Close Your Eyes (band)
Encyclopedia
Close Your Eyes is a melodic hardcore
band from Abilene, Texas
. They are signed to Victory Records
and have released their debut album in 2010, We Will Overcome
, and a second album Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
in October 2011. The music video for their first music single, "Song for the Broken", has become a viral internet video and gathered over 2 million views in a short time. All members of Close Your Eyes are openly Christian
and their beliefs are often the subject matter of their songs.
independently and in 2009 were signed to Victory Records
to record their debut studio album.
We Will Overcome
was released in 2010 and had received positive reviews, selling over 12,000 copies in June 2011 according to Nielsen Soundscan
. The band has released three singles from this album ("Song for the Broken", "The Body" and "Digging Graves"), with music videos released for all three of them. Since then, the band has toured with Underoath
, The Word Alive
, A Day to Remember
, Stick to Your Guns
, and Norma Jean
. They have played on some major festivals including Cornerstone Festival
, Sonshine Festival
, Ichthus Festival and Scream the Prayer Tour.
In 2011 they played live two new songs from their upcoming album, Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
, due to release on October 24th through Victory Records. Victory Records released a series of video previews of the upcoming album in their YouTube
account.
Their song "Valleys" is the theme song for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
's 2011 Turning Point
pay-per-view. A music video featuring TNA professional wrestler
Jeff Hardy
and centered around his redemption storyline has been released through the promotion
's YouTube account.
Former
EPs
Guest appareances
Melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on vocal melody. The genre is commonly defined with fast hardcore drum beats, complex guitar riffs and melodic singing with occasional screaming and shouting.-History:...
band from Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. They are signed to Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
and have released their debut album in 2010, We Will Overcome
We Will Overcome (album)
We Will Overcome is the debut album by Texas melodic hardcore band Close Your Eyes and was released on February 16, 2010.Music videos were produced for the three singles: "Song for the Broken", "The Body", and "Digging Graves"....
, and a second album Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts is the second full-length album by Texas melodic hardcore band Close Your Eyes, released on October 24, 2011, through Victory Records.-Background:...
in October 2011. The music video for their first music single, "Song for the Broken", has become a viral internet video and gathered over 2 million views in a short time. All members of Close Your Eyes are openly Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and their beliefs are often the subject matter of their songs.
History
Close Your Eyes had their roots in 2005 at Hardin-Simmons University, where Shane Raymond and Brett Callaway met and started searching for other musicians to round the line-up. After several line-up changes, they recruited Andrew Rodriguez, Sonny Vega and David Fidler. In 2008 they released their self-titled EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
independently and in 2009 were signed to Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
to record their debut studio album.
We Will Overcome
We Will Overcome (album)
We Will Overcome is the debut album by Texas melodic hardcore band Close Your Eyes and was released on February 16, 2010.Music videos were produced for the three singles: "Song for the Broken", "The Body", and "Digging Graves"....
was released in 2010 and had received positive reviews, selling over 12,000 copies in June 2011 according to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. The band has released three singles from this album ("Song for the Broken", "The Body" and "Digging Graves"), with music videos released for all three of them. Since then, the band has toured with Underoath
Underoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
, The Word Alive
The Word Alive
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2008, the band is currently signed to Fearless Records. Their 2009 label debut, Empire reached position 15 on the Top Heatseekers, meeting a great amount of positive acclaim upon its release in 2009...
, A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida. Founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denny and drummer Bobby Scruggs, the band has released four studio albums, nine singles and eight music videos...
, Stick to Your Guns
Stick to Your Guns
Stick to Your Guns is an American hardcore band from Orange County, California, formed in 2003. They are currently signed to Sumerian records, and have released three full-length albums to date. "The Hope Division" was released June 1, 2010 through Sumerian Records.-Biography:Stick to Your Guns is...
, and Norma Jean
Norma Jean
Norma Jean may refer to:*Norma Jeane Mortenson, the given name of actress Marilyn Monroe*Norma Jean , a metalcore band from Douglasville, GA*Norma Jean , country music singer, nicknamed "Pretty Miss Norma Jean"...
. They have played on some major festivals including Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
, Sonshine Festival
Sonshine Festival
Sonshine Festival is a Christian music festival held annually in Willmar, Minnesota, usually the second weekend in July. It features Christian musical artists from the United States and around the world. The festival is a member of the Christian Festival Association.A secondary function of the...
, Ichthus Festival and Scream the Prayer Tour.
In 2011 they played live two new songs from their upcoming album, Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts
Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts is the second full-length album by Texas melodic hardcore band Close Your Eyes, released on October 24, 2011, through Victory Records.-Background:...
, due to release on October 24th through Victory Records. Victory Records released a series of video previews of the upcoming album in their YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account.
Their song "Valleys" is the theme song for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
's 2011 Turning Point
Turning Point (2011)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on November 13, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...
pay-per-view. A music video featuring TNA professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
and centered around his redemption storyline has been released through the promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
's YouTube account.
Band members
Current- Brett Callaway - 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...
, backing vocals (since 2005) - Tim Friesen - 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 ....
(since 2010) - Shane Raymond - lead vocals (since 2005)
- Andrew Rodriguez - 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...
(since 2006) - Sonny Vega - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (since 2006)
Former
- Ben Clinard - bass (2005 - 2006)
- Chris Coltman - drums (2005 - 2007)
- Brian Escochea - guitar (2005 - 2006)
- David Fidler - drums (2007 - 2010)
Discography
Studio albums- We Will Overcome (Victory RecordsVictory RecordsVictory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
, 2010) - Empty Hands and Heavy HeartsEmpty Hands and Heavy HeartsEmpty Hands and Heavy Hearts is the second full-length album by Texas melodic hardcore band Close Your Eyes, released on October 24, 2011, through Victory Records.-Background:...
(Victory Records, 2011)
EPs
- Close Your EyesClose Your Eyes EPClose Your Eyes EP is the first EP by American christian hardcore band Close Your Eyes. It was self- released February 6, 2009.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Andrew Rodriguez - guitar*Brett Callaway - vocals, guitar*David Fidler - drums...
(Self-released, 2008)
Guest appareances
- Shane Raymond - "Phoenix" from For TodayFor Today (band)For Today is an American Christian metalcore band from Sioux City, Iowa, formed in 2005. They are currently signed to Razor & Tie. They have released one EP, Your Moment, Your Life, Your Time, and three full-length albums: Ekklesia on April 1, 2008, Portraits on June 9, 2009, and their third studio...
's album BreakerBreaker (For Today album)- Personnel :For Today*Mattie Montgomery - lead vocals*Ryan Leitru - lead guitar, background vocals*Mike Reynolds- rhythm guitar*Brandon Leitru - bass guitar*David Morrison - drums, percussionProduction*Produced, Engineered, Mixed, and mastered by Will Putney...
(2010) - Shane Raymond - "The Jackal" from The Overseer's self-titled EP (2010)
- Shane Raymond - "Bring Me Home" from Sovereign Strength's album The Prophecy (2011)