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Spineshank is an American
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
/
industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
band from Los Angeles. The band released four studio albums: '' Strictly Diesel'' (1998), ''
The Height of Callousness ''The Height of Callousness'' is the second studio album by American metal band Spineshank, released on October 9, 2000, through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson alongside Spineshank guitarist Mike Sarkisyan an ...
'' (2000), '' Self-Destructive Pattern'' (2003), and ''Anger Denial Acceptance'' (2012).


History


Early works, formation and signing with Roadrunner (1996–1997)

Before Spineshank formed in 1996, bassist and vocalist Jonny Santos, guitarists Marlo Gonzalez and Tim Mankowski, and drummer Tommy Decker were members of a band called Basic Enigma. They released a demo EP in 1994 named ''Drunk With Power''. According to Decker, they learned "everything not to do" in Basic Enigma, and were heavily inspired by
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 ...
,
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
, and White Zombie at the time. Upon hearing Fear Factory's ''Demanufacture'', the band took a new approach, writing songs and recording them before actually playing them. This made them realize they needed to change the way they did things. Around the same time, Mike Sarkisyan replaced Mankowski on guitar. Santos initially played guitar in the band, but left the band for a period of time when he became a father, and when asked back, the band already had two guitar players, so he switched to bass, which he wasn't comfortable with; when auditioning singers, he jokingly sang " Seasons in the Abyss" inbetween waiting, prompting the rest of the band to insist him being the permanent singer. Basic Enigma later broke up but soon reformed as Spineshank. They then started recording demos and handed them out at several shows in Los Angeles. After the release of a demo in 1996, Gonzalez departed from the lineup; thus, Sarkisyan became the band's sole guitarist. Eventually, Fear Factory guitarist
Dino Cazares Dino Cazares (born September 2, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist and one of the co-founders of industrial metal band Fear Factory. He is also a co-founder of Divine Heresy, Asesino, and Brujeria (band), Brujeria. Cazar ...
heard one of their demos and gave them a chance to open a show for Fear Factory and Coal Chamber at a concert held in Los Angeles with other notable bands such as Snot,
Soulfly Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...
,
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
, and Danzig. As a result of these shows, Spineshank piqued the interest of the A&R director of
Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...
, Kevin Estrada. Estrada liked them because of their experimentation but was hesitant to sign them due to their lack of a bass player, and he didn't like that Santos played the bass and sang because he felt playing the bass "inhibited" him from singing. After several lineup changes, the band eventually found Robert Garcia, who became their bass player. Estrada worked with them on a song that later became "Detached," and after multiple performances, Estrada was pleased and wanted to do a demo deal. After speaking with Roadrunner, they were so impressed with the demos that they wanted to skip the demo deal and sign the band instead. Spineshank went on to sign a seven-album deal with Roadrunner, guaranteeing $30,000 for their first album plus an extra $10,000 for subsequent records with the label.


''Strictly Diesel, The Height of Callousness'' and ''Self-Destructive Pattern'' (1998–2003)

Spineshank released their debut album '' Strictly Diesel'' on September 22, 1998. Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell provides vocals on the track "Stain". Spineshank joined Fear Factory and Kilgore on a European tour that year. Spineshank's second album ''
The Height of Callousness ''The Height of Callousness'' is the second studio album by American metal band Spineshank, released on October 9, 2000, through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson alongside Spineshank guitarist Mike Sarkisyan an ...
'' was released on October 10, 2000. Unlike their debut album, ''The Height of Callousness'' has a strong
industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
influence. The band was featured at
Ozzfest Ozzfest was an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband O ...
2001, and toured with such artists as Disturbed, Hed PE, Orgy and
Mudvayne Mudvayne is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, in 1996. Known for their sonic experimentation, face and body paint, masks and uniforms, the band has sold over five million records wor ...
in support of the album's release. The songs "Synthetic" and "New Disease" were released as singles in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The band's third album '' Self-Destructive Pattern'' was released on September 9, 2003. The album's lead single " Smothered" was nominated for a
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
in the category of
Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...
(2004). Shortly after the album was released the band went on a European tour with
Ill Niño Ill Niño (Spanish for "ill child"; stylized as ill niño) is an American nu metal band formed in Union City, New Jersey, in 1998 by drummer Dave Chavarri, who remains the band's sole original member. They have released seven studio albums, two ...
and
Chimaira Chimaira ( ) is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the band's name is derived from the word Chimera (mythology), Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, ...
. A show in the Netherlands was filmed on October 6, and was to become a DVD entitled Roadrage. However, it was never officially released.


Lineup change and hiatus (2004–2008)

In January 2004, it was reported that Santos had officially left Spineshank. Tommy Decker stated that the split was "amicable" and was mainly due to "musical differences", Decker later said a big part of why Santos left was because the band wanted "to go heavier" but Santos didn't.It's Official: SPINESHANK Part Ways With Vocalist JONNY SANTOS
. Posted January 9, 2004.
SPINESHANK Drummer: 'We Wanted To Play Heavier Music Than JONNY Did'
. Posted January 10, 2004.
Santos later spoke about leaving Spineshank in a 2006 interview, stating: "I think that moment in time we weren't getting along the greatest. I was not happy with the direction of the music anymore, and I also think that the band had kind of just run its course. I think that Spineshank did what it was meant to do. I don't regret ever being in that band. It's some of the best memories of my life, but I think that the day was up." On January 17, 2004, Spineshank launched a search for a new vocalist,SPINESHANK Launch Singer Search
. Posted January 17, 2004.
and on November 7, 2005, Spineshank's official website announced that they would be working with Brandon Espinoza. They also stated that they had already been working together for five months at the time, and had produced five songs. At the time, the band did not intend to continue to use the name Spineshank. Meanwhile, Santos went on to release two albums with his new band Silent Civilian. On July 7, 2006, Espinoza posted an update on the band's message board, and stated that they were still in the process of writing material. Then, February 7, 2008, after almost two years of silence about the band, Espinoza announced that the band had broken up due to the lack of chemistry between its members.Brandon Espinoza: Its sad to say but were parting ways...
Posted February 7, 2008
Later on, in February 2008, the band (excluding Espinoza) announced open tryouts for a new unnamed project.Ex-Spineshank Members Looking For Vocalist For New Band
Metalunderground.com, Posted April 2, 2008.


''Anger Denial Acceptance,'' reunion with original lineup and disbanding (2008–2025)

In 2008, Spineshank reunited with Santos, and in August of that year recorded a demo. Drummer Tommy Decker said of the reunion, "First of all, you don't have to worry about us abandoning our sound; there will be plenty of electronics/loops/synths on this record. Jonny is also singing better than he ever has, so there will be a ton of singing and melody as well. This will definitely be heavier than our previous albums but it will not be all bashing. I can wholeheartedly promise you that we will not be trying to be anything we are not. This is simply going to be Spineshank five years later. There will be a few new elements but it will be undeniably us (for better or worse!!!). . . " Santos stated in an interview that ''Anger Denial Acceptance'' "will be the Spineshank record we always wanted to make, and not what the label wanted us to make" and that it won't be a "commercially-driven record". On October 3, 2011, Spineshank debuted a new song "Murder Suicide" via Noisecreep. On June 19, 2012, the band released ''Anger Denial Acceptance'' through Century Media. After several years of silence, on February 16, 2016, Mike Sarkisyan in an online interview said that the band had completed what they had set out to do and that there were no plans to continue the band. In July 2020, Spineshank's former label
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
(who owns Roadrunner Records) released "Infected", a song that was originally a
b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
on the Japanese release of their 2003 album '' Self-Destructive Pattern'', to
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. The song had leaked to online outlets well over a decade prior.


Third reunion (2025–present)

In January 2025, Spineshank announced a reunion specifically for the September festival Louder Than Life. In addition to Santos, Garcia, and Decker, the lineup also featured Tommy Decker, Jr. on guitar (since Sarkisyan essentially retired from the music industry) and Jason Hager on guitar as well (founding member of the band
Chimaira Chimaira ( ) is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the band's name is derived from the word Chimera (mythology), Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, ...
). The new lineup has also recorded a new song.


Musical style and influences

Spineshank has been described as
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
,
industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
, and
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
. They have been compared to the likes of
Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
, Orgy,
Static-X Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...
, Coal Chamber, and System of a Down. Jonny Santos has cited Robb Flynn,
James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his raspy voice and intricate rhythm playi ...
, and Tom Araya as his "biggest heroes", but was inspired to start playing guitar by Randy Rhoads, and
Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex V ...
.
Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...
also had a big influence on Santos as a kid, stating "That's why most of my playing is all in pretty much, like, pentatonic patterns. I stay in a certain box that I feel really comfortable with, and I use my wah pedal quite a bit. Slash, to me, is just, like, God." Santos has also cited
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
, Machine Head, Ministry, and
Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the original title O.P.D. (later Fall of Because) but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals, programmi ...
as influences for Spineshank.


Band members

Current lineup * Jonny Santos – lead vocals (1996–2004, 2008–2016, 2025–present) * Robert Garcia – bass, backing vocals (1997–2016, 2025–present) * Tommy Decker – drums, programming, keyboards (1996–2016, 2025–present) * Tommy Decker, Jr. – guitar (2025–present) * Jason Hager – guitar (2025–present) Former members * Marlo Gonzalez – guitar (1996) * Brandon Espinoza – vocals (2005–2007) * Mike Sarkisyan – guitar, piano (1996–2016) Timeline


Discography


Studio albums


Compilation albums


Singles


References in popular culture

*The song "New Disease" was featured in the soundtrack for the movie '' 3000 Miles to Graceland'', and the video games '' Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder'' in 2001 and '' MX Superfly'' in 2002. *The song "Synthetic" was featured in the video games ''MX Superfly'' in 2002 and '' Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home'' in 2003. *In the 2002 black comedy film '' The Rules of Attraction'' (based on the 1987 book of the same name), a ''Height of Callousness'' poster is displayed in Marc's bedroom, a junkie played by former child-star Fred Savage. *The song "Beginning of the End" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2003 film '' Freddy vs. Jason'' and "Slavery" was used in the film, but not included on the soundtrack. *The song "Smothered" was featured in the video game ''Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home.'' *The song "Cyanide 2600" was used in the film ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
''.


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Spineshank
on
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
* {{Authority control 1996 establishments in California American alternative metal musical groups American industrial metal musical groups Century Media Records artists Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups disestablished in 2004 Musical groups reestablished in 2008 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Musical groups reestablished in 2025 Musical quartets from California Nu metal musical groups from California Roadrunner Records artists