Stampin' Ground
Stampin’ Ground are a band from England who have long been seen to have the vision, dedication and perseverance required to take themselves to the peak of the international metal scene.
Arising from a joint hardcore / metal background, they have toured with the likes of Sepultura, The Haunted, Hatebreed and Biohazard; enabling them to reach a bigger market of both the hardcore and metal scenes combined. As one of the most threatening and active live bands around, they have earned a loyal, solid following and attracted a wealth of media attention in the process.
Their success is entirely due to two things, the power and aggression with which they imbue their music, and the ability to keep a sharp eye on their all-important song-writing appeal.
Stampin’ Ground’s latest masterpiece, ‘A New Darkness Upon Us’ (Oct ’03), sees the band continue to challenge the listener with its innovative metallic sounds, creating a cocktail of extreme heaviness and viciously infectious hooks that speaks to all fans of heavy music. Produced and engineered by Andy Sneap (Arch Enemy, Killswitch Engage, Testament, Machine Head etc.) the new album boasts one of the most convincing and massive production efforts to date; every riff and drum beat hitting home harder than ever and with more fury than any so-called rival.
Capitalising on the sound they’ve already built, Stampin’ Ground deliver twelve new tracks that transcend the barriers set by current trends. A gargantuan work of razor sharp focus that proves once and for all that the band’s formula of strong choruses, deadly hooks and head-crushing delivery is one that will propel them leagues ahead of the competition. From the offset, ‘A New Darkness Upon Us’ is a rollercoaster of an album that changes pace and experiments with delivery and dynamics until its raging conclusion.
The band’s previous album, ‘Carved From Empty Words’ (July ‘00), was internationally recognised as their breakthrough release, garnering them an incredible array of glowing reviews from the alternative press the world around. Awarded full marks and the enviable ‘Album of the Week’ accolade by the UK’s Kerrang! Magazine, as well as full marks in Metal Hammer, and ‘Album of the Month’ in Terrorizer, to point out the most notable, Stampin’ Ground had finally evolved from the underground; the classic opener and radio favourite ‘Officer Down’ recruiting thousands of fans the world over.
March 2001 saw the bands first stateside release, where ‘Carved From Empty Words’ emerged on the credible Thorp Records (under license from Century Media). Immediately upon its release it clocked up fantastic results on the majority of the U.S College & metal radio station playlists; in addition, they received airplay on speciality show radio on a number of commercial radio stations. Quick to capitalise on this, the band flew out there for a few festival appearances, namely Jack Koshnik’s Metal Meltdown festival in New Jersey, and the successful New England metal and hardcore festival in Worcester, Massachusetts. An East Coast tour coincided with these shows, the success of which was conveyed by the U.S media and kick-started the bands stateside cult status.
Formed in Cheltenham, England, in 1995, Stampin’ Ground are no strangers to hard work, and have since released an impressive back catalogue that illustrates both their staying power and their determination to climb the ranks to the top of their profession. Always more than willing to push back the boundaries, Stampin’ Ground were the first English band of their kind to tour in America; actually going Stateside in 1998 without even having an album released there, eager to find out whether their success in Europe could be applied to the U.S. Great reactions proved that it could. It then comes as no surprise that with each of the earlier albums, ‘Demons Run Amok’ and ‘An Expression Of Repressed Violence’, the band grew beyond label means; each release prompting a move to a more powerful and reliable home, presently Century Media Records.
Playing live has always been the bands biggest strength, the arena in which they prove time and time again that they are one of the most exciting and entertaining bands of their kind. Stampin’ Ground understand that audience participation is a fundamental factor in any ultimate gig experience, and frontman Adam Frakes-Sime is a master of his craft. Whilst he whips an audience to boiling point, the rest of the band energetically cover the stage, nailing their songs down with confidence and aggression. It’s with this approach to playing live that has gained them successful tours across Europe including Iceland, Spain and Greece, again, the first of their kind to do so. Soon enough their live reputation had generated enough impact internationally to be invited to play such prestigious European events as the Dour Festival (Belgium), With Full Force (Germany), Pressure Festival (Germany), Kerrang! K Fest (England), and more notably, a main stage appearance at the 2003 Download Festival at England’s Castle Donnington.
In an age where hype and industry politics produce bands of unworthy overnight success, Stampin’ Ground are the antidote; the backlash that proves once and for all that it is the extreme music fans themselves that decide who succeeds and who fails, and no one else.
Never has a band been more ready to step up to the next level of the game.
Stampin' Ground eventually called it a day in 2006, with several members going on to form Romeo Must Die.
On the 24th of February 2014 they were announced to be playing the 2014 UK leg of the Sonisphere festival. The reformed line-up consists of Adam Frakes-Sime, Scott Atkins, Ben Frost, Paul Fletcher and Neil Hutton.
Discography:
‘Stampin’ Ground’ MCD -1996 (We Bite)
‘Demons Run Amok’ - 1997 (We Bite)
‘An Expression Of Repressed Violence’ – 1998 (Kingfisher / Century Media)
‘Carved From Empty Words’ -2000 (Century Media)
‘A New Darkness Upon Us’ – 2003 (Century Media)
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