A Band Called Pain

A band called A BAND CALLED PAIN. Call this band what you will, but they cannot be called mediocre. This talented and musically tight foursome inflicts no pain on the ears or minds of listeners. In fact, their well crafted songs propelled by memorable riffs and lyrics, never fail to the capture the audiences' attention - allowing fans to forget about their own pain - even if only for a short while.

Since 2001, A BAND CALLED PAIN has been developing their muscular style and entertaining thousands. Allen Richardson (vocals), Shaun Bivens (guitar & b.g. vocals), Tony Providence (drums), and Bryan Dean, a.k.a Dark Kent (bass) form one of the best metal bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whichever end of the spectrum a rock connoisseurs taste my lie, ABCP's versatile style satisfies. From ballads to thrash, they do it all, and do it well.

Allen's extensive vocal range and heartfelt lyrics, perfectly compliment the brooding music created by the trio of seasoned musicians. Simply put, his onstage demeanor is dynamic - the perfect conduit for the pulsating live energy of the band. Shaun's aggressive guitar riffs, screaming chords, and passionate love of the music shine through in each song. One cannot keep their eyes off of him while he shreds out a solo. Imagine a mad scientist melding the styles of Jimi Hendrix and Zakk Wylde.

The ominous beats Tony powerfully pounds onto the drums keep heads banging and crowds dancing. From the sound of it, one could imagine him having an extra set of arms in order to play as complexly as he does. His unique custom 28-inch kick drum provides the larger than life visual and sonics that go hand in hand with the bands vibe.

Dark Kent's pocket oriented style and huge tone are the rivets on the track that keeps the train running smoothly. His barefooted playing style shows that he is grounded and at one with both the sound and the audience.

Call them brothers in spirit, cousins in life, and a family bonded by rock and roll. A BAND CALLED PAIN is fresh, new, kinetic, energetic, accomplished, unexpected, and really, really good.

A BAND CALLED PAIN has been very productive over the last six years and continues to work hard on their present projects. Their first CD, "Broken Dreams" was voted one of the top 10 best California releases of 2006 by Zero Magazine. One track from the album "Holy" was featured on the soundtrack to the hit horror film "SAW 2". A second track, "Hellbound" was played during an episode of Dane Cook's television series on HBO. The buzz began when Billy Steel, the former, but longtime DJ at local rock radio station 107.7 "The Bone? featured ABCP, on the popular show, "The Metal Zone". As quoted by the DJ, "I gotta tell you, your CD is the kind that goes into the CD player and stays there!"

A BAND CALLED PAIN has shared stages with great bands such as Living Colour, Mushroomhead, Prong, Shinedown, and many others. They've also played larger gigs such as the Talking House Productions Special Industry Showcase, which included performances by members of Metallica, Guns and Roses, Velvet Revolver and Linkin Park. Most recently, ABCP traveled to Austin, Texas to perform at the internationally renowned South by Southwest New Music Festival.