American progressive metal band
The Contortionist
The Contortionist performing in 2014
Also known as At the Hands of Machines (2007–2008) Origin Indianapolis , Indiana , U.S.Genres Years active 2007–present Labels Members
Robby Baca
Joey Baca
Cameron Maynard
Michael Lessard
Eric Guenther
Jordan Eberhardt
Past members
Jake Morris
Dave Hoffman
Jonathan Carpenter
Christopher Tilley
Website facebook.com/thecontortionist
The Contortionist is an American progressive metal band from Indianapolis , Indiana . Formed in 2007, the band consists of guitarists Robby Baca and Cameron Maynard, drummer Joey Baca, vocalist Mike Lessard, bassist Jordan Eberhardt, and keyboardist Eric Guenther. They have released four studio albums and three EPs. The band signed with eOne Music and Good Fight Entertainment in early 2010.[ 1]
Hoffman departed the band in early 2010 and was replaced by Jonathan Carpenter. Not too long after Carpenter's arrival, The Contortionist began work on their debut album, Exoplanet . Exoplanet was released on August 31, 2010 through Good Fight Entertainment . The album's sound continued the progressive metal/deathcore sound heard on Apparition , with lyrics exploring themes such as space and interstellar travel. Several of the album's songs are reworked songs from Apparition , featuring new lyrics written by Carpenter with slightly different musical passages. The band's second album, Intrinsic , was released on July 17, 2012. A month before the album's release, the Contortionist released their first music video for the song "Holomovement." The sound of Intrinsic differed from previous releases; the album still contained elements of deathcore, but had a greater focus on melody and atmosphere.[ 2]
Mike Lessard of Last Chance to Reason took over vocal duties for upcoming shows until the band found a permanent replacement. Mike Lessard commented on filling in for Carpenter:
"I'm happy to be helping my friends in the Contortionist for the next few months on tour as a temporary vocalist. I'll be returning to my duties in Last Chance to Reason once these dates are finished in May. I look forward to seeing a bunch of new and familiar faces in the months to come."
[ 3]
On June 21, 2013, the Contortionist announced via their Facebook page that Mike Lessard was officially their new vocalist.
The Contortionist in 2012 On April 23, 2014, the Contortionist announced via Facebook the completion of recording their third full-length album. The album was produced by Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me , He Is Legend , the Human Abstract , among many others).[ 4]
The band released their fourth album, entitled Clairvoyant , on September 15, 2017.[ 5] This album featured a softer sound, with predominantly clean vocals.
On August 9, 2019, the band released the EP Our Bones . The EP features two new full-length songs, an ambient interlude, and a cover of "1979 ", originally by The Smashing Pumpkins .[ 6]
Musical style and influences [ edit ] The Contortionist's musical style has been described as progressive metal [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] and progressive rock .[ 10] The band's early work showed one-time experiments in other metal genres outside their primary sound; their second EP Apparition has been described as deathcore .[ 8] [ 9] [ 11] Robby Baca has stated that his influences include Planet X , Pat Metheny , Meshuggah , Allan Holdsworth , Between the Buried and Me , Dream Theater , The Dear Hunter , Textures , Deftones ,[ 12] Gojira , and Animosity .[ 13] Former member Jonathan Carpenter also stated that his personal influences include Dream Theater and ambient composer Brian Eno .[ 14] Other influences include Rush , Isis , and Cynic .[ 15]
Robby Baca – guitars (2007–present) ; bass (2014) ; keyboards (2007–2014)
Joey Baca – drums (2007–present)
Cameron Maynard – guitars (2007–present)
Michael Lessard – vocals (2013–present) (of Last Chance to Reason )
Eric Guenther – keyboards (2014–present)
Jordan Eberhardt – bass (2014–present) (formerly of Scale the Summit )
Jake Morris – vocals (2007–2008)
Dave Hoffman – vocals, keyboards (2008–2010) (Ishia, ex-Boreworm,[ 16] [ 17] ex-Into the Silence, ex-Wounded Knee)
Jonathan Carpenter – vocals, keyboards (2010–2013) (Foreign Waves)[ 18]
Christopher Tilley – bass (2007–2014)
Year
Song
Album
2012
"Holomovement"[ 24]
Intrinsic
"Causality"[ 25]
2014
"Language I: Intuition"[ 26]
Language
"Primordial Sound"[ 27]
2017
"Reimagined"[ 28]
Clairvoyant
"Absolve"[ 29]
"Return to Earth"[ 30]
2019
"Early Grave"[ 31]
Our Bones
Year
Song
Director
2012
"Causality"
"Dreaming Schematics"
2014
"Language I: Intuition"
Corey Norman
"Primordial Sound"
2015
"The Parable" (Rediscovered)
Erez Bader[ 32]
"Language" (Rediscovered)
"Primordial Sound" (Rediscovered)
"The Source" (Rediscovered)
2017
"Reimagined"
"Return to Earth"
2019
"Early Grave"
2020
"1979"
Michael Lessard[ 33]
2022
"Primal Directive" (live)
This Is Where It Ends Tour – All Shall Perish , Carnifex , Fleshgod Apocalypse , Conducting from the Grave , The Contortionist
To Catch a Predatour – The Acacia Strain , The Red Chord , Terror , GAZA , The Contortionist
The Summer Slaughter Survivors Tour – Conducting from the Grave, The Contortionist, Scale the Summit , Volumes , Structures , Rings of Saturn
Intrinsic Tour – The Contortionist, Jeff Loomis , Chimp Spanner , 7 Horns 7 Eyes
2012 Co-Headliner – Born of Osiris , Unearth , The Contortionist, Obey the Brave , Wolves at the Gate
Frak the Gods Tour – Periphery , The Human Abstract , Textures , The Contortionist
MetalSucks Tour – The Contortionist, Revocation , Fallujah , Toothgrinder
The Coma Ecliptic Tour – Between the Buried and Me , Animals as Leaders , The Contortionist
The Good Fight North American Tour – The Contortionist, Within the Ruins , I Declare War , Reflections , City in the Sea
European Tour – Protest the Hero , The Faceless , The Contortionist, Destrage
The Divinity of Purpose Tour – Hatebreed , Shadows Fall , Dying Fetus , The Contortionist
Future Sequence Tour – Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, The Contortionist, The Safety Fire
Escape From the Studio Tour – Periphery, The Contortionist, Intervals , Toothgrinder
Traced in Constellations Tour – Sleepmakeswaves , The Contortionist, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving
Fall 2014 Tour – The Contortionist, Intervals, Polyphia
2015 North America Tour – The Contortionist, Chon , Auras
Polaris North America Tour – Tesseract , The Contortionist, ERRA , Skyharbor
Polaris United Kingdom Tour – Tesseract, The Contortionist, Nordic Giants
2016 North America Tour – The Contortionist, Monuments , Entheos , Sleepmakeswaves
The Mothership Tour – Dance Gavin Dance , The Contortionist, Hail the Sun , Good Tiger, The White Noise
European Unrest Tour – Periphery, The Contortionist, Destrage
The Sonic Unrest Part II Tour – Periphery, The Contortionist, Norma Jean , Infinity Shred
Colors 10th Anniversary Tour – Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist, Polyphia, Toothgrinder
The Stories We Tell Ourselves Tour – Nothing More , The Contortionist, Big Story, Kirra
The Clairvoyant Tour – The Contortionist, Silent Planet , Skyharbor, Strawberry Girls , Sikth, AlithiA
The Reimagined Tour – The Contortionist, Intervals
Animals as Leaders 10 Year Anniversary Tour – Animals as Leaders, The Contortionist
Performing Language and Exoplanet in Their Entireties - The Contortionist, Rivers of Nihil
^ "Good Fight Music" . Good Fight Music. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .
^ Jacob Royal. "The Contortionist: Intrinsic - Sputnikmusic - Staff review" . Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 20, 2013 .
^ "The Contortionist Part Ways With Vocalist & Keyboardist Jonathan Carpenter" . Heavy Blog Is heavy. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .
^ "The Contortionist Enter The Studio For New Album" . March 20, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2014 .
^ Calder Hannan (September 13, 2017). "The Contortionist – Clairvoyant" . The Progressive Aspect. Retrieved September 25, 2017 .
^ Leon T.K. (August 16, 2019). "EP Review: THE CONTORTIONIST Our Bones" . Metal Injection. Retrieved September 11, 2019 .
^ Monger, James Christopher. "The Contortionist" . AllMusic . Retrieved April 15, 2015 .
^ a b Falzon, Denise (July 17, 2012). "The Contortionist" . Exclaim! . Retrieved April 15, 2015 .
^ a b Colwell, Matthew (July 17, 2012). "The Contortionist - Intrinsic" . Alternative Press . Retrieved April 15, 2015 .
^ "Progressive Rock Unit THE CONTORTIONIST to Celebrate 10 Years of 'Exoplanet' Album with an Exclusive Livestream Event June 26th" . June 8, 2021.
^ Colwell, Matthew (February 24, 2012). "In The Studio: The Contortionist" . Alternative Press . Retrieved April 15, 2015 .
^ "Interview: The Contortionist" . Mind Equals Blown. October 21, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .
^ Gomez, Adrian (May 6, 2011). "Indy metal band blazes its own trail" . Interview. Albuquerque Journal : 47. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022 .
^ Bell, Robert (July 19, 2012). "Friday To-Do: The Contortionist" . Arkansas Times. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .
^ "The Contortionist Bio | The Contortionist Career" . MTV. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2013 .
^ "Boreworm Add Ex-The Contortionist Vocalist | The Circle Pit" . Thecirclepit.com . Retrieved October 10, 2020 .
^ "BOREWORM Unleashes Pulverizing New Single "Vile Husk" Through Metal Injection" . Carcosapr.com . Retrieved October 10, 2020 .
^ "NEWS: Jonathan Carpenter (Ex-The Contortionist) Teases New Music - It Djents" . www.itdjents.com . Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2022 .
^ "The Contortionist Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Eldridge Industries . Retrieved December 12, 2018 .
^ "The Contortionist Chart History (Independent Albums)" . Billboard . Eldridge Industries . Retrieved December 12, 2018 .
^ "The Contortionist Chart History (Top Rock Albums)" . Billboard . Eldridge Industries . Retrieved December 12, 2018 .
^ "The Contortionist Chart History (Hard Rock Albums)" . Billboard . Eldridge Industries . Retrieved December 12, 2018 .
^ "The Contortionist– Retrospective: Live From Atlanta" . Discogs . Retrieved July 28, 2023 .
^ "EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: THE CONTORTIONIST'S "HOLOMOVEMENT" SONG + LYRIC VIDEO!" . Metal Sucks . June 11, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2021 .
^ "THE CONTORTIONIST - 'Causality' Video Released" . BraveWords . July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ Neilstein, Vince (July 15, 2014). "Drop What You're Doing and Listen to the New Contortionist Single Right Now!" . Metal Sucks . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ "Exclusive Track Premiere: The Contortionist, "Primordial Sound" " . Metal Sucks . September 2, 2014. Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ DiVita, Joe (June 6, 2017). "The Contortionist Detail New Album, Release 'Reimagined' Video" . Loudwire . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ "Listen to the Contortionist's Opeth-Esque New Song" . Revolver . July 21, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2023 .
^ Kielty, Martin (August 25, 2017). "The Contortionist premiere Return To Earth video" . Prog . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ DiVita, Joe (June 25, 2019). "The Contortionist Drop New Song 'Early Grave' + Announce EP" . Loudwire . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
^ wookubus (December 1, 2015). "The Contortionist 'Rediscover' Four Songs For "Language" Reissue, Debut New Version Of "The Parable" " . theprp.com . Retrieved March 14, 2016 .
^ Hadusek, Jon (February 20, 2020). "The Contortionist Unveil Video for Cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" " . Consequence . Retrieved July 2, 2022 .
International National Artists