Painstake

Painstake began in 1993 as a hardcore straight edge band. The band played in small clubs in their hometown of Denver, Colorado. In 1994-1995, Uprising Records signed the band to a two-album deal, with which they released Consecrate and Don't Condemn This Dying. After the release of the album entitled Consecrate the band severed ties with Adam Tymn (Vaux), who was replaced by Carl Kumpe. Painstake went on to record the second of their two albums Don't Condemn This Dying.

The band broke up in late 1990s, and reformed in 2006, receiving a "Best Comeback" accolade in "Westword" magazine's 2006 "Best of Denver" issue. The band officially went on hiatus in March, 2008.

History

Painstake's original 1993 line up was made up of Jason Andrade (Denver's Four)-guitar, Max Michieli-vocals, Adam Tymn-drums, and Alvaro Warden-guitar. Andrade soon left the band to continue duty as Denver's Four's drummer. After debuting without a bass player at a small club in Colorado Springs with Buffalo, New York's seminal metalcore act Snapcase, Warden quit the band because he was disappointed with the band's performance. Andrade, who was in the audience with Samual McGibbon, saw potential in the band and rejoined the band, asking McGibbon, to join as a guitarist as well. McGibbon accepted the offer. Soon after Tymn asked an acquaintance, Thom Gann, of Indiana-based hardcore band WarCry to join as the band's bass player. With this line up the band set out composing several songs which would eventually be featured on their debut LP.

Gann had a friend in Indiana that ran a small label with whom he shared the band's recently recorded demo in 1994. The friend, impressed with the demo, asked the band to appear on a benefit compilation record titled, Ceremony of Fire, which featured several bands in the contemporary hardcore genre, including Syracuse, New York's straight edge band Earth Crisis. The album was meant to raise money for a militant animal rights activist. The band's appearance on this album led to the misconception that the band was a militant straight edge band. Although the members of the group identified with the straight edge movement, they did not want to be assocoated with militancy. The band's participation on this compilation directly led to the band's two record deal with Uprising Records. When the deal was signed, recording of the debut album commenced.

Following the release of their debut album in 1995, Painstake played several local gigs as well as out of state gigs in Arizona, Utah and North Carolina, together with many hardcore acts including 108, Converge, Damnation A.D., Coalesce. At this stage, turmoil within the band led to the departure of Adam Tymn, the band's original drummer and founding member. Tymn went on to form another band, Vaux. The band replaced Tymn with Carl Kumpe.

With Kumpe, the band set out on their one and only tour throughout the midwest and east coast. The tour was plagued with problems and was cut short by vehicle issues. During their travels the band began to realize that their participation on the militant animal rights compilation specifically, and their alliance with the straight edge movement generally, as well as several incidents of violence at their shows, led to an air of negativity that came to surround the band's name. The band made the joint decision to shed their straight edge label. Many of the members remained straight edge and never denounced the movement, but stopped presenting themselves as a straight edge band.

In 1996 the band re-entered the studio to record its second LP Don't Condemn this Dying for Uprising subsidiary Rise Records. The album was marred by muddy sound as the band was forced to self-produce the album with little in the way of resources, assistance or technical knowledge.

Michieli decided to leave the band for personal reasons. After this, the remaining members decided to break up the band.

2000s and Reformation

In 2006, Andrade contacted the former members to reform the band. All members except Michieli agreed, and the band reformed under the same name, but opted to play only new material. Jamie Van Lannen took Michieli's place as vocalist, but was unable to continue due to his school schedule. The band held tryouts for a vocalist and chose Andon Guenther. Andrade, bringing much new material to the band, served as the key writer in the final incarnation of the band. The members planned on recording the new material, releasing the material themselves. After several shows and the recording of a heretofore unreleased demo, disagreements regarding direction led to Andrade's departure in mid-2007. The band continued until March, 2008, when the remaining members of the unit mutually agreed to place "Painstake" on hiatus. No further reunion is planned.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Consecrate (1995)
• Don't Condemn This Dying (1999)

References

1. 1 2 "Painstake". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 19, 2002. 
2. 1 2 3 "PAINSTAKE". Myspace. 
3. 1 2 James Mayo. "Staking Their Pain". Westword.