Invitro (band)
Encyclopedia
Invitro is a band from Los Angeles
, California
that has an Indie label under Gridiron Records.
guitarist Mikey Doling has seen his fair shares of highs and lows during his tenure in the music industry. After co-founding the legendary Santa Barbara metal/punk rock hybrid Snot, Doling toured relentlessly with the likes of System of a Down
, Incubus
, Hed PE, Soulfly
and was part of the most talked about band on the 1998 edition of Ozzfest. During the recording of the band's second album Snot frontman Lynn Strait
died in a car accident and ended a career that had generated considerable promise.
After mourning the loss of his best friend and bandmate, Doling returned in 2000 as the guitarist for Max Cavalera
's Soulfly
. For five years Doling toured the world performing for hundreds of thousands of fanatical fans, while sharing stages with the likes of Black Sabbath, Pantera, Slayer and countless others. The experience would become some of the biggest career highs for the guitarist.
"When it came time to record my third record with Soulfly, I just felt like I had done everything I could possibly accomplish with them," says Doling on his decision to move out onto his own. "Nothing against Soulfly - they were great to me but it was time to move on. With Soulfly, I was just a hired gun and had no say in the direction of the band or creative process. I missed being part of a democratic team of brothers who write everything and make every decision together, so I decided to move on."
After moving to Los Angeles, Doling fine-tuned his production skills along with engineer Brad Dujmovic, recording some of today's hottest underground acts. During the duo's recording sessions Dujmovic was in the process of putting together a new band with his college roommate, Jeff Weber, on vocals. Playing a demo of his new project, Doling was blown away and quickly asked to join the group.
"The chemistry was instant and I haven't felt that way since I first starting playing with the guys in Snot," says Doling.
After adding guitarist Mike Pygmie and drummer Benny Cancino to the mix, the group had a concrete line-up, adopted the name Invitro and entered the studio with Doling and Dujmovic behind the boards to record, When I Was A Planet, the band's debut album. "With this record we are trying to make a record that not only reflects our own tastes but is enjoyable to play. A lot of the record was born from experimenting with different riffs, lyrics, etc. Invitro's sound is a mix between punk rock, prog rock, hardcore and whatever feels right," says frontman Jeff Weber when describing the band's unique sound. "At times we're straight ahead punk, and then there are moments that sound like a cartoon saloon. The most unifying characteristics of the music are that it's usually fast, loud, and pleasantly erratic."
"The best thing to me about Invitro's sound is that it's totally natural when you get 5 musicians together who aren't trying to sound like anybody other than themselves," adds guitarist, Mike Pygmie. "I think that this record fits right in the middle of the hard rock and metal scenes. It's heavy enough for even the most extreme metal head and still has a level of musicality and melody that great rock records share."
When I Was A Planet will be released on September 11, 2007, by independent powerhouse Gridiron Records, a new label founded by Doling, Kyle Turley, (offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs), Max Harris and former Snot manager Nic Adler.
"There's so many great bands out there that are amazing, but if you're not the trend of the week, you don't have a chance of getting a record deal," continues Doling. "I was getting frustrated seeing all these great bands without a record deal, I asked Kyle to start up a label with me, and here we are. We're going full force, and we're signing good bands with serious talent, devoid of trends."
When I Was A Planet is a musically ambitious debut that will delight hard rock fans and music enthusiasts who are tired of predictable corporate rock. Over the course of his decade plus career, Doling has been on a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but with a new record label in place and the September 11th release of Invitro's When I Was A Planet, the future looks so bright he's gotta wear shades.
Invitro has toured alongside many bands including Sevendust
, Diecast
, Static-X
, and Otep
. As well as the 2007 Family Values Tour
alongside Korn
, Evanescence
, Trivium
, Atreyu
, Flyleaf
and others
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, 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...
that has an Indie label under Gridiron Records.
History
Ex-Snot and SoulflySoulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
guitarist Mikey Doling has seen his fair shares of highs and lows during his tenure in the music industry. After co-founding the legendary Santa Barbara metal/punk rock hybrid Snot, Doling toured relentlessly with the likes of System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Hed PE, Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
and was part of the most talked about band on the 1998 edition of Ozzfest. During the recording of the band's second album Snot frontman Lynn Strait
Lynn Strait
James Lynn Strait was the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Snot. He died in a car accident on December 11, 1998 at the age of 30.-Biography:...
died in a car accident and ended a career that had generated considerable promise.
After mourning the loss of his best friend and bandmate, Doling returned in 2000 as the guitarist for Max Cavalera
Max Cavalera
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
's Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
. For five years Doling toured the world performing for hundreds of thousands of fanatical fans, while sharing stages with the likes of Black Sabbath, Pantera, Slayer and countless others. The experience would become some of the biggest career highs for the guitarist.
"When it came time to record my third record with Soulfly, I just felt like I had done everything I could possibly accomplish with them," says Doling on his decision to move out onto his own. "Nothing against Soulfly - they were great to me but it was time to move on. With Soulfly, I was just a hired gun and had no say in the direction of the band or creative process. I missed being part of a democratic team of brothers who write everything and make every decision together, so I decided to move on."
After moving to Los Angeles, Doling fine-tuned his production skills along with engineer Brad Dujmovic, recording some of today's hottest underground acts. During the duo's recording sessions Dujmovic was in the process of putting together a new band with his college roommate, Jeff Weber, on vocals. Playing a demo of his new project, Doling was blown away and quickly asked to join the group.
"The chemistry was instant and I haven't felt that way since I first starting playing with the guys in Snot," says Doling.
After adding guitarist Mike Pygmie and drummer Benny Cancino to the mix, the group had a concrete line-up, adopted the name Invitro and entered the studio with Doling and Dujmovic behind the boards to record, When I Was A Planet, the band's debut album. "With this record we are trying to make a record that not only reflects our own tastes but is enjoyable to play. A lot of the record was born from experimenting with different riffs, lyrics, etc. Invitro's sound is a mix between punk rock, prog rock, hardcore and whatever feels right," says frontman Jeff Weber when describing the band's unique sound. "At times we're straight ahead punk, and then there are moments that sound like a cartoon saloon. The most unifying characteristics of the music are that it's usually fast, loud, and pleasantly erratic."
"The best thing to me about Invitro's sound is that it's totally natural when you get 5 musicians together who aren't trying to sound like anybody other than themselves," adds guitarist, Mike Pygmie. "I think that this record fits right in the middle of the hard rock and metal scenes. It's heavy enough for even the most extreme metal head and still has a level of musicality and melody that great rock records share."
When I Was A Planet will be released on September 11, 2007, by independent powerhouse Gridiron Records, a new label founded by Doling, Kyle Turley, (offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs), Max Harris and former Snot manager Nic Adler.
"There's so many great bands out there that are amazing, but if you're not the trend of the week, you don't have a chance of getting a record deal," continues Doling. "I was getting frustrated seeing all these great bands without a record deal, I asked Kyle to start up a label with me, and here we are. We're going full force, and we're signing good bands with serious talent, devoid of trends."
When I Was A Planet is a musically ambitious debut that will delight hard rock fans and music enthusiasts who are tired of predictable corporate rock. Over the course of his decade plus career, Doling has been on a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but with a new record label in place and the September 11th release of Invitro's When I Was A Planet, the future looks so bright he's gotta wear shades.
Invitro has toured alongside many bands including Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, Diecast
Diecast (band)
Diecast is a five-piece metalcore band originating from Boston, Massachusetts. There are no active members that date back to their inception.-History:...
, Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, and Otep
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
. As well as the 2007 Family Values Tour
Family Values Tour
The Family Values Tour was created by the band Korn in 1998 to be an annual rock & rap tour.The tour began in 1998 and would take the year off in 2000, due to heavy competition from other tours, such as the Anger Management Tour and the Summer Sanitarium Tour. After a four year hiatus, the Family...
alongside Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, Trivium
Trivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
, Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, Flyleaf
Flyleaf
Flyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....
and others
Band members
- Jeff Weber: vocals.
- Mike Doling: guitar.
- Mike Pygmie: guitar.
- Brad Dujmovic: bass.
- Benny Cancino: drums.