Stemm
Encyclopedia
STEMM is an American metal
band hailing from Niagara Falls
, New York
. They are currently signed to Catch 22 Records. STEMM's first concert was opening for major label recording artist Sevendust
.
STEMM is endorsed by ESP Guitars, Jagermeister and Mesa Boogie
.
They have won the Buffalo Music Award for Best Hardcore/Metal act in WNY for 3 consecutive years. (2001, 2002, & 2003)
Former vocalist Tom "T.J." Frost was the vocalist for Buffalo NY death metal
band Baphomet (later Banished). He also was a guitar tech for Chimaira and Ill Nino.
with rapcore
much like the band E.Town Concrete
. These sounds were very prominent on their first EP, entitled Further Efforts
and also on their first independently released debut, entitled "Dead to Me" which was released in 2002. In July 2000, STEMM would announce the addition of second guitarist, Rich Spalla.
song and is featured on the UFC 2009 Undisputed
soundtrack), which have been used on every UFC pay-per-view since 2002 and The Ultimate Fighter
. "Face the Pain" was also featured on the UFC compilation CD UFC Ultimate Beatdowns Volume 1 alongside such bands as Fear Factory
, Slayer
and Shadows Fall
. STEMM more recently also signed a licensing deal to feature their music on Canadian
television station The Fight Network
.
metal act, 5 Years Gone and STEMM. 5 Years Gone drummer Dan Nelligan and vocalist T.J. Frost of 5 Years Gone began filling in, while STEMM guitarists returned the favor by replacing the two guitarists that had recently departed 5 Years Gone. After bassist Russ Martin was fired, STEMM and 5 Years Gone would be combined as one. The combination saw the band take a different direction musically. Because of this, the band as a whole do not recognize the previous incarnation of the band and even contemplated changing the name of the band, but decided to keep on as STEMM due in large part to the UFC having already spent money on promoting the band.
guitarist Rob Arnold
's management label, Triple M Management. With Arnold's help, the band recorded a 5 song EP entitled "5" in early 2004. On the song "13 Years", Chimaira vocalist Mark Hunter
did a guest appearance. The EP went on to sell over 1,000 copies in only a couple of months time. The band did local shows in support of the demo, opening for acts such as Sevendust
and touring nationwide with Chimaira and Trivium
. STEMM would be the openers for Damageplan
's "final" concert, as the next day, Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott
would be murdered while onstage. They also opened for Nuclear Blast
artist Bleed The Sky
at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go. T.J. Frost along with Joe Cafarella would provide guest vocals on the Bleed the Sky track "Division" as well. The band then participated in the 2005 installment of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
with other notable acts such as Soilwork
, Danzig
, Dark Tranquillity
and Mnemic
. In November 2005, the band released their second full length album, entitled "Songs for the Incurable Heart
" independently. The album included four tracks from the previous demo, plus all new material, including a song that is a tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
, which vocalist T.J. Frost survived entitled "The Day the Earth Stood Still" which clocks in at 9:11, in homage.
page that they had officially signed a record deal with I Scream Records to re-release their second album "Songs for the Incurable Heart." Though the contract was only to re-release "Songs for the Incurable Heart." STEMM continued for the next year opening for bands such as Godsmack
and Stone Sour
. On July 30, 2007, STEMM announced that vocalist T.J. Frost had departed the band due to "personal issues." With his departure, back up vocalist and guitarist Joe Cafarella changed to full time vocal duty, while guitarist Alex Scouten formerly of 3 Minutes of Hate began filling in as a session member. Alex had previously worked with STEMM, when then vocalist T.J. Frost was injured in 2006 and also was the original guitar player for STEMM when they reformed with a different line-up in 2003.
Later on Scouten replaced former guitarist Rich Spalla.
." Comparing the album itself not as a clone of the album, but as the way it represents them as a whole, saying "We just wanted to make a CD that would not pigeon hole us into a certain cliché sound. Let’s face it, Pantera made it on their live performances. While MTV was playing ‘Walk’ and ‘This Love’ us metal heads were cranking Fucking Hostile and Mouth for War." Blood Scent was released on November 11, 2008. In a press release by the UFC, the company stated that the song, "House of Cards" from Blood Scent would be used as the theme song for UFC Wired. The first single, "Awake" is accompanied by a video that was shot by GDM Video Production company.
(1998–Present)
Alex Scouten - guitar, beat box (1998–2000) (2007–Present)
Dan Nelligan - drums
(2003–Present)
Mario Nobilio - Bass (2011–Present)
Russ Martin - bass (1998–2003)
Jimi Penque - drums (1998–2003)
T.J. Frost - vocals (2003–2007)
Rich Spalla - guitar (2000–2008)
Stephen Crowl - bass (2003–2011)
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 hailing from Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They are currently signed to Catch 22 Records. STEMM's first concert was opening for major label recording artist 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...
.
STEMM is endorsed by ESP Guitars, Jagermeister and Mesa Boogie
Mesa Boogie
Mesa/Boogie is a company in Petaluma, California that makes amplifiers for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969....
.
They have won the Buffalo Music Award for Best Hardcore/Metal act in WNY for 3 consecutive years. (2001, 2002, & 2003)
Former vocalist Tom "T.J." Frost was the vocalist for Buffalo NY death metal
Death 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 Baphomet (later Banished). He also was a guitar tech for Chimaira and Ill Nino.
The early years
STEMM was formed in June 1998 by Joe Cafarella, Russ Martin and Jimi and Louis Penque. All the members had come from various other local acts. By December the band recorded a two song "promo" disc. Within four months' time, the album had sold well over 600 copies. Initially STEMM incorporated a hybrid of hardcoreHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
with rapcore
Rapcore
Rapcore is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with punk rock .-History:...
much like the band E.Town Concrete
E.Town Concrete
E.Town Concrete, or sometimes called E-Town, is an American rock band from Elizabeth, New Jersey. They formed in 1995 and shortly thereafter released Time 2 Shine, their first full-length album, in 1999 on the Resurrection A.D. label. They have since released four more albums on various record...
. These sounds were very prominent on their first EP, entitled Further Efforts
Further Efforts
Further Efforts is an EP recording from STEMM. Released in 1999 it was mainly sold at local music vendors and at the bands concerts. On the demo for the song "Control" a clip from the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood can be heard...
and also on their first independently released debut, entitled "Dead to Me" which was released in 2002. In July 2000, STEMM would announce the addition of second guitarist, Rich Spalla.
UFC and The Fight Network
In 2002, STEMM also signed a licensing deal with the UFC. STEMM's music has been incorporated in UFC television and live events since August 2002. Songs to date used by the UFC include, "Holding On", "Fallen", "Face the Pain" (which was used for the themeTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
song and is featured on the UFC 2009 Undisputed
UFC 2009 Undisputed
UFC 2009 Undisputed is a mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's Osaka and published by THQ. The game was released in the US on May 19, 2009, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3...
soundtrack), which have been used on every UFC pay-per-view since 2002 and The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...
. "Face the Pain" was also featured on the UFC compilation CD UFC Ultimate Beatdowns Volume 1 alongside such bands as Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
. STEMM more recently also signed a licensing deal to feature their music on Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television station The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
.
Transition
In late 2003 and through most of 2004, the bands line-up would change. Jimi Penque left STEMM, citing creative and musical differences. A few months later Louis Penque left STEMM due to family reasons. This provided the bridge for the merging of local BuffaloBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
metal act, 5 Years Gone and STEMM. 5 Years Gone drummer Dan Nelligan and vocalist T.J. Frost of 5 Years Gone began filling in, while STEMM guitarists returned the favor by replacing the two guitarists that had recently departed 5 Years Gone. After bassist Russ Martin was fired, STEMM and 5 Years Gone would be combined as one. The combination saw the band take a different direction musically. Because of this, the band as a whole do not recognize the previous incarnation of the band and even contemplated changing the name of the band, but decided to keep on as STEMM due in large part to the UFC having already spent money on promoting the band.
A new beginning
After reconfiguring the line-up, STEMM signed to ChimairaChimaira
Chimaira is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1998, the group is a notable member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology...
guitarist Rob Arnold
Rob Arnold
Rob Arnold is a member and lead guitarist of the metal band Chimaira. In an interview with Roadrunner Records, he named Kirk Hammett, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman and Kerry King as being influential to his playing style...
's management label, Triple M Management. With Arnold's help, the band recorded a 5 song EP entitled "5" in early 2004. On the song "13 Years", Chimaira vocalist Mark Hunter
Mark Hunter (musician)
Mark Hunter is the singer vocalist and one of the main songwriters for the heavy metal band Chimaira.-Chimaira:Hunter co-founded the band with original Chimaira guitarist Jason Hager...
did a guest appearance. The EP went on to sell over 1,000 copies in only a couple of months time. The band did local shows in support of the demo, opening for acts such as 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...
and touring nationwide with Chimaira and 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...
. STEMM would be the openers for Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
's "final" concert, as the next day, Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
would be murdered while onstage. They also opened for Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
artist Bleed The Sky
Bleed the Sky (band)
Bleed the Sky is an American groove metal band formed in Orange County, California in 2003. The band is currently signed to Nuclear Blast.-Formation and Paradigm in Entropy :...
at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go. T.J. Frost along with Joe Cafarella would provide guest vocals on the Bleed the Sky track "Division" as well. The band then participated in the 2005 installment of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is an annual festival held in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a weekend-long concert of heavy metal and hardcore bands along with a merchandising and promotional area for record labels and other vendors...
with other notable acts such as Soilwork
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork .Their sound is a fusion of the classic...
, Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene, and are one of the most integral pioneers of the melodic death metal genre of music....
and Mnemic
Mnemic
Mnemic is a Danish metal band, formed in Aalborg, Denmark in 1998. Their music has been described as a fusion between metalcore, melodic death metal, industrial metal and progressive metal, with additional elements of thrash metal and groove metal, to form a style the band themselves have...
. In November 2005, the band released their second full length album, entitled "Songs for the Incurable Heart
Songs for the Incurable Heart
Songs for the Incurable Heart is STEMM's second full length album originally released November 15, 2005. It was re-released on October 10, 2006 by major record label I Scream Records, who signed STEMM in 2006. The song "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a tribute song to the victims of the...
" independently. The album included four tracks from the previous demo, plus all new material, including a song that is a tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, which vocalist T.J. Frost survived entitled "The Day the Earth Stood Still" which clocks in at 9:11, in homage.
Finally signed
In August 2006, the band announced on their MySpaceMySpace
Myspace 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....
page that they had officially signed a record deal with I Scream Records to re-release their second album "Songs for the Incurable Heart." Though the contract was only to re-release "Songs for the Incurable Heart." STEMM continued for the next year opening for bands such as Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
and Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
. On July 30, 2007, STEMM announced that vocalist T.J. Frost had departed the band due to "personal issues." With his departure, back up vocalist and guitarist Joe Cafarella changed to full time vocal duty, while guitarist Alex Scouten formerly of 3 Minutes of Hate began filling in as a session member. Alex had previously worked with STEMM, when then vocalist T.J. Frost was injured in 2006 and also was the original guitar player for STEMM when they reformed with a different line-up in 2003.
Later on Scouten replaced former guitarist Rich Spalla.
Catch 22 and Blood Scent
After securing a solid line-up the band began working on new material for their third full-length album "Blood Scent". The song "Poopmouth" which was later renamed "Broken Face Masterpiece" for the album was featured in the May edition of Metal Edge Magazine on a CD sampler that accompanied the magazine. In early July it was announced the new album was completed, but it wouldn't be until mid-October before the track listing and artwork for the new album, "Blood Scent" was confirmed. In the same news, the band also revealed that they had signed with Catch 22 Records, a subsidiary of MVD Entertainment and that they would handle the release of the album. In the words of vocalist Joe Cafarella, the new album is their "Vulgar Display of PowerVulgar Display of Power
Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera. It was released through Atco Records, on February 25, 1992. It is the last album where Darrell Abbott is credited as "Diamond Darrell". One of the most influential groove metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of...
." Comparing the album itself not as a clone of the album, but as the way it represents them as a whole, saying "We just wanted to make a CD that would not pigeon hole us into a certain cliché sound. Let’s face it, Pantera made it on their live performances. While MTV was playing ‘Walk’ and ‘This Love’ us metal heads were cranking Fucking Hostile and Mouth for War." Blood Scent was released on November 11, 2008. In a press release by the UFC, the company stated that the song, "House of Cards" from Blood Scent would be used as the theme song for UFC Wired. The first single, "Awake" is accompanied by a video that was shot by GDM Video Production company.
Joining forces with Trans-Fusion Entertainment
In late 2008 Stemm finally found a booking agency who was able to get them outside a regional market. STEMM has been touring the United States in support of Blood Scent as the headlining act.Ride Or Die Tour 2009
In June 2009, STEMM announced they would headlining the Ride Or Die Tour with bands His Name Was Yesterday and Adakain.Current line-up
Joe Cafarella - vocals, guitarElectric guitar
An 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...
(1998–Present)
Alex Scouten - guitar, beat box (1998–2000) (2007–Present)
Dan Nelligan - drums
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 ....
(2003–Present)
Mario Nobilio - Bass (2011–Present)
Former members
Louis Penque - vocals (1998–2003)Russ Martin - bass (1998–2003)
Jimi Penque - drums (1998–2003)
T.J. Frost - vocals (2003–2007)
Rich Spalla - guitar (2000–2008)
Stephen Crowl - bass (2003–2011)
Discography
| Title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Further Efforts EP Further Efforts Further Efforts is an EP recording from STEMM. Released in 1999 it was mainly sold at local music vendors and at the bands concerts. On the demo for the song "Control" a clip from the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood can be heard... |
1999 1999 in music -Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia.... |
None |
| Dead to Me | 2000 2000 in music See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List.... |
None |
| 5 | 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
None |
| Songs for the Incurable Heart Songs for the Incurable Heart Songs for the Incurable Heart is STEMM's second full length album originally released November 15, 2005. It was re-released on October 10, 2006 by major record label I Scream Records, who signed STEMM in 2006. The song "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a tribute song to the victims of the... |
November 15, 2005 October 10, 2006 (re-release) |
I Scream Records |
| Blood Scent Blood Scent Blood Scent is STEMM's third full length album and first on new record label Catch 22 Records. It was released on November 11, 2008, almost exactly three years since their prior release, which was on November 15, 2005... |
November 11, 2008 | Catch 22 records |
| Crossroads | September 13, 2011 | Catch 22 records |
External links
- Metal ArchivesEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...
- Link