Ben Koller
Encyclopedia
Ben Koller is an American drummer
currently in Converge
, United Nations
, Acid Tiger, and All Pigs Must Die
. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.
band Force Fed Glass. He started playing for the band in 1997. Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou
, who is also a successful producer, recorded an album for Force Fed Glass. Ballou later started a side project called Blue/Green Heart and selected Koller as his drummer having already been familiar with his talent from Force Fed Glass. Blue/Green Heart only released one demo album, Self Esteem Through Modern Science.
released through Equal Vision Records
. However, a split EP with the Japanese band Hellchild, titled Deeper the Wound
, was released prior to that which featured an early version of "Thaw" from Jane Doe.
Converge later signed to Epitaph Records
and has since released three studio albums: You Fail Me
(2004), No Heroes
(2006) and Axe to Fall
(2009).
punk
side project with Lukas Previn (The A.K.A.s), Adam Wentworth (Bloodhorse
/ All Pigs Must Die
), and J Rattlesnake. Previn described the band as having, "no plan or guideline for us other than getting our friends in a room and playing all the riffs we had that didn't work for the other bands we are in." Acid Tiger signed to Deathwish Inc.
in July 2009, and released their self-titled debut on April 27, 2010.
is a heavy metal band composed of Kevin Baker of the The Hope Conspiracy
and Ben Koller in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label of Shirts & Destroy. Their debut EP, which was recorded at Ballou's GodCity studios, was released in October 2010. In 2011, they released their first full length called God Is War.
drummer John-Robert Conners left the band after a wrist injury that prevented him from being able to play. Ben Koller became his temporary replacement during Cave In's tour in support of their fourth studio album, Perfect Pitch Black
. Before the group went on hiatus in 2006, the band recorded two songs with Koller. The two songs, "Dead Already" and "Shapeshifter," were released together on a limited edition cassette single
sold during 2005 and 2006 tours. Conners returned to Cave In when they reunited in 2009.
Ben Koller is also rumored to be a member of the screamo
band United Nations
. Because the group members are contractually obligated to remain anonymous, the true lineup of the band has not been officially released. The only member not under contract is Geoff Rickly
of Thursday
. Promotional images depict four people wearing Ronald Regan masks, and other rumored band members include Daryl Palumbo
of Glassjaw
and Chris Conger of The Number Twelve Looks Like You
. To date, United Nations has released two albums: United Nations (2008) and Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures
(2010).
In 2010, Ben Koller became the temporary touring replacement for John-Robert Conners in his side project Doomriders
, which also features Nate Newton
of Converge and Old Man Gloom
. Conners left Doomriders to put more focus on Cave In and his family.
With All Pigs Must Die
With Blue/Green Heart
With Cave In
With Converge
With Force Fed Glass
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
currently in Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
, United Nations
United Nations (band)
United Nations is an experimental punk supergroup whose roots go back to at least 2005. They consider "screamo power-violence" as their main influence.-History:United Nations was started by Geoff Rickly, the vocalist/lyricist of the band Thursday...
, Acid Tiger, and All Pigs Must Die
All Pigs Must Die (band)
All Pigs Must Die is a hardcore punk band composed of Kevin Baker of the The Hope Conspiracy and Ben Koller of Converge in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label...
. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.
Early bands
The first band Ben Koller played in was the grindcoreGrindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
band Force Fed Glass. He started playing for the band in 1997. Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou is the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, he is a prolific producer, engineering and producing out of his own Godcity studio.- GodCity studio :...
, who is also a successful producer, recorded an album for Force Fed Glass. Ballou later started a side project called Blue/Green Heart and selected Koller as his drummer having already been familiar with his talent from Force Fed Glass. Blue/Green Heart only released one demo album, Self Esteem Through Modern Science.
Converge
Ben Koller joined Converge in 1999, replacing former drummer Damon Bellorado. Familiar with his work in previous bands, Kurt Ballou selected Koller to temporarily fill-in while Converge searched for a more permanent replacement for the recently departed Bellorado. After working well with the band during some local shows in Boston, Converge made him an official member. Koller's first studio release with Converge was 2001's Jane DoeJane Doe (album)
Jane Doe is the fourth album by American hardcore band Converge. It was released September 4, 2001 through Equal Vision Records. The album is credited as Converge's best and has received many positive ratings and much critical acclaim for the band's musical style, lyrics and the album's...
released through Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
. However, a split EP with the Japanese band Hellchild, titled Deeper the Wound
Deeper the Wound
Deeper the Wound is a split album between American band Converge and Japanese band Hellchild. The album was released through Deathwish Inc. in America on April 23, 2001. Deeper the Wound was also the first album released through Deathwish. It was later released by Bastardize Records in Japan in 2006...
, was released prior to that which featured an early version of "Thaw" from Jane Doe.
Converge later signed to Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
and has since released three studio albums: You Fail Me
You Fail Me
You Fail Me is an album by Massachusetts, USA, band Converge, released on September 20, 2004. It is their first release on Epitaph Records, previously being signed to Equal Vision Records....
(2004), No Heroes
No Heroes
No Heroes is the sixth album by Converge. The album was released on October 24, 2006, on Epitaph Records. By January 11, 2007, it had sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. It peaked at number 151 in the Billboard 200. It topped the Top Heatseekers chart and reached number 13 in the Independent Albums...
(2006) and Axe to Fall
Axe to Fall
Axe to Fall is the seventh studio album released by American metalcore band Converge. It was released on October 20, 2009 through Epitaph Records and was released later on in the year through Deathwish Inc. as a vinyl record. It is their most commercially successful to date, peaking at number 74 in...
(2009).
Acid Tiger
Acid Tiger is Ben Koller's psychedelicPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
side project with Lukas Previn (The A.K.A.s), Adam Wentworth (Bloodhorse
Bloodhorse
Bloodhorse is a metal band from Boston, Massachusetts that formed late 2005. In 2007 they signed with Translation Loss Records and released their debut record "EP" in July of the same year.-Biography:...
/ All Pigs Must Die
All Pigs Must Die (band)
All Pigs Must Die is a hardcore punk band composed of Kevin Baker of the The Hope Conspiracy and Ben Koller of Converge in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label...
), and J Rattlesnake. Previn described the band as having, "no plan or guideline for us other than getting our friends in a room and playing all the riffs we had that didn't work for the other bands we are in." Acid Tiger signed to Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish, Inc. is a independent record label founded by Jacob Bannon and Tre McCarthy. The label was originally used to release early albums by Bannon's own band Converge starting in late 1991. It wasn't until late 1999 that McCarthy and Bannon discussed turning Deathwish into a full-fledged label...
in July 2009, and released their self-titled debut on April 27, 2010.
All Pigs Must Die
All Pigs Must DieAll Pigs Must Die (band)
All Pigs Must Die is a hardcore punk band composed of Kevin Baker of the The Hope Conspiracy and Ben Koller of Converge in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label...
is a heavy metal band composed of Kevin Baker of the The Hope Conspiracy
The Hope Conspiracy
The Hope Conspiracy is a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts that formed late 1999. They were picked up by Equal Vision Records and Bridge 9 Records before signing a deal with Deathwish Records.-Biography:...
and Ben Koller in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse. The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label of Shirts & Destroy. Their debut EP, which was recorded at Ballou's GodCity studios, was released in October 2010. In 2011, they released their first full length called God Is War.
Other projects
In 2005, Cave InCave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
drummer John-Robert Conners left the band after a wrist injury that prevented him from being able to play. Ben Koller became his temporary replacement during Cave In's tour in support of their fourth studio album, Perfect Pitch Black
Perfect Pitch Black
Perfect Pitch Black is the fourth studio album by American rock band Cave In. The album was released on September 13, 2005 through Hydra Head Records, and was the band's final release before going on hiatus in 2006...
. Before the group went on hiatus in 2006, the band recorded two songs with Koller. The two songs, "Dead Already" and "Shapeshifter," were released together on a limited edition cassette single
Cassette single
A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.- History :...
sold during 2005 and 2006 tours. Conners returned to Cave In when they reunited in 2009.
Ben Koller is also rumored to be a member of the screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
band United Nations
United Nations (band)
United Nations is an experimental punk supergroup whose roots go back to at least 2005. They consider "screamo power-violence" as their main influence.-History:United Nations was started by Geoff Rickly, the vocalist/lyricist of the band Thursday...
. Because the group members are contractually obligated to remain anonymous, the true lineup of the band has not been officially released. The only member not under contract is Geoff Rickly
Geoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
of Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
. Promotional images depict four people wearing Ronald Regan masks, and other rumored band members include Daryl Palumbo
Daryl Palumbo
Daryl Palumbo is an Italian American musician, , grew up in Bellmore, New York. He is the frontman of the bands Glassjaw and Head Automatica. As a youth he was a member of the Long Island straight edge band XbustedX, however he has since rejected that philosophy...
of Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
and Chris Conger of The Number Twelve Looks Like You
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
The Number Twelve Looks Like You was a mathcore band from Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Their music combined elements of grindcore, progressive metal, hardcore punk and jazz...
. To date, United Nations has released two albums: United Nations (2008) and Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures
Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures
Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures is the second release from American screamo band United Nations. The four-song EP was released on June 23, 2010 through Deathwish Inc. on both 7" vinyl and digital download versions...
(2010).
In 2010, Ben Koller became the temporary touring replacement for John-Robert Conners in his side project Doomriders
Doomriders
Doomriders is a heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has released two albums on Deathwish, Inc. The band's vocalist/guitarist Nate Newton also plays bass in Converge and guitar in Old Man Gloom. Jebb Riley formerly played bass in "There Were Wires". Doomriders have toured with...
, which also features Nate Newton
Nate Newton (musician)
Nate Newton is the bassist in hardcore band Converge.He also plays guitar and sings in two side projects, Old Man Gloom and Doomriders.Before relocating to the Boston area in 1999, he was in the Virginia Beach area hardcore punk bands Lift, Jesuit, Channel, Edison and Dwell...
of Converge and Old Man Gloom
Old Man Gloom
Old Man Gloom is a sludge/doom metal/post-metal band originally formed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, but now based in Massachusetts. The group, formed by Aaron Turner of Isis and Santos Montano, has now expanded to become a sort of supergroup in the Boston hardcore and metalcore scene....
. Conners left Doomriders to put more focus on Cave In and his family.
Discography
With Acid Tiger- Acid Tiger (2010)
With All Pigs Must Die
- All Pigs Must Die EP (2010)
- God Is War (2011)
With Blue/Green Heart
- Self Esteem Through Modern Science (2002)
With Cave In
- "Dead Already / Shapeshifter" (2005)
With Converge
- Deeper the WoundDeeper the WoundDeeper the Wound is a split album between American band Converge and Japanese band Hellchild. The album was released through Deathwish Inc. in America on April 23, 2001. Deeper the Wound was also the first album released through Deathwish. It was later released by Bastardize Records in Japan in 2006...
(2001) - Jane DoeJane Doe (album)Jane Doe is the fourth album by American hardcore band Converge. It was released September 4, 2001 through Equal Vision Records. The album is credited as Converge's best and has received many positive ratings and much critical acclaim for the band's musical style, lyrics and the album's...
(2001) - Unloved and Weeded Out (select tracks) (2002)
- You Fail MeYou Fail MeYou Fail Me is an album by Massachusetts, USA, band Converge, released on September 20, 2004. It is their first release on Epitaph Records, previously being signed to Equal Vision Records....
(2004) - No HeroesNo HeroesNo Heroes is the sixth album by Converge. The album was released on October 24, 2006, on Epitaph Records. By January 11, 2007, it had sold 17,000 copies in the U.S. It peaked at number 151 in the Billboard 200. It topped the Top Heatseekers chart and reached number 13 in the Independent Albums...
(2006) - Axe to FallAxe to FallAxe to Fall is the seventh studio album released by American metalcore band Converge. It was released on October 20, 2009 through Epitaph Records and was released later on in the year through Deathwish Inc. as a vinyl record. It is their most commercially successful to date, peaking at number 74 in...
(2009) - "On My ShieldOn My Shield"On My Shield" is a single released by American metalcore band Converge. It was originally made available during the band's European tour in July 2010. The single was self-released by the band, though it was distributed by Converge's labels, Epitaph Records and Deathwish Inc.. The physical release...
" (2010)
With Force Fed Glass
- When Backs Are Turned, Knives Are Pulled (1998)
- The Self Destruct EP (1999)
- Discography (2003)