'' (1954 film), relea ...
,
As Blood Runs Black As Blood Runs Black is an American metalcore/deathcore band hailing from Los Angeles, California. They have released three albums. Their first album, ''Allegiance'', was released on June 6, 2006. Their second album, ''Instinct'', was released on ...
,
All Shall Perish All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest album, ''This Is Where It Ends,'' was release ...
,
As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th century.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Lit ...
,
Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...
,
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...
,
Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
,
Atreyu Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California, formed in 1998. The band's current line-up consists of clean vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist and unclean vocalist Marc "Porter" McKn ...
,
Underoath Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...
, All That Remains,
In Flames In Flames is a Swedish Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990 out of the Swedish death metal, Swedish death metal scene. Their lineup has changed several times, with vocalist Anders Frid ...
,
Five Finger Death Punch Five Finger Death Punch, also abbreviated as 5FDP or FFDP, is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2005. The band originally consisted of vocalist Ivan Moody, rhythm guitarist Zoltan Bathory, lead g ...
,
Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, lead gui ...
, The Black Dahlia Murder,
Thirty Seconds to Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Let ...
, Darkest Hour,
Bleeding Through Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 1999. Influenced largely by hardcore punk and Swedish melodic death metal, the band was established by lead vocalist Brandan Schieppati as a personal projec ...
,
Trivium The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium is implicit in ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolin ...
, Winter Solstice,
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
,
Anti-Flag Anti-Flag was an American punk rock band formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1988. The band was known for its left-wing politics, left-wing political activism. For the majority of the band's career, their members included Justin Sane (voc ...
,
Parkway Drive Parkway Drive are an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, formed in 2003. Parkway Drive have released seven studio albums, one EP, two DVDs, a split album and one book, titled ''Ten Years of Parkway Drive''. The band's la ...
, and
It Dies Today It Dies Today (sometimes abbreviated "IDT") is an American metalcore band formed in Buffalo, New York, in September 2001. The band achieved success in 2004 with the release of their debut album, '' The Caitiff Choir''. After frontman Nicholas Br ...
. In an interview with ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...
'', the band discussed how their influences have changed over the years. Guitarist Justin Aufdemkampe said he started by covering basic
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, then moved to
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
by covering
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
, and
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
, then eventually learned lead guitar by listening to and copying his dad's
Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...
records. In the 10th grade, Justin started learning
Taking Back Sunday Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, New York, formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999. The band's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, voc ...
, Underoath and Avenged Sevenfold songs. However, once he saw Atreyu at
Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
, his taste in music abruptly shifted. He then discovered As I Lay Dying, All That Remains and Darkest Hour, and began writing fast, aggressive originals. According to bassist Ryan Neff, his influences are:
Unearth Unearth is an American metalcore band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1998. The group consists of lead guitarist Buz McGrath, vocalist Trevor Phipps, bassist Chris O'Toole, drummer Mike Justian and rhythm guitarist Peter Layman. They are cu ...
, Deftones, Pantera, As I Lay Dying, Darkest Hour, Underoath,
As Cities Burn As Cities Burn is an American post-hardcore band from Mandeville, Louisiana, that formed in 2002 and has released four studio albums. Their debut, '' Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest'', was released in 2005. Two years later, they released '' Com ...
,
August Burns Red August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's lineup of guitarists John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker and Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin David ...
,
the Bled The Bled is an American post-hardcore/metalcore band from Tucson, Arizona, formed in 2001. They released four albums ('' Pass the Flask'', '' Found in the Flood'', '' Silent Treatment'' and '' Heat Fetish'') before disbanding in 2012. History ...
,
the Color Morale The Color Morale is an American metalcore and post-hardcore band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 2007. The band includes vocalist/keyboardist Garret Rapp, guitarists Devin King and Aaron Saunders, bassist Mike Honson, and drummer Steve Carey. ...
,
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
,
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
,
A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American Rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool (band), Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle released three of their ...
,
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
, Oceana,
Pierce the Veil Pierce the Veil is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 2006. It was founded by brothers Vic Fuentes, Vic and Mike Fuentes (musician), Mike Fuentes after the disbanding of Before Today, which formed out of the San Diego Pu ...
, PMtoday,
Saosin Saosin ( or ) is an American rock band formed in 2003 in Orange County, California. The group originally consisted of Beau Burchell, Justin Shekoski, Zach Kennedy and Anthony Green. They released their debut EP, '' Translating the Name'', i ...
, and
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
. In an interview with ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political r ...
'', Ryan said his favorite band of all time is White Zombie.
Guitarist B.J. Stead stated "I had been playing guitar for years, but not much Heavy metal music, metal. I mostly listen to
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
and straight
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 ...
." In an interview with ''Alternative Press'', it was said that B.J.'s favorite band is
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
. The band has stated on their influences: In an interview with WIDB, Levi stated on behalf of his biggest musical influences: "As I Lay Dying is definitely the biggest one that really sets Miss May I where we are. We like a lot of All That Remains, Unearth, Darkest Hour and, recently, In Flames. This is weird, because it’s not really the thing that everyone would say, but we're really interested in Five Finger Death Punch. We’ve been researching how they do everything because their story’s really cool. But As I Lay Dying and All That Remains are probably the biggest ones, along with Killswitch Engage" Levi has stated his "dream tour" would be Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, It Dies Today, and Atreyu. In another interview, Levi Benton stated that he tries to make inspirational music rather than angry music. Through this, he uses his
contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music Music genre, genre, originating from African Americans, African-American musicians in the 1980s that combines rhythm and blues with elements of Pop music, pop, Soul music, soul, funk, Hip-hop, ...
influences such as
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
,
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...
, and Usher. He also openly admits he listens to a lot of
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
. His favorite artists are
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
,
Yelawolf Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, and raised in Antioch, Tennessee, he embarked on his recording career in 2005, releasing four mixtapes to pos ...
,
Savage Savage may refer to: * Savage (pejorative term), a derogatory term to describe a member of a people the speaker regards as primitive and uncivilized Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Bill Savage, in the 2000 AD ''Invasion!'' ...
,
Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard'' and '' Vibe'' i ...
, and
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
. The band has covered the song "
Run This Town "Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z featuring Bajan singer Rihanna and fellow American rapper Kanye West. Released on July 24, 2009, it was written by the artists alongside Athanasios Alatas, Jeff Bhasker, and No I.D., the latte ...
" by Jay Z featuring
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
for the ''
Punk Goes Pop 3 ''Punk Goes Pop Volume 03.'' is the tenth compilation album released from the ''Punk Goes...'' series created by Fearless Records and the third installment in the ''Punk Goes Pop'' franchise to feature various post-hardcore, metalcore and alterna ...
'' album.


Religious views

In an interview with
Dayton Daily News The ''Dayton Daily News'' (''DDN'') is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc., a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employee ...
writer Madeline Bush, when asked what they thought their music conveyed, Benton replied:


Members

With Full Force Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. Lineups 2014 4 - 6 July Amon Amarth, Architects (British band), Architects, Being as an O ...
2018" widths="180" heights="180"> Miss May I With Full Force 2018 07.jpg, Vocalist Levi Benton Miss May I With Full Force 2018 12.jpg, Bassist and vocalist Ryan Neff Miss May I With Full Force 2018 20.jpg, Drummer Jerod Boyd Current * Levi Benton – unclean vocals (2006–present) * Jerod Boyd – drums, percussion (2006–present) * Ryan Neff – bass, clean vocals (2006–2007, 2009–present) * Elisha Mullins – lead and rhythm guitar (2024–present; live member 2022–2024) Former * Josh Gillespie – bass, clean vocals (2007–2009) * B.J. Stead – lead guitar (2006–2024); backing vocals (2014–2024) * Justin Aufdemkampe – rhythm guitar (2006–2024); backing vocals (2014–2024) Timeline


Discography

;Albums Other releases *''Vows for a Massacre'' (self-released EP; 2007) *''Demo 2008'' (self-released demo; 2008)


Music videos


Collaborations


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2006 establishments in Ohio American musical quintets Metalcore musical groups from Ohio Musical groups established in 2006 Rise Records artists SharpTone Records artists