Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group is signed to Artery Recordings and have released two EPs and two full-length albums.
Chelsea Grin was originally formed by Alex Koehler and former band mates. The band's first members were Koehler, guitarist Chris Kilbourn, bassist Austin Marticorena and lead guitarist Michael Stafford. Marticorena introduced Andrew Carlston to Chelsea Grin and assisted in rewriting their songs as well as the creation of new material. This writing process lead to the tracks on their first release, a self-titled EP that was streamed and released online through iTunes, then released in Compact Disc format worldwide on July 27, 2008. The band released the songs "Crewcabanger" and "Lifeless" as singles, both of which were received well by listening audiences on Myspace.
Signing to Artery Recordings (2008—2009)
Following the release and success of the self-titled EP in July 2008, the signing to Statik Factory Records, and a few small successful west coast tours, Austin Marticorena (bass) left the band for personal reasons. The band recruited Jake Harmond to temporarily fill in on bass while the band found a permanent member. Not long after this, the band ousted drummer Andrew Carlston, and Kory Shilling took his place, as well as Davis Pugh taking over the full-time bass player position. In April 2009, original drummer, Carlston returned to the band, replacing Shilling, and guitar player, and original member, Chris Kilbourn left the band to start his own record label, Matchless Records. Shortly thereafter, Jake Harmond once again filled in for the band, this time as substitute rhythm guitar player.
Soon after the band started to write the follow-up to the self-titled EP, they decided to take a new route and switch Davis Pugh from being bassist into being a third guitar player after David Flinn joined the band as bassist. The band then was added to a small, week long Canadian run in June 2009 with The Agonist, A Plea for Purging, Arsonists Get All the Girls and Statik Factory labelmates, Attila. After the successful tour, fill-in guitar player Jaek Harmond decided to become a full-time member, and the band joined into a contract with Artery Foundation representatives, Mike Milford and Eric Rushing whom then booked studio time for Chelsea Grin to record their debut full-length, Desolation of Eden at Lambesis Studios in San Marcos, California during August 2009. The album was produced by As I Lay Dying vocalist and studio founder, Tim Lambesis. One week prior to heading into the studio, guitar player Davis Pugh was kicked out of the band, and was replaced with ex-bandmate of Jake Harmond; Dan Jones, of another local Salt Lake City band, Hermione. Whilst in the studio the band inked a deal with Artery Recordings, a label that was imprinted between The Artery Foundation and Razor & Tie.
Desolation of Eden (2009—2010)
After recording their debut record, Desolation of Eden, the band embarked on their first full US tour featuring Dr. Acula, American Me, and Attila. Desolation of Eden was released on February 16, 2010 and reached number 21 on The Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart selling 1,500 copies its first week. With the success of their debut, the band was afterwards featured and praised in Alternative Press, Utah newspapers and many other magazines nationwide and worldwide.
In August 2010, while the band was in Richmond, Virginia on the Thrash and Burn tour, vocalist Alex Koehler received a serious injury to his jaw, having it fractured in three places, which required the band to drop off its final week. Koehler was rushed from the venue to receive surgery. Despite this, the band still carried out their two-week tour with Blind Witness and Attila on during September 2010, which had Koehler substituted with Adam Warren of Oceano.
One song that debuted on the band's self-titled EP; "Cheyne Stokes", was re-recorded for Desolation of Eden. The album has also peaked at 24 on the Billboard New Artists Chart. There are currently two music videos from the record, "Sonnet of the Wretched" and "Recreant". The music video for "Sonnet of the Wretched" was filmed on June 4, 2010 as the band headlined a sold-out show at The Boardwalk in Orangvale, CA, the video was then released on July 7, 2010. In 2010, while on tour with Iwrestledabearonce, Eyes Set to Kill, The Chariot and Vanna, the band recorded a music video for the single "Recreant" on a recording set held in Northern California, the video debuted January 13, 2011 on Metal Injection. Chelsea Grin confirmed Chris "Zeuss" Harris as the chosen producer for the recording of their follow-up album to My Damnation, and would enter the studio for its recording by January 13, 2011.
My Damnation (2010-2011)
Chelsea Grin finished writing and recording their second full-length album in June 2011, where the title for it was revealed as being My Damnation. It was released the following month on July 19, 2011. On April 17 Artery Recordings released the title track as the album's lead single off the album, having a music video produced for it weeks later. The song "All Hail The Fallen King" featuring Phil Bozeman, vocalist of Whitechapel, also premiered before the record's release.
Chelsea Grin toured in-support of the album with Emmure and Attila before being included on the All Stars Tour, which featured those same bands and many others such as After the Burial, Born of Osiris and Motionless in White.
Evolve (2011-2012)
Chelsea Grin played the entire Warped Tour 2012. At the same time of the Warped Tour announcement, plans for releasing a 5-song EP were confirmed. During December of the year, lead guitarist, Michael Stafford left the band. Born of Osiris (and former All Shall Perish) guitarist, Jason Richardson took up Stafford's position until further notice. Stafford explained that he could not bear touring any more along with other reasons for the