Black Bell

Black Bell (pr.noun) - A powerhouse of catchy hooks, solid melody, soaring leads, and infectious metal tinged grooves. "Tempered ferocity" may sound like a contradiction in terms but it is, in fact the defining characteristic for Black Bell. Self dubbed as "High Contrast rock," Black Bell employs multiple layers of sonic texturing for a mature sound that is simultaneoulsy catchy and melodic, and dark and heavy. Ash Biggs and Mike Loudenback have been the primary creative force driving Black Bell's song writing since its' inception in late 2009. The duo began together in 2008 on Stillfire's "Here Lies the Wounded" (produced by Jared Knowland). Following the completion of that album in 2009, Biggs and Loudenback began Black Bell as a side project with (ex Stillfire drummer) Aaron Brown. With the writing of 7 new songs, Black Bell released their first official recording, the acoustic EP "The Truth of Silence." During the recording process, Loudenback and Biggs spent a great deal of time honing and refining their creative process as a song writing team. Biggs and Loudenback cut themselves from the same vein as some of history's greatest song writing duos in rock: Hettfield/ Hammett; Kennedy/ Tremonti; Lennon/McCartney; Staley/ Cantrell ...It all comes down to the interaction between two functioning guitarists who play off one another's ideas in order to build complexity and cross the barrier between musical accessibility to the mainstream, and accessibility and interest from other musicians. While promoting the release of TOS, Black Bell recruited (ex Stillfire bassist) Gavin Ward for live shows. The foursome was a featured band for several shows sponsored by Rockstar, and eventually made it onto a live podcast on KBVR, Corvallis, as well as the Live, Loud, and Local National Tour in Portland, OR. in 2011, BB began production work on the second installment of their legacy, the aptly titled, "The Inevitable Decline." TID proved itself to be a long hard process during which Aaron Brown and Gavin Ward left the band, to pursue other ends. The future of Black Bell was uncertain but Loudenback and Biggs worked witn all resolve to see the completion of TID. Late during the recording process, Jared Tillford was recruited for his skills on keyboards and piano, adding a nice touch of beauty and ambience to the bedrock of riffs and distortion. 2013 saw the completion of 14 songs to be mixed and edited by Stillfire producer, Jared Knowland. While waiting for the final product, Black Bell recruited (ex-Applaud the Villain bassist) Luke Martyn and (ex Grynch drummer) Tobby Lugo to fill in as live musicians. The two were instrumental in helping Black Bell to get out on the road again (contributing to their photographic representation in the album art); However due to differences in writing styles and creativity, Martyn and Lugo bowed out to pursue projects that better suited and complimented them. After their departure, Black Bell recruited (friend and producer) Jared Knowland on drums, finally cementing the band's core line up. "The Inevitable Decline" was [for long time fans of the band] a highly anticipated release in June of 2014. It has been widely acclaimed by both local musicians/ artists and by family, friends, and fans alike. While not exclusively fatalistic, "The Inevitable Decline" offers honest and soulful lyrics that deal with isolation, suffering, addiction, forgiveness, self doubt, and the struggle to keep faith alive in a world where faith is tested more than it is rewarded. An emotionally charged live performance makes Black Bell one of Eugene’s many risings stars. Combining classic, modern, and progressive influences with pop sensibilities and a brutal guitar attack, Black Bell sets themselves apart as a musical force to be reckoned with. Black Bell is currently booking for fall/2014 and winter/2014-15. Black Bell employs a high octane stage show that stretches across dynamic barriers like burning bridges.