This Is Hell Bio

This is Hell have proved that they put the “strong” in Strong Island. Formed on the island in June of 2004, This is Hell have been through several incarnations, and emerged with a solid final lineup. Scraps And Heart Attacks former singer Travis Reilly, Long Island hardcore stalwart Rick Jimenez on guitars, and Dan Bourke on drums have recently added guitarist Chris Reynolds (who used to be in Scraps and Heart Attacks with Travis) and bassist Johnny Moore (who used to be in Subterfuge with Rick). Few bands start off with such a mountain of buzz, and This is Hell sold out all of the pressings of their first demo, quickly becoming known as a Long Island hardcore force to be reckoned with across the globe. Their long awaited debut EP on State of Mind recordings caught the eye of Trustkill Records in late 2005. Josh Grabelle, president of Trustkill, was blown away when he first saw them live. “Originally, I liked their work ethic, they were out there working really hard, doing things that a lot bands wouldn’t do without a bigger record deal, for example touring Europe and putting an EP out. When I went to see them, I got the amazing feeling that I used to get watching hardcore bands a really long time ago, something I haven’t felt in years. Travis’ stage presence was amazing, and I knew they had something. I approached them pretty much out of the blue and signed them.”

This is Hell released their Trustkill debut, Sundowning, in May of 2006, and the buzz volume doubled, with critical acclaim across the globe proved that all the praise wasn’t empty talk. The band received a profile in national punk tastemaker Alternative Press, and recent features in Kerrang and Metal Hammer. Rock Sound Magazine said of the album, “Caustic yet eloquent in their cathartic delivery, This Is Hell are a molten mix of hardcore influences that have erupted with force.” Extremely popular music webzine Decoy Music praised the band, saying “Sundowning, is a twenty-nine minute serving of floor-punching, ass-kicking hardcore goodness that has more than a hint of old-school flavor baked throughout…it’s a solid first brick in what could prove to be the road back to what hardcore has supposedly lost.” Sundowning emerged as a hardcore favorite of 2006 across the board; PunkNews.org listed it as one of their top albums of the year, and Myspace.com featured them on their homepage.

The band has been on tour relentlessly all year in support of Sundowning, playing to a diverse range of audiences, proving that they had the live stage prowess to back up all of the critical acclaim. In 2006, This is Hell went out with such heavy hitters as Bane, Strike Anywhere, Modern Life is War, Bayside, Comeback Kid, and Ignite, and they were selected to open for Glassjaw on several east coast dates of their reunion tour. They played dates on several huge tours, including Taste of Chaos with Deftones, Thrice, and Atreyu, Saints and Sinners with Bleeding Through, Every Time I Die, and Killswitch Engage, and Sounds of the Underground with As I Lay Dying, Trivium, and In Flames. This is Hell was recently in the UK playing arenas with Lost Prophets as well as a string of headline dates, and several shows with Hatebreed, Sick of it All and Alexisonfire. They just released their first video, for the song Polygraph Cheaters. The video was directed by acclaimed director Doug Spangenberg known for his work on the gold selling Lamb Of God DVD/Documentary Killadelphia and Skate & Surf DVD’s. This is Hell are going on tour with Poison the Well in February, and recording over the summer for a new album, so keep your eyes peeled, they will surely dominate 2007.