Exit State
Encyclopedia
Exit State are a British
rock
band. Formed in 2005 by Roy Bright, its current lineup has been active since 2008. They have released two EP's and two studio albums.
band from Burnley
, Preston & Haslingden
, Lancashire
(UK). Their cited influences include Foo Fighters
, Metallica
, Led Zeppelin
and The Who
. Exit State have been likened to Foo Fighters
, Lostprophets
and Therapy?
video game FlatOut and a record deal offer from Revolver Records however, founder member Roy Bright felt that commitment levels to move deponeye forward were not shared with the other members and as such the band folded in the summer of 2004.
The then 3-piece was made up of original members Roy Bright, Sara Leigh and Lee Walmsley who began writing original compositions early 2005 and started playing small shows in Burnley & Manchester
. Many of the early songs were old deponeye songs already established.
During the spring of 2006 bass guitarist
Walmsley expressed, at a meeting with Bright, the need to move on and leave the band preferring to play indie rock
music as appose to hard rock
. Walmsley was replaced on bass guitar by Bright's close friend Jason Shuttleworth who was the bass player for Burnley heavy metal
band I.C.O.N. This was a temporary fix to honour a number of shows in the East Lancashire
area & Manchester.
Shuttleworth was eventually replaced by drummer
Leigh's boyfriend Eddie Sims however, Sims expressed a preference to play guitar so Graham Storton, a bass guitar player known to Bright in the local area was recruited to be the bands permanent bass player. Shortly after, Leigh announced that she would be moving to London
and leaving the band and Sims followed suite at the same time.
This left Bright with many problems to be solved as drummers and guitarists seemed to be in short demand in his local area. Bright approached close friend Adam Stephenson to be the bands permanent guitarist and also asked I.C.O.N's newly appointed drummer, James Henderson to take care of drumming duties on a temporary basis until a firm replacement could be found. Stephenson was unable to step in immediately so I.C.O.N's guitarist Scott Knowles helped out briefly for one show which was to be the last that Leigh played with the band.
In the November of 2006 Adam Stephenson officially joined Exit State.
Exit State started to find their footing in the North West
of England
rock community and a healthy local following began to quickly grow. In the summer of 2007 the band entered a Preston based battle of the bands
competition. It was during the run in this competition that it was becoming obvious that drumming duties for both I.C.O.N and Exit State were taking its toll on Henderson and that he needed to be replaced as quickly as possible with a permanent drummer. As chance would have it East Lancashire classic rock
band The Freespirits broke up almost at the same point and Bright quickly swooped in to bag Freespirits drummer Peat Hicks. The band continued in the battle of the bands competition with Hicks to the semi finals where their participation ended.
It was decided at that time the band would enter the recording studio to begin work on their first EP which would be later titled 'Anybody Out There'. The band travelled to Calder Recording Studios in Mytholmroyd
and enlisted the aid of record producer
Steve Fenton Fenton had previously worked with Happy Mondays
, T-Rex, John Helliwell
& The New Mastersounds
.
February 2008, the band were approached by Fenton as he intended to reform his then moth-balled record label Cone Records with a view to signing the band later in the year once the label was back up and running. The band agreed to look at the offer when the label was up and running should they not have been approached by anyone else.
May 2008 saw the bands 'Anybody Out There' EP
receive critical acclaim being described in Rock Sound
Magazine issue 109 as "satisfyingly heavy, unexpectedly catchy and unashamedly experimental...Impressive!".
During the summer of 2008 the band were approached by Riverbeat Records offering to sign the band but this was decided against as the band felt it wasn't a favourable move. At this time front man Bright had his jaw broken in an unprovoked attack outside a nightclub in Burnley. During the three month break the band decided to act upon issues surrounding bass player Storton's role in the band and the decision was taken to replace Storton. During this time Producer and now record label
boss Steve Fenton approached the band interested in signing them to his now up and running newly named King Prawn Records. Fenton agreed to sit on the contract until a permanent bass player was found.
Late September 2008 Bright, Stephenson & Hicks travelled to Preston to speak with bass player Phil Ireland whom they had come across as he had been playing for various bands in the Preston area. Ireland joined the band the week later and was announced as the new permanent bass player for Exit State in October 2008.
Talks with Fenton resumed and the band received their contract November 2008 and signing to King Prawn Records February 2009. During January 2009 Exit State had returned to Calder Recording Studios once again under the guidance of producer Fenton, as the deal was considered to be secure, where they re-recorded all tracks on the 'Anybody Out There' EP to take into account Ireland's new bass lines and influence on the band and re-record Hicks drums as a new & tight understanding by the rhythm section
of Hicks & Ireland had quickly developed. Vocals
were left untouched with only sparse re-records on the guitars.
June 30, 2009 saw the release of Bad Days on King Prawn Records. and the EP received much critical acclaim from online reviewers including Manchester Music and Komodo Rock however, they hadn't seemed to pick up much in the way of reviews from the notable magazines.
/Wolfsbane
front man Blaze Bayley
and Witchfynde
. The band once again entered the studios of Calder Recordings with producer Steve Fenton in September 2009 to begin work on their first studio album
that was to be later titled Death of a Rockstar
. The album was completed at The Chairworks Studios, Castleford
during Christmas 2009 and was mastered
by Ray Staff
at AIR Studios London
.
During April 2010 Exit State signed their first professional management
deal with the management arm of Rocksector Records which lead them to support former AC/DC
front man Dave Evans
and The Black Spiders. Other support slots included The More I See
featuring ex-The Prodigy
guitarist Gizz Butt
and a tour with The Black Mollys featuring two members of Enuff Z'nuff
.
May 31, 2010 saw the release of their debut album Death of a Rockstar
to much critical acclaim from both online reviewers and UK magazines. Issue 64 of Black Velvet magazine
stated "The true joy of this band though is their refusal to conform to stereotypes, combining metal, pop & plain old rock n roll effortlessly & without apologies" whilst in the July 2010 Issue 124 of Big Cheese Magazine
Tom Williams stated "Give these guys a big welcome to the scene; I think they'll be sticking around a while."
However, Rock Sound Magazine seemed to have performed a U-turn on the band with Faye Lewis stating in July 2010 Issue 137 "unfortunately the bad outweighs the good here and when vocalist Roy Bright sings you just wish he'd stop!". Despite Rock Sounds disapproval there has been more good reviews than bad with Circle Pit TV saying "These guys are the real deal and at CIRCLE PIT, we believe that they are going to go on from strength to strength, pushing the envelope and continuing to improve on an already massive sound" and Chinners of Mudkiss Fanzine stating "These guys have put together this stunning solid debut album with some interesting and relevant subject matter which should be heard by many, if they can transfer these songs well within their live performances their future should be very promising."
June 2010 Exit State announced that they are to be the main support on a full UK
tour with former CITV
Art Attack
presenter Neil Buchanan's
Marseille
. The tour will run from September to December 2010.
for 'Death of a Rockstars' opening track Lost Beyond Belief began receiving airplay on Kerrang! TV May 2010.
the video eventually topped the Kerrang! TV
request show chart
, Attica Rage, former AC/DC
singer Dave Evans
, Falling Red & many more, puts them exactly where they need to be to make the very best of the brilliant things which have happened to the band during the past 12 months". The move however, delayed the initial release of their 2nd album 'Black Veins' album to Oct 2011.
guitarist Gizz Butt
.
a regular BBC Sport
s commentator for Match of the Day
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band. Formed in 2005 by Roy Bright, its current lineup has been active since 2008. They have released two EP's and two studio albums.
History
Exit State are a Hard RockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Preston & Haslingden
Haslingden
Haslingden is a small town in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It is north of Manchester. The name means 'valley of the hazels', though the town is in fact set on a high and windy hill. In the early 20th century Haslingden had the status of a municipal borough, but following local government...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
(UK). Their cited influences include Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. Exit State have been likened to Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
and Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
Formation (2005-2008)
Exit State was formed in 2005 by Roy Bright following the breakup of East Lancashire rock band Deponeye. Deponeye had started to make some advances in the industry during 2004 when two of their songs saw inclusion onto the soundtrack for the racingRacing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
video game FlatOut and a record deal offer from Revolver Records however, founder member Roy Bright felt that commitment levels to move deponeye forward were not shared with the other members and as such the band folded in the summer of 2004.
The then 3-piece was made up of original members Roy Bright, Sara Leigh and Lee Walmsley who began writing original compositions early 2005 and started playing small shows in Burnley & Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Many of the early songs were old deponeye songs already established.
During the spring of 2006 bass guitarist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Walmsley expressed, at a meeting with Bright, the need to move on and leave the band preferring to play indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
music as appose to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. Walmsley was replaced on bass guitar by Bright's close friend Jason Shuttleworth who was the bass player for Burnley 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 I.C.O.N. This was a temporary fix to honour a number of shows in the East Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
area & Manchester.
Shuttleworth was eventually replaced by drummer
Drum kit
A 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 ....
Leigh's boyfriend Eddie Sims however, Sims expressed a preference to play guitar so Graham Storton, a bass guitar player known to Bright in the local area was recruited to be the bands permanent bass player. Shortly after, Leigh announced that she would be moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and leaving the band and Sims followed suite at the same time.
This left Bright with many problems to be solved as drummers and guitarists seemed to be in short demand in his local area. Bright approached close friend Adam Stephenson to be the bands permanent guitarist and also asked I.C.O.N's newly appointed drummer, James Henderson to take care of drumming duties on a temporary basis until a firm replacement could be found. Stephenson was unable to step in immediately so I.C.O.N's guitarist Scott Knowles helped out briefly for one show which was to be the last that Leigh played with the band.
In the November of 2006 Adam Stephenson officially joined Exit State.
Exit State started to find their footing in the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock community and a healthy local following began to quickly grow. In the summer of 2007 the band entered a Preston based battle of the bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
competition. It was during the run in this competition that it was becoming obvious that drumming duties for both I.C.O.N and Exit State were taking its toll on Henderson and that he needed to be replaced as quickly as possible with a permanent drummer. As chance would have it East Lancashire classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
band The Freespirits broke up almost at the same point and Bright quickly swooped in to bag Freespirits drummer Peat Hicks. The band continued in the battle of the bands competition with Hicks to the semi finals where their participation ended.
It was decided at that time the band would enter the recording studio to begin work on their first EP which would be later titled 'Anybody Out There'. The band travelled to Calder Recording Studios in Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd
Mytholmroyd is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies east of Hebden Bridge and west of Halifax....
and enlisted the aid of record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Steve Fenton Fenton had previously worked with Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan...
, T-Rex, John Helliwell
John Helliwell
John Helliwell is an English musician and the saxophonist and occasional keyboardist and woodwind player for the rock band Supertramp...
& The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds are a four-piece funk band based in Leeds, England.In the late 1990s, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called "The Cooker." When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a...
.
Anybody out There/Bad Days EP (2008-2009)
The band used 'Anybody out There' to secure more shows up and down the country and also to gain radio exposure. During a show in LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
February 2008, the band were approached by Fenton as he intended to reform his then moth-balled record label Cone Records with a view to signing the band later in the year once the label was back up and running. The band agreed to look at the offer when the label was up and running should they not have been approached by anyone else.
May 2008 saw the bands 'Anybody Out There' EP
Extended 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...
receive critical acclaim being described in Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
Magazine issue 109 as "satisfyingly heavy, unexpectedly catchy and unashamedly experimental...Impressive!".
During the summer of 2008 the band were approached by Riverbeat Records offering to sign the band but this was decided against as the band felt it wasn't a favourable move. At this time front man Bright had his jaw broken in an unprovoked attack outside a nightclub in Burnley. During the three month break the band decided to act upon issues surrounding bass player Storton's role in the band and the decision was taken to replace Storton. During this time Producer and now record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
boss Steve Fenton approached the band interested in signing them to his now up and running newly named King Prawn Records. Fenton agreed to sit on the contract until a permanent bass player was found.
Late September 2008 Bright, Stephenson & Hicks travelled to Preston to speak with bass player Phil Ireland whom they had come across as he had been playing for various bands in the Preston area. Ireland joined the band the week later and was announced as the new permanent bass player for Exit State in October 2008.
Talks with Fenton resumed and the band received their contract November 2008 and signing to King Prawn Records February 2009. During January 2009 Exit State had returned to Calder Recording Studios once again under the guidance of producer Fenton, as the deal was considered to be secure, where they re-recorded all tracks on the 'Anybody Out There' EP to take into account Ireland's new bass lines and influence on the band and re-record Hicks drums as a new & tight understanding by the rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
of Hicks & Ireland had quickly developed. Vocals
Singing
Singing 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...
were left untouched with only sparse re-records on the guitars.
June 30, 2009 saw the release of Bad Days on King Prawn Records. and the EP received much critical acclaim from online reviewers including Manchester Music and Komodo Rock however, they hadn't seemed to pick up much in the way of reviews from the notable magazines.
Death of a Rockstar (2009 - 2010)
Exit State continued to tour heavily in 2009 and saw them gain support slots with ex-Iron MaidenIron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
/Wolfsbane
Wolfsbane (band)
Wolfsbane are an English heavy metal band. Formed in 1984, the band remained active until lead singer Blaze Bayley went on to join Iron Maiden in 1994. After a couple of reunion shows in 2007 and 2009, Wolfsbane officially reunited in June 2010...
front man Blaze Bayley
Blaze Bayley
Blaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
and Witchfynde
Witchfynde
Witchfynde are a heavy metal band that was one of the forerunners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Witchfynde was formed in Derbyshire, England in 1974 by bass guitarist Richard Blower and vocalist Neil Harvey. Richard Blower discovered Montalo whilst in a band called Atiofel...
. The band once again entered the studios of Calder Recordings with producer Steve Fenton in September 2009 to begin work on their first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
that was to be later titled Death of a Rockstar
Death of a Rockstar (album)
-Personnel:Exit State*Roy Bright – Vocals, Guitars*Adam Stephenson – Guitars*Philip Ireland – bass, backing vocals*Peat Hicks – Drums, backing vocalsOther contributors*Steve Fenton – Production and mixing...
. The album was completed at The Chairworks Studios, Castleford
Castleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
during Christmas 2009 and was mastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Ray Staff
Ray Staff
Ray Staff is a mastering engineer best known for his work with a diverse mix of artists including Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Clash and Black Sabbath...
at AIR Studios London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
During April 2010 Exit State signed their first professional management
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
deal with the management arm of Rocksector Records which lead them to support former AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
front man Dave Evans
Dave Evans (singer)
Dave Evans is an Australian singer best known as the original lead singer of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1973-1974.-AC/DC:...
and The Black Spiders. Other support slots included The More I See
The More I See
-Formation:The More I See were formed by guitarist Graham 'Gizz' Butt, formerly of Punk Metal band English Dogs and the Prodigy.Formed in Cambridgeshire in 2002 with vocalist Chad Sunderland, guitarist Gavin King and bassist Lee Churchill.-Personnel changes:To speed the musical pace up, both live...
featuring ex-The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
guitarist Gizz Butt
Gizz Butt
Gizz Butt is a British musician, best known for playing the guitar during live performances by band The Prodigy in the late 1990s.-Early years:...
and a tour with The Black Mollys featuring two members of Enuff Z'nuff
Enuff Z'nuff
Enuff Z'Nuff, pronounced "enough's enough," is an American glam rock band from Blue Island, Illinois. Founded by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z'Nuff, this Chicago area band is best known for their charting singles "Fly High Michelle" and "New Thing." Enuff Z'Nuff has continually recorded and...
.
May 31, 2010 saw the release of their debut album Death of a Rockstar
Death of a Rockstar (album)
-Personnel:Exit State*Roy Bright – Vocals, Guitars*Adam Stephenson – Guitars*Philip Ireland – bass, backing vocals*Peat Hicks – Drums, backing vocalsOther contributors*Steve Fenton – Production and mixing...
to much critical acclaim from both online reviewers and UK magazines. Issue 64 of Black Velvet magazine
Black Velvet (magazine)
Black Velvet is a quarterly independent rock magazine based in the UK.The zine originated in 1994 and is published/edited by Shari Black Velvet. The zine includes in-depth interviews, CD, concert and zine reviews and more...
stated "The true joy of this band though is their refusal to conform to stereotypes, combining metal, pop & plain old rock n roll effortlessly & without apologies" whilst in the July 2010 Issue 124 of Big Cheese Magazine
Big Cheese (magazine)
Big Cheese is an independent British magazine which covers alternative music including rock, punk, and metal amongst others. It is circulated monthly.-Features:...
Tom Williams stated "Give these guys a big welcome to the scene; I think they'll be sticking around a while."
However, Rock Sound Magazine seemed to have performed a U-turn on the band with Faye Lewis stating in July 2010 Issue 137 "unfortunately the bad outweighs the good here and when vocalist Roy Bright sings you just wish he'd stop!". Despite Rock Sounds disapproval there has been more good reviews than bad with Circle Pit TV saying "These guys are the real deal and at CIRCLE PIT, we believe that they are going to go on from strength to strength, pushing the envelope and continuing to improve on an already massive sound" and Chinners of Mudkiss Fanzine stating "These guys have put together this stunning solid debut album with some interesting and relevant subject matter which should be heard by many, if they can transfer these songs well within their live performances their future should be very promising."
June 2010 Exit State announced that they are to be the main support on a full UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour with former CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
Art Attack
Art Attack
Art Attack is a British children's television series revolving around art. The original series was one of ITV's longest running programmes, running from 1990 to 2007, and was presented throughout by Neil Buchanan. The brand new series launched on Disney Junior on June 6 2011 and is presented by...
presenter Neil Buchanan's
Neil Buchanan
Neil Buchanan is an English television presenter best known for his work on the CITV programme Art Attack, a television programme that he presented during its run from 1990 to 2007...
Marseille
Marseille (band)
Marseille are a British heavy metal band from Liverpool, England.-History:Marseille formed in Liverpool in early 1976, and released their debut album, Red, White and Slightly Blue on the Mountain Records label in 1978. Original members were Paul Dale , Neil Buchanan , Andy Charters , Keith Knowles ...
. The tour will run from September to December 2010.
Video - Lost Beyond Belief (2010)
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for 'Death of a Rockstars' opening track Lost Beyond Belief began receiving airplay on Kerrang! TV May 2010.
the video eventually topped the Kerrang! TV
Kerrang! TV
Kerrang! TV is a digital television station owned by Box Television, which is loosely connected to the magazine, Kerrang!. As of 2005, all of its programme content is music videos, the majority of which is open scheduled, for text requests from their playlist....
request show chart
Label Change - Exit State sign to Rocksector Records (2011)
On the 13th july 2011, Exit State announced that they were to leave King Prawn Records and join the ranks of Rocksector Records. According to the announcement the agreement was mutually beneficial between both labels and the band themselves and that "a move to a label with artists like Fury UKFury UK
- Early History :Fury UK is a metal band based in Manchester, UK. The band was first formed around 2002 by Chris Appleton, lead guitarist & lead vocalist, whilst still in his early teens. The line-up was re-shaped several times over the early years, whilst still nothing more than a local band,...
, Attica Rage, former AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
singer Dave Evans
Dave Evans (singer)
Dave Evans is an Australian singer best known as the original lead singer of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1973-1974.-AC/DC:...
, Falling Red & many more, puts them exactly where they need to be to make the very best of the brilliant things which have happened to the band during the past 12 months". The move however, delayed the initial release of their 2nd album 'Black Veins' album to Oct 2011.
Black Veins (2011)
The band have announced that their 2nd studio album entitled 'Black Veins' will be released Monday 3rd October 2011. The 12 track album , engineered and produced by Steve Fenton, represents quite a leap in terms of sound quality and development according to Bright and recent reviews seem to point to the band having produced a landmark product for themselves. Don Jackson-Wyatt of Circle Pit Rock and Metal Webzine states "What I will say about the entire album is that Exit State have not only marked their identity and sound on it, but they have paved the way for other bands to follow them for years to come. Previously I have mentioned that they are influenced by certain massive bands, but now its their turn to influence others and I feel that they are more than capable of doing that." Black Veins also features a guest guitar solo piece on the track 'All For You' by ex-The ProdigyThe Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
guitarist Gizz Butt
Gizz Butt
Gizz Butt is a British musician, best known for playing the guitar during live performances by band The Prodigy in the late 1990s.-Early years:...
.
Adam Stephenson Leaves The Band (2011)
On the 19th September 2011, the band announced via their Official Website that long standing lead guitarist Adam Stephenson was to leave the band. The announcement cites that due to increasing personal and ordinary day-to-day commitments Stephenson could no longer balance his time with that required for the workload involved with the recording & touring commitments of the band. The announcement went on to say "with the warmest of memories his important contribution to Exit State as a whole since the band's earliest days will not be forgotten." Ollie Cordwell from labelmates Fantasist, was appointed the role of temporary lead guitarist for the band to see out the remaining shows of 2011 whilst the search for a permanent replacement got underway.Famous Relative
Front man Roy Bright has a famous half-brother in the form of ex-Premier League Footballer Mark BrightMark Bright
Mark Abraham Bright is a former English footballer who is now a sports pundit and BBC London's sport presenter, as well as a coach at Crystal Palace....
a regular BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
s commentator for Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
Current members
- Roy Bright – vocals, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Philip Ireland – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Peat Hicks – 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 ....
, backing vocals
Past members
- Lee Walmsley - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sara Leigh – 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 ....
, backing vocals - Jason Shuttleworth - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Eddie Sims - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Graham Storton - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Scott Knowles - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- James Henderson - 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 ....
- Adam Stephenson – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Albums
| Year | Release details | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Black Veins
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| 2010 | Death of a Rockstar Death of a Rockstar (album) -Personnel:Exit State*Roy Bright – Vocals, Guitars*Adam Stephenson – Guitars*Philip Ireland – bass, backing vocals*Peat Hicks – Drums, backing vocalsOther contributors*Steve Fenton – Production and mixing... Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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EP's
| Year | Release details | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Bad Days
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| 2008 | Anybody Out There
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External links
- Exit State official website
- Exit State official Facebook page at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Exit State at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Exit State at iLikeILikeiLike is an online service that allows users to download and share music. The website makes use of a sidebar that is used with Apple's iTunes or Microsoft's Windows Media Player. The program and sidebar are not required in order to use the site but allow for ease in discovering new artists....