Embodyment
Encyclopedia
Embodyment was a Christian
alternative metal
band from Arlington, Texas
which formed in 1993 and were first known by the name "Supplication".
band and released 3 demos under this style, after which they were signed to Solid State Records
in 1997 for their debut album, Embrace the Eternal, which contained mostly new material but also new versions of a couple of the old demos. Solid State later distributed a collection of the early Embodyment death metal demos titled [1993-1996]. Embrace the Eternal also featured guest vocals by Bruce Fitzhugh
of Living Sacrifice
on one song.
After the departure of vocalist Kris McCaddon, Sean Corbray joined the band and introduced a markedly different vocal style to the band, evidenced on the followup to Embrace the Eternal, titled The Narrow Scope of Things. This album was the band's first step away from any of the heavier metal subgenres. Instead, their sound on the album was adjusted to alternative metal with hard rock influences and featured actual singing and some screamed vocal parts rather than any form of death metal vocals.
Embodyment's third and final album for Solid State, Hold Your Breath, continued in the direction seen on The Narrow Scope of Things toward more alternative and hard rock stylings. Hold Your Breath was Embodyment's first album that featured no screamed vocals, only singing vocals. Embodyment's last album, Songs for the Living, was much the same, showing even less of the dwindling metal influence heard on Hold Your Breath. Embodyment had shopped the Songs for the Living material around as an industry demo, looking for a new label, but after finding little interest they released it as an album on XS Records. Embodyment disbanded in early 2004 after having partially written a follow up record.
Andrew Godwin, Mark Garza, and Kris McCaddon, most of the lineup of the original Embodyment, have since formed The Famine
, a band that returns to the members' metal roots.
In 2007, it was discovered that Newgrounds
member QuinnZX had submitted Embodyment songs to the popular Adobe Flash
website, taking credit for the songs and submitting them to a top-50 ranking music game on the site, which held onto the tracks for some time before the theft was noticed. He was subsequently banned, and the songs removed. The game's programmer issued an apology for the confusion, viewable on its start screen.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band from Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
which formed in 1993 and were first known by the name "Supplication".
History
Embodyment started out as a death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band and released 3 demos under this style, after which they were signed to Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
in 1997 for their debut album, Embrace the Eternal, which contained mostly new material but also new versions of a couple of the old demos. Solid State later distributed a collection of the early Embodyment death metal demos titled [1993-1996]. Embrace the Eternal also featured guest vocals by Bruce Fitzhugh
Bruce Fitzhugh
Bruce Fitzhugh is the second and best known lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of Arkansas's Christian metal band Living Sacrifice...
of Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice
Living Sacrifice is a Christian heavy metal band that formed in September 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. The band has released seven studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnson as a more thrash metal and death metal...
on one song.
After the departure of vocalist Kris McCaddon, Sean Corbray joined the band and introduced a markedly different vocal style to the band, evidenced on the followup to Embrace the Eternal, titled The Narrow Scope of Things. This album was the band's first step away from any of the heavier metal subgenres. Instead, their sound on the album was adjusted to alternative metal with hard rock influences and featured actual singing and some screamed vocal parts rather than any form of death metal vocals.
Embodyment's third and final album for Solid State, Hold Your Breath, continued in the direction seen on The Narrow Scope of Things toward more alternative and hard rock stylings. Hold Your Breath was Embodyment's first album that featured no screamed vocals, only singing vocals. Embodyment's last album, Songs for the Living, was much the same, showing even less of the dwindling metal influence heard on Hold Your Breath. Embodyment had shopped the Songs for the Living material around as an industry demo, looking for a new label, but after finding little interest they released it as an album on XS Records. Embodyment disbanded in early 2004 after having partially written a follow up record.
Andrew Godwin, Mark Garza, and Kris McCaddon, most of the lineup of the original Embodyment, have since formed The Famine
The Famine
The Famine was a heavy metal band that formed in 2007 in Arlington, Texas. The band was signed to Solid State Records.-Formation/3-song EP:The band initially formed with three of the original members of Embodyment in former lead vocalist Kris McCaddon, drummer Mark Garza and guitarist Andrew Godwin...
, a band that returns to the members' metal roots.
In 2007, it was discovered that Newgrounds
Newgrounds
Newgrounds is an American entertainment and social media website. Founded on July 6, 1995 by Tom Fulp, the site primarily hosts Adobe Flash animations and games, but also features a music-oriented page, along with an art portal...
member QuinnZX had submitted Embodyment songs to the popular Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
website, taking credit for the songs and submitting them to a top-50 ranking music game on the site, which held onto the tracks for some time before the theft was noticed. He was subsequently banned, and the songs removed. The game's programmer issued an apology for the confusion, viewable on its start screen.
Albums
- Embrace the Eternal (1998, Solid State, Reviews:HM Magazine, The Phantom Tollbooth)
- [1993-1996] (1999, Independent)
- The Narrow Scope of Things (2000, Solid State, Reviews: The Phantom Tollbooth)
- Hold Your Breath (2001, Solid State, Reviews: Jesus Freak Hideout)
- Songs for the Living (2002, XS Records, Reviews: Jesus Freak Hideout)
Demos
- Persistent Sin (tape under the band name "SUPPLICATION") - 1993
- Corrosion Of The Flesh - 1994
- Embodyment (3 song demo) - 1996
- Industry Demo (an early version of Songs for the Living) - 2002
Non-Album Tracks
- "Halo Of Winter" from This Is Solid State: Volume 1 (1998)
- "Breaking News", "And Then Some", "Spilling Over", "The Answer", and "Hindsight", all released online in 2003 and 2004 as parts of what would have been Embodyment's fifth full-length record.
- As of 2011, these five never-before-released songs have been officially released on Apple iTunes and Amazon.com, under the album title "Forgotten".
Former Members
- Kris McCaddon (vocals; 1993–2000)
- Sean Corbray (vocals; 2000–2004)
- Andrew Godwin
- Joshua Johnson
- Mark Garza
- Jason Lindquist
- Derrick Wadsworth
- Kevin Donnini
- James Lanigan