A Band Called Pain
Encyclopedia
A Band Called Pain is an American heavy metal
band from Oakland, California
.
The band was formed by cousins Allen Richardson (also known as Allen Anthony formerly of the Roc-A-Fella Records
R&B group Christion
)and Shaun Bivens who both hail from the San Francisco Bay Area
. The band's debut studio album Broken Dreams was released in 2006
, and was dubbed one of the ten best (#6) California
albums of the year by Zero Magazine. The first single from the album is the song "The Pieces". The song has a music video as well. The band's song "Holy" appeared on the Saw II
soundtrack.
A Band Called Pain is also notable for being a rare heavy metal
band consisting of four African American
members. Guitarist Bivens alluded to this saying:
The band is also the only heavy metal
act released on the independent
, alternative hip hop
label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings
.
ABCP has performed at the South By Southwest
festival in Austin
, Texas
.
In October 2008, Tony Providence left the band and was replaced by Akili Peyton the following year.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
The band was formed by cousins Allen Richardson (also known as Allen Anthony formerly of the Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
R&B group Christion
Christión
Christión was a male duo featuring brothers Kenni Ski and Allen Anthony, the first R&B act to be signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. They released their single "Full of Smoke" on Roc-A-Fella in 1996, reaching #53 on the Hot 100 and #15 on the R&B charts....
)and Shaun Bivens who both hail from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. The band's debut studio album Broken Dreams was released in 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
, and was dubbed one of the ten best (#6) California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
albums of the year by Zero Magazine. The first single from the album is the song "The Pieces". The song has a music video as well. The band's song "Holy" appeared on the Saw II
Saw II
Saw II is a 2005 Canadian-American horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and co-written by Bousman and the first film's co-writer Leigh Whannell. It is a sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the seven-part Saw film series...
soundtrack.
A Band Called Pain is also notable for being a rare heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band consisting of four African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
members. Guitarist Bivens alluded to this saying:
The band is also the only heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
act released on the independent
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings
Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings
Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings is an Oakland, California-based, independent, primarily alternative hip hop record label founded and owned by underground hip hop collective, the Hieroglyphics...
.
ABCP has performed at the South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
In October 2008, Tony Providence left the band and was replaced by Akili Peyton the following year.
Current members
- Allen Richardson — vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(2001–present) - Shaun Bivens — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2001–present) - Bryan Dean (aka Dark Kent) — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2001–present) - Akili Peyton (aka Killz Atwillz) — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2009–Present)