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Detroit, MI's Walls of Jericho weren't just noteworthy because they were a metalcore band with a screaming female on vocals. They are also worth remembering because they adeptly balanced old-school hardcore, thrash metal, and "chugga-chugga" metalcore with a ferocity and dedication unmatched by many of their contemporaries. Containing former members of the band Earthmover, Walls of Jericho came together in September of 1998 around Candace (vocals), Wes (drums), Chris (guitar), Aaron (bass), and Mike (guitar). They began playing shows soon after, supporting more established bands throughout the Midwest, like Buried Alive, Hatebreed, Racetraitor, Brother's Keeper, and Reach the Sky. Less than a year later, in April of 1999, the band issued a 7" EP through Underestimated, which was followed shortly thereafter by a CD EP containing that 7" and demo tracks, called A Day and a Thousand Years, which was released by European imprint Genet. A buzz eventually surrounded the band in the international hardcore scene as they continued to play shows in support of their EP releases, attracting the attention of both Ferret and Trustkill Records. Walls of Jericho signed a deal with the latter which resulted in the December, 1999 release of their debut full-length album, The Bound Feed the Gagged. The band hit the touring and hardcore festival circuit the following year. In August of 2000 they toured the United States in support of Syracuse, NY, straight-edgers Earth Crisis, melodic Swedish death metal band In Flames, and Oakland, CA's metallic Skinlab. After another spate of touring in 2001, Walls of Jericho lost their drummer to a bigger, more established band. Frustrated by their attempts to replace him, they decided to call it a day. ~ Ryan J. Downey, All Music Guide |
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