From the cover of Alternative Press to a supporting slot on Linkin Park's 2008 North American arena tour, CHIODOS has knocked the music world on its collective ear with the arrival of BONE PALACE BALLET (Equal Vision Records). Full Bio

Craig Owens - Vocals

Matt Goddard - Bass

Brad Bell - Keyboards/Vocals

Derrick Frost - Drums

Jason Hale - Guitars

Pat McManaman - Guitars

From the cover of Alternative Press to a supporting slot on Linkin
Park's 2008 North American arena tour, CHIODOS has knocked the music
world on its collective ear with the arrival of BONE PALACE BALLET
(Equal Vision Records). With a stunning #5 Billboard debut last
September, the sophomore disc by the cutting edge Michigan sextet
affirms what loyal devotees of the group have known all along: CHIODOS
is inexorable.

Touted by the aforementioned Alternative Press as both "an
arresting piece of post-modern musical art" and "a frighteningly mighty
album of exhilarating musicianship and inspired lyrical introspection
that plays out like an evening at some glorious experimental-hardcore
cabaret," CHIODOS' dramatic charms are on full display with the lush,
keenly orchestrated BONE PALACE BALLET.

Be it the goth-tinged wallop of first single and video "Lexington (Joey
Pea-Pot with a Monkey Face)" or the roaring "Bulls Make Money, Bears
Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered," the sextet- -consisting of vocalist
CRAIG OWENS, bassist MATT GODDARD, keyboardist/vocalist BRAD BELL,
drummer DERRICK FROST and guitarists JASON HALE and PAT
McMANAMAN- -makes brilliant post-hardcore music that sounds innovative
and feels the pain of everyone.

But that's not to say the follow up to 2005's fan-cherished
200,000-selling All's Well That Ends Well came effortlessly. "We were
feeling pressure," keyboardist BRAD BELL explains. "We went into the
studio with tons of song ideas, but some of the songs we had weren't
entirely completed. And that was a challenge and it was a little bit
intimidating."

"There was one point where we didn't keep one of the deadlines we had
been given, and a lot of 'What ifs' started to bubble up," GODDARD
concedes. "I think every band, no matter who they are, is afraid of
that second record. It can make or break you. So we couldn't help but
feel nervous."

But staying true to their vision and counting on the guidance of
producer Casey Bates (Gatsby's American Dream, Portugal The Man) paid
off. Tracks like the crushing, oft-maniacal "Teeth The Size Of Piano
Keys" and the melodic, single-worthy "A Letter From Janelle" not only
took shape, but also brought the band into a new realm. "Casey helped
us sift through the ideas and make the songs the absolute best they
could be," Bell asserts. "We couldn't be happier with what we've done.
I think it's a record we can definitely be proud of and build from."

Anchored by virtuosic lead singer CRAIG OWENS, the CHIODOS frontman
possesses a wide vocal range that's evidenced by his performance on the
invigorating, cabaret-laced "Is It Progression if a Cannibal Uses a
Fork?" OWENS' onstage persona is as stellar as it is unsettling,
bolstered by the wordsmith's deeply poetic lyrics (BONE PALACE BALLET
takes its name from a collection of Chuck Bukowski poems) and the
singer's ability to careen from a pitch-perfect melody to a
blood-gurgling rant (see "If I Cut My Hair, Hawaii Will Sink").

And perhaps it's that widely eclectic formula and agility in switching
sonic gears that allows CHIODOS to maintain an audience as diverse as
the music they make. The group's incendiary live shows at varied venues
and events- -from the world famous Vans Warped and Taste of Chaos Tours
to the Bamboozle Festival - -have reaped them an ever-bulging fan base
drawn to their distinct fusion of emo, classic rock, hardcore, and
progressive metal.

"I think our fans get something from our music that they can't find
in other bands," BRAD says of CHIODOS' loyal following. "We're a little
different from what people are used to." To which MATT adds, "We are
very blessed. The dedication that our fans, or the Chiodos Army as we
call them, have toward us is phenomenal. It's exciting to see them get
so stoked about something that we've created."

 

Whether it's OWENS taking his nightly walk across the top of the
crowd- -as he did on the band's Fall '07 sold-out headlining trek- -or
guitarist PAT McMANAMAN diving from the balconies of assorted venues,
the fear that a member of the band might fall and break a limb has been
alleviated by the complete and utter trust CHIODOS has in its fans.
After all, the rock & roll acrobatics are all part of the group's
ultimate goal: to give CHIODOS fans a performance that will stay with
them. "We're giving our fans an experience, a memory," BRAD explains.
"So if Craig goes walking Hide Bio