Age of Ruin

Often compared to At the Gates and In Flames, Age of Ruin has frequently been described as a "melodic death metal band." In other words, they have embraced certain aspects of death metal -- dark, disturbing lyrics and choked, larynx-shredding, evil-sounding growls -- but they are far from the sort of pure, straight-up grindcore one associates with the early recordings of Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Carcass, or Cancer. While true grindcore is amelodic and is played at an insanely fast tempo, Age of Ruin plays at different tempos and is relatively melodic; some of Age of Ruin's recordings have been as vocally extreme as Cannibal Corpse or Carcass, but musically, they aren't far removed from a thrash metal band such as Megadeth, Anthrax, or Exodus. Many of Age of Ruin's guitar riffs wouldn't be out of place on one of Testament's early albums.

Age of Ruin was formed in Fairfax, VA (a Washington, D.C., suburb) in 1998; the band's original lineup consisted of Derrick Kozerka on lead vocals, Daniel Fleming (formerly of the bands Jonas and Days Lost) on guitar, Christopher Fleming on bass, and Patrick Owens on drums. After circulating a demo called The Opium Dead in 1999, Age of Ruin recorded their first official full-length album, Black Sands of the Hourglass, in 2000 and put it out themselves. In 2002, Age of Ruin added guitarist Brian Kerley (formerly of Carved in Stone) to the lineup and went for a five-man, two-guitar attack; that edition of Age of Ruin recorded the EP Autumn Lanterns for Tribunal Records. In 2003, the Baltimore-based DFF label put out an Age of Ruin EP titled The Longest Winter Woes, and it was also in 2003 that the band recorded an unlikely remake of Bon Jovi's '80s pop-metal hit "You Give Love a Bad Name," which Tribunal added to Black Sands of the Hourglass when they reissued that album in early 2004.

Along the way, Age of Ruin has had some lineup changes. After The Longest Winter Woes, drummer Owens left the band and was replaced by Colin Kercz (formerly of the Maryland bands Haddonfield and Longshot). When Chris Fleming took off in 2003, he was replaced by bassist Joe Scheibel. And when singer Kozerka left in January 2004, he was replaced by Ben Swan (who had been a member of the band Samadhi). With Kozerka's departure, Daniel Fleming was the only person remaining from Age of Ruin's original 1998 lineup. Once Daniel Fleming left the band in 2004, the band consisting of all new members started going by the name "The Ruin". Early 2004 found Age of Ruin signed to Eulogy Recordings (a small label based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and working on a full-length album titled The Tides of Tragedy.

In 2003, after playing local shows, Age of Ruin was considered a torchbearer for the Washington D.C. hardcore scene. Blending melodic metalcore and mosh with hard rock, the band pushed originality and difference on the scene. After LP and EP releases on Tribunal Records and a number of substantial lineup changes, Age of Ruin released their most defining record to date, "The Tides of Tragedy" via Eulogy Records (Alveran Records in Europe) in the spring of 2004. The band drew large crowds across the United States on the Van's Warped Tour 2004 , and the hype continued to build. Subsequent tours with bands such as Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour, The Bled, Sworn Enemy, Good Clean Fun and Anterrabae continued to cause an already strong following to grow. In Winter 2006, Age of Ruin kicked off the year with their first European tour, a 25 day tour crossing 12 countries. Sharing the stage with other mainstream acts such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Bleeding Through, and Most Precious Blood .

In 2008, the original lineup of Age of Ruin minus Patrick Owens (who was replaced by Aaron Sirott on drums) got back together and recorded / released "One Thousand Needles" on Eulogy records.

After a two years hiatus, "The Ruin" released a new song called "Cancerous" at the end of 2010.

Lineup

• Daniel Fleming - guitar (1998-2004, 2008-current)
• Christopher Fleming - bass guitar (1998-2003, 2008-current)
• Derrick Kozerka - vocals (1998-2004, 2008-current)
• Patrick Owens - drums (1998-2003)

"The Ruin" Lineup

• Benjamin Swan - vocals (2004-)
• Brian Kerley - guitars (2002-)
• David Haik - drums (2004-)
• Ryan Haik - guitars (2004-)
• Joseph Scheibel - bass (2003-)

Former members

• Colin Kercz - drums (2003-2004)
• Aaron Sirott - drums (2007-2008)
• Joel Hansen - guitar (2007-2008)

Discography

• "The Opium Dead" (EP) (Darkmoonempire Records, 1999)
• "Black Sands of the Hourglass" (Tribunal Records, 2001)
• "Autumn Lanterns" (EP) (Tribunal Records, 2002)
• "Longest Winter Woes" (EP) (Tribunal Records, 2003)
• "Black Sands of the Hourglass(re-release)" (Tribunal Records, 2004)
• "The Tides of Tragedy" (Eulogy Records, 2004)
• "Live Music Series: Age of Ruin" (Aloha Productions, 2006)reference
• "One Thousand Needles" (Eulogy Records, 2008)

Track listings

'"Autumn Lanterns"' (EP) (Tribunal Records, 2002)

• 1. Tainted Ghost Catharsis
• 2. No Kiss Cuts as Deep
• 3. Hung Upon the Weakest Branch
• 4. Glowing Embers
• 5. Water to Wine, Blood to Ink

'"Longest Winters Woes"' (EP) (DFF Records, 2003)

• 1. The Harlequin's Kiss
• 2. The Silver Tongues
• 3. Dimmer
• 4. Passage of the Winter's Woes
• 5. The Crimson Fails Forever
• 6. Bleed For Better Days

'"Black Sands of the Hourglass" (re-release)' (LP) (Tribunal Records, 2004)

• 1. Footsteps In the Catacombs of Yesterday
• 2. The Crimson Fails Forever
• 3. Shadows Cast In Candlelight
• 4. Terror
• 5. Cracks In the Mirror
• 6. Blacksunrise
• 7. Angel Dusted Dreamlock
• 8. Withered Rose
• 9. Echoes In Stained Glass
• 10. The Icarus Syndrome
• 11. You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi cover)

'"The Tides Of Tragedy"' (LP) (Eulogy Records, 2004)

• 1. Dawn
• 2. Yesterday's Ghost
• 3. Truest Flame
• 4. Elapse
• 5. No Kiss Cuts As Deep
• 6. Diaries Of The Dead
• 7. Serengeti
• 8. Bluest Eyes In Blackest Hearts
• 9. Sirens Passage
• 10. Glowing Embers
• 11. Yours To Bury
• 12. A Portrait Of Solemn Seas

'"Live Music Series: Beyond Warped"' (EP) (Aloha Records, 2007)

• 1. Bluest Eyes in Blackest Hearts
• 2. Yesterday's Ghost
• 3. No Kiss Cuts As Deep
• 4. Bleed For Better Days
• 5. Truest Flame

External links

• Age of Ruin's Official Myspace