Artist description Music to Be Reborn To

Music Style Melodic grooves coalesced with raw, destructive emotion.

Musical Influences Tool, Meshuggah, Deftones, Soilent Green

Similar Artists Deftones, Soilent Green

Artist History For Birth of Tragedy, creating a paradigm of emotional assault and atmospheric tribal grooves combined with cerebral vocals seems to be the only way out of a genre so tired of the regurgitation of itself, something entirely new must be born… Two individuals who grew up surrounded by cornfields and taverns attempt to overcome a system and create a new reality. Brought together by their interest in extreme music, Cory Divine and Ryan Peterson have reincarnated themselves through their instruments and words. After playing together in various bands, the two realized that music could be much more than catchy riffs and angst-ridden lyrics. Inspired by their love of music and a strong desire to separate themselves from the norm, they decided it was time to be born again... Birth of Tragedy is a band. Being a two-piece band at a time when as many as nine guys grace the stage for other groups may be seen by some as a futile effort. However, it is this fewness in number that has drawn national attention to the duo. With the recent success of the two person punk act the White Stripes, many have suggested the potential impact a band of a heavier caliber could have. Where most heavy bands seem to be following the more is better philosophy, the collective audience Birth of Tragedy has played to has become entranced and amazed at the intensity and stage presence only two individuals can convey. Listen to the record, witness the live show; it is one that will not soon be forgotten… Divine’s thick, brutal guitar sound and razor to the throat vocals combined with Peterson’s atmospherically powerful percussion have amazed people all over the world. Influenced by a variety of music styles, Birth of Tragedy re-define their sound with every song they write. Birth of Tragedy is an idea. The idea that through self-expression, true freedom can be experienced. freedom from the confines of every day life. Freedom to express frustration, anger, love, hate, and fear. Freedom to find beauty where others see death. It is also the idea that every moment brings new life. For the past three years Birth of Tragedy has built an amazing following by playing clubs such as The Rave in Milwaukee, First Avenue in Minneapolis, The Annex in Madison, among many others. Sharing the stage with national acts such as the Buzzhorn, Vision of Disorder, Primer 55, and many more has won them a spot at the heart of the Mid-West’s premier rock spectrum. By winning the Isthmus Battle of the Bands in December of 2001, they received regional attention beating out 31 other worthy candidates and gaining a nomination to play at the NXNE showcase festival held in Toronto, Canada. Regional media including the Wisconsin State Journal as well as the leading rock station in Wisconsin, (WJJO) has recognized the potential of Birth of Tragedy by inviting them to be a part compilation CD’s, interviews, and showcase articles. By releasing their second album “The I and it’s Systems”, to a capacity crowd of 500 people at the Annex in Madison recently, Birth of Tragedy is proving that the momentum has only just begun…

Group Members Cory Divine (vocals, Guitars)Ryan Peterson(Percussion)

Instruments Vocal Manipulations, Percussion, guitars

Albums The I and It's Systems (9/20/02) Samsara (10/15/00)

Press Reviews You may already know Birth of Tragedy as the local two-piece that sound like a six-piece, or as the metalcore messiahs who blew away the competition in the first Isthmus Band to Band Combat polls. As impressive as BoT’s earlier recordings were, this four-song mini-album represents a quantum leap forward in terms of both composition and production, with the boys (guitarist/vocalist Cory Divine and drum-punisher Ryan Peterson) stretching out into expansive new territories that transcend the restrictive parameters of "metal." Which is not at all to say the duo have tempered the volcanic force they wield. Indeed, they harness that force with expert control, but have learned the value of judiciousness in the when and the why of releasing their pent-up aggression. The highlight of The I is "The Sting Is Animation," a nine-minute power-suite that rivals the mighty Tool in its brilliant phrasing and use of thunderous dynamics. The song begins with a John Bonham-style drum beat and a simple, prog-leaning guitar figure, then advances into a staccato rhythm, Divine breathily intoning, "These senses kill/And I’m still breaking." The song crescendos, then, suddenly, the dam gates open and a fury of sound is unbound. Like a great short film, "The Sting Is Animation" takes the listener on an emotional journey — a sonic thrill-ride that demands to be experienced again and again. The same can be said of the EP’s final track, "Trance God." Its folky opening bars explode into a massive wave of metallic majesty that overwhelms any resistance one might try to put up. It’s metal as metal ought to be: progressive, intelligent and unyielding in its purpose. I’d like to go on record as calling this four-song mini-album one of the most impressive things I’ve ever heard from a Madison band. And I grow more impressed with every listen. Birth of Tragedy have developed into a band of world-class ability, and deserve the opportunity to succeed on an international scale. Re-Birth of Tragedy Madison’s two-piece metal band returns with a vengeance Ask around: The biggest challenge in putting a band together these days is finding a good bass player. There just aren’t enough of them to go around. That’s what Cory Divine and Ryan Peterson found when they joined up to create Birth of Tragedy. After playing together in a couple of short-lived bands, the two set out on their own a couple years ago to pursue a mutual interest in heavier, more experimental platforms. Finding a bass player that fit the program proved elusive, however, so the duo simply took to the stage without one. Since that time, BoT have developed into one of Madison’s most intriguing underground-metal forces. Now, two-piece bands are not unheard of — the White Stripes, Local H, Cash Audio and Madison’s Electric Automatic come to mind. Alternate tunings and amplification techniques have been developed that allow a single guitarist to fill the sonic and textural roles normally filled by two or more players. But it’s still rare, especially in the dynamically demanding realm of metal, where more guitars — not fewer — is usually the rule. So when Birth of Tragedy emerged from a five-month layoff at a recent Annex gig, they were out to prove that two skilled musicians can lay the smack down with all the open-throttled intensity of a full-sized band. And prove it they did. To call Peterson’s reverb-enhanced battery "thunderous" would be like calling Gilbert Brown "heavy." The drummer gave himself a workout that would stop the heart of a weaker man. Divine, his shirtless frame hunched menacingly over a microphone, worked his down-tuned, heavy-gauge strings with both rhythmic fervor and remarkable nuance. This was a double-barreled onslaught that raised the hairs on the back of one’s neck, all the more so for the incongruity between the band’s hugeness of sound and fewness in number. This was also the emergence of a more fully dimensioned Birth of Tragedy. Their new eponymous CD, recorded at Coney Island and mastered at Sleepless Nights, is startling evidence of the duo’s evolving maturity. Whereas rabid blasts of metallic violence might have sufficed at the beginning, Divine and Peterson now mesh their fury with well-constructed melodic and, at times, atmospheric textures. Bands like Bolt Thrower, Godflesh and Tool come to mind as BoT slash and burn through seven tracks of primal male catharsis. "This kind of feels like our first show ever," offers Divine, summing up the duo’s coming of age. "It feels like we’re ready to present what Birth of Tragedy really is." People like to throw around the term "thinking person’s metal" to signify those who elevate heavy rock to a supposedly higher plane. I’m not so sure that metal as a whole deserves that kind of dis, but there’s little doubt that BoT’s technically venturesome, sonically dominant music demands the attention of the discerning rocker. By Al Ritchie Badger Herald - Tuesday, November 30, 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------"This Thanksgiving weekend was, for many, a time to be with loved one, unwind and pay homage to things for which we are grateful. And although some would argue it never left, it is the eminent return of metal, not food or family for which I am most thankful. Sure, we've got Neurosis, Helmet, Deftones and such - but on the local level I hadn't really seen anything exclusively metal and impressive in a long while, or perhaps ever. So when Begin the End's CD release party at O'Cayz Corral on Saturday came around, there was no real choice but to go see how things sound these days. First, it must be said that it takes a good band to almost entirely redeem a genre of music I had left by the wayside. Second, to have two band do it on the same night is nothing short of a miracle. Begin the End and opening band Birth of Tragedy did just that. The latter is an unbelievably thick-sounding duo made up of a guitarist/vocalist and a drummer. At first listen, you'd swear you were listening to a full band. That's how solid they were. It was no frills, non-stop, in-your-face growl and guitar played over some of the most intense drums Madison has to offer. The second band, Under the Surface, was not so lucky, as their too-polished-to-be-appreciated-live set performed sans a real drummer got under the skins of more than a few bar-goers. A little after midnight, Begin the End took the stage and drew in the good-sized crowd that would mosh, sing along (or scream, as it were) and give as good as they got for the duration of the show. The set consisted of songs off the cleverly titled new album, Decompositions, which were played in the order in which they appear on the record. From the outset, the band's technical ability was noticeable. Drummer James Alexander, clad only in a pair shorts, showed his years of experience by not only playing fast - but playing well. Rounding out the rhythm section was bassist Allan O'Connor who gave the band much of its depth in sound. Guitarist Christopher Schultz deliberately played his Jackson guitar, a brand which is practically issued to any metal guitarist. Finally, there is front-person Aaron Miller. He successfully made transitions from growl to whisper to chant - sometimes within one song - all the while demonstrating boundless energy and an in-your-face stage presence. At the end of the show the band thanked an exhausted, sweaty crowd. All in all, it was most fruitful evening for Madison music. Be sure to check out Birth of Tragedy and Begin the End in the future, and look for Decompositions in stores. Band like these just might help bring real music back into the limelight."

Location Madison, WI - USA

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