Society's Finest

Society's Finest is a Christian metal band from Dallas, Texas. Their first full-length album, The Journey...So Far, was released on Solid State Records in May 2000.[4] Due to member changes and personal matters the band took a break from touring and recording to focus on their personal lives. During this hiatus, vocalist Josh Ashworth toured with the Christian metal band Zao.

Society's Finest
OriginDallas, Texas, U.S.
GenresChristian metal,[1] hardcore metal,[2] metalcore[3]
Years active1997–2003, 2004-2011, 2014–present
LabelsSolid State, Pluto, Goodfellow, Hand of Hope, Alveran
Associated actsThe Famine, Zao, Demon Hunter
WebsiteSociety's Finest on Facebook
MembersJoshua Ashworth
Eli Bowser
Chad Wilburn
Past membersKris McCaddon
Tim Lambesis
Nick Nowell
Daniel Clark
Kevin Roddy
Lucas Laskaris
Guy Turner
Daniel Barton
Jaymz Alain
Pete Rose
Stephen Poole
Joel Bailey
Rob Pruett
Randal Watts
Jordan Brady
Pete Rose
Kane Kelly
Tyler Berry
David Cerezo
Jason Roe
Nick Sacy

When re-forming in 2004, the band joined Hand of Hope Records. With this label, they released Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word in mid-2004. It contained new songs, along with old songs from their debut EP, Private Conflicts and Suicides (Pluto Records). Their third album, And I, the Drunkard, was released in June 2006.

Vocalist Josh Ashworth is the only remaining original member. Past members have gone on to join other bands including As I Lay Dying, Demon Hunter, and The Famine.[5] The band has shared stages with P.O.D., Zao, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Stretch Arm Strong, Hatebreed, and Stavesacre.[6]

History

Society's Finest started in 1997 with the original members of Josh Ashworth (vocals), Rob Pruett (guitars), Kris McCaddon (guitars), Joel Bailey (bass), and Chad Wilburn (drums). The band recorded their debut EP, a split with My Spacecoaster, and their debut album, The Journey...So Far (released via Solid State Records) between 1998 and 2003.

The band reunited in 2004 with Ashworth, Bailey and multiple new members including Nick Nowell (guitars), Daniel Clark (guitars) and Stephen Poole (drums). The band recorded their second album, Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word, in 2004. Nowell and Poole left the band in 2006.

The band replaced Nowell and Poole with Guy Turner (guitars) and former drummer Chad Wilburn. However, in the process of writing, Wilburn quit. The band could not find a replacement, so they hired former Between the Buried and Me drummer Jason Roe. Roe recorded part of the album before they found a replacement, Jesse Smith, formerly of Zao.[7] Though Smith stated he never actually joined the band. And I, the Drunkard was released on Alveran Records in 2006. The band broke up for the second time in 2011.

With a whole new line-up, Ashworth reunited the band with Tyler Berry (guitars), David Cezero (bass), and Jason Roe in 2014, for a celebration of the life of former guitarist Randall Watts.[8] The band stated that they were currently writing for a new album,[8] but no further information has been released. In 2017, Ashworth did an interview claiming that the band now consisted only of himself and former guitarist Eli Bowser.[9]

Discography
Studio albums
Year Title Tracks
2000 The Journey...So Far[10][11]
  1. "1955" (2:48)
  2. "6 Seconds Left Until Daylight" (3:35)
  3. "Lucky 13" (2:08)
  4. "Kiss the Girls" (3:55)
  5. "Knife Fight" (5:30)
  6. "Monarch" (2:16)
  7. "7 Years of Momentum" (3:46)
  8. "Martial Reality" (3:09)
  9. "Following the Robertsons" (3:43)
  10. "Dead People" (3:18)
2004 Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word[12]
  • Label: Hand of Hope Records
  1. "Vanity and the Gun" (3:05)
  2. "Pop Culture in Houston" (2:55)
  3. "Ennis, TX" (2:45)
  4. "The Art... The Morgue" (2:46)
  5. "Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride" (3:41)
  6. "A Cold Winters Mourning" (4:44)
  7. "Eggshell" (3:25)
  8. "Journeyman" (3:32)
  9. "Zero-Nine-Three-Zero" (3:29)
2006 And I, the Drunkard[13][14]
  • Label: Alveran Records
  1. "NYC"
  2. "And I, the Drunkard"
  3. "Cutters, Oh Cutters"
  4. "One More Kiss"
  5. "Holland"
  6. "Sunday Prayer"
  7. "Goddess"
  8. "Fourth Floor Corpse"
  9. "Nebraska"
  10. "Dear, Rebecca Nurse"
  11. "Untitled"
  12. "Deadlightstrangers"

EPs

  • Private Conflicts and Suicides (2000)
  • The Difference Between Us (2001; split EP with Rise Over Run)
  • My Spacecoaster & Society's Finest (1998; split EP with My Spacecoaster)

Members
Current members[9]
Name Instrument Years Other groups
Josh Ashworth lead vocals 1997–2003, 2004–2011, 2014–present Zao
Eli Bowser guitar 2004–2011, 2016–present
Chad Wilburn drums 1997–2001, 2005–2011, 2017–present Mindrage, Living Sacrifice (live)
Former members
Name Instrument Years Other groups Notes
Kris McCaddon guitar 1997–2001 Demon Hunter, The Famine, Embodyment
Nick Nowell guitar 2004–2006 The Famine, The Monarch, Thorn vs. Side, Sunrise Cemetery
Tim Lambesis guitar 2000–2001 As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine released on parole since December 17, 2016 [15][16][17]
Joel Bailey bass guitar 1997–2003, 2004–2006 Sixpence None the Richer, The Kinetic Sense, Stir the Silence[18]
Rob Pruett guitar 1997–2000 The Kinetic Sense
Guy Turner guitar 2004–2011
James Allain drums 2001–2002
Daniel Barton bass guitar 2006–2011
Randall Watts guitar 2004–2005 deceased[8]
Stephen Poole drums 2004–2005 Inked in Blood, Imperial
Jordan Brady bass guitar 2014
Pete Rose bass guitar 2003
Daniel Clark guitar 2001–2003 The Kinetic Sense
Kane Kelly guitar 2000 Spy Glass Blue, die Strömms
David Cerezo bass guitar 2014–2016
Tyler Berry guitar 2014–2016
Jason Roe drums 2006, 2014–2016 Between the Buried and Me, Baring Teeth, Evelynn

References
  1. Gorto, Seth (November 11, 2006). "Society's Finest - And I, the Drunkards". Verbicide Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  2. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Society's Finest: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  3. Nick (July 26, 2006). "Society's Finest - And I, the Drunkard". Lambgoat. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  4. Gramlich, Chris (September 1, 2000). "Society's Finest – The Journey So Far". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  5. "Society's Finest on Metal Music Archives". Metal Music Archives. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  6. "Society's Finest biography". Sing365.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  7. deathbringer. "Society's Finest recruits ex-Zao drummer". Death Metal Underground. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  8. Houston, Rob (July 3, 2014). "Society's Finest reunite for Friend's Celebration of Life". HM Magazine.
  9. Beard, Mason (January 10, 2017). "Joshua Kabe Ashworth of Society's Finest". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  10. Rimmer, Mike (October 1, 2000). "The Journey...So Far review". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  11. Gramlich, Chris (September 1, 2000). "The Journey...So Far review (Exclaim!)". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  12. Stagg, David (2006) Society's Finest - Love, Murder, and a Three Letter Word at the Wayback Machine (archive index) HM Magazine. Retrieved on May 4, 2016.
  13. "And I, the Drunkards review". About.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  14. "And I, the Drunkards review (AllMusic)". AllMusic. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  15. "Tim Lambesis Reportedly Released From Prison". Loudwire.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  16. Legaspi, Althea (February 9, 2017). "As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis Released From Prison". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  17. "As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis released from prison". Alternative Press. February 9, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  18. "STIR THE SILENCE Announced New Bass guitarist". Blabbermouth.net. June 11, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  • Vasey, Karen (May 2000). "Society's Finest --- From Texas of Course" (83). HM Magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • McCready, Tim (September 2000). "Concert Review: Embodyment, Eso-Charis, Society's Finest" (45). HM Magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • Allen, David (September 2004). "Society's Finest" (109). HM Magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • Stagg, David (July 2006). "Society's Finest" (120). HM Magazine. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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