Artist description "A four piece that plays like a twelve. Well-organized noise that pauses fleetingly for melody, all cemented by some of the hardest and craziest drumming this side of the Mississippi.

Music Style progressive post hardcore

Musical Influences Botch, Neurosis, Radiohead, Isis, Fugazi, Refused, Tool, Cave In

Similar Artists Botch, Cave In, Tool, Recover, At The Drive In, Deftones, Thursday, Thrice, Queens of the Stone Age, Refused

Artist History Forstella Ford began recording and touring in 1997, while 3/4 of its members were still in high school and barely old enough to drive. While they've gone through some changes (i.e. a name change in 1998), one thing that hasn't changed is their work ethic -- one that has proven to be too much to handle for so many bands. In the handful of years that have passed, the band has accomplished a lot. Three (soon to be four) full length records have been released, as well as several 7" and compilation appearances. Nearly 400 shows have been played throughout the US and Europe, with many more soon to come.

Group Members Mark Sheppard: guitar, vocals. Dan Yingling: guitar. Nick Sheppard: bass, vocals. Kevin Demars: drums.

Instruments guitars (2), bass, drums, keyboards, various electronics, and lots of pedals

Albums Well Versed in Deception CD/LP (One Day Savior), Quietus CD/LP (Level Plane), Quietus CD (European pressing on Scene Police), Dismal State of the Art CD/LP (Flower Violence), split LP with Life Detecting Coffins (Level Plane), Insincerity Down to an Artform (Mountain), Relics of an Unseen Life CD (the First Time Records)

Press Reviews Quietus? Anything but. Oh okay, it does have it's moments of melodic sparkle, and bassy lulls in the power but on the whole this an album of heavy and intricate hardcore that covers so many bases that it's a bastard to pin down in mere words alone. Forstella Ford are definitely a band that are continually pushing their sound forward, and on 'Quietus' they've found a new niche of hardcore that's melodic and crushing, sung and screamed, labyrinthine and grooving all at once. There are so many contrasts and dynamic tempo-changes on here that as you listen you wonder just how a band begins to write stuff like this, never mind rehearse it to the point that you're tight as hell too. Vocally, this is way more melodic and controlled than anything they have done in the past, the majority of this is sung (and sung well) but still breaks into the moments of chaotic heaviness with screamed insanity. Of course all this means that' Quietus' is an album that demands perseverence, it doesn't offer up many instant gems on initial plays and in fact at times threatens to get a little too mathy for it's own good, as you struggle to follow the thread of a song. But if you have dark desires for hardcore music that fucks up the rules and spirals into new depths then go out and get this record. - Fracture ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quietus, the third full-length by these Milwaukeeans, represents innovation at its best. Forstella Ford's ability to write creative and complex musical arrangements only enhances their appeal as a band that's not afraid to write challenging songs, both to them as musicians and to us as listeners. The outcome is not only a new album but also a musical experience. It's difficult to categorize Forstella Ford's sound. Four musicians (three of which share vocal duties) weld a plethora of different styles and genres together to form the songs on Quietus. The lighter parts remind me of the fragile instrumentations that A Minor Forest craft so well, yet Forstella Ford's natural impulses lie more on the aggressive side. Though three singers contribute vocally, ranging from soft raspy singing to unrelenting shouts, a considerable amount of the band's sound concentrates on the instrumental part of their songs, seemingly flirting with and tugging at melodies. The songs drift through parts that balance and stumble between quiet, padded manipulations of guitars and heavy eruptions of aggression and bottled-up emotion. One word sums up my intake of Quietus: refreshing. The album flows. The production is clean. Forstella Ford's passion in writing, creating, and producing originality is unquestionably first priority for the outfit and for their audience. They are definitely a band worth checking out, and Quietus is an album deserving a listen. - Manatee Bound (Ken Hawk) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Milwaukee's underground darlings Forstella Ford unleash their third full-length, and first for NYC's fledgling Level Plane label, Quietus, recorded with renowned producer Ed Rose (the Casket Lottery, Coalesce, Kill Creek). Quietus retains Forstella Ford's penchant for the contrasting dynamics of melodic indie rock dissonance and the chaotic noise of the post-hardcore scene, tempered with the occasional metal dalliance, but rocks with an energy lacking on previous efforts. Chaos contrasted with beauty is not a new musical battle by any means, but one that Forstella Ford excels at, knowing when to freak out, when to rock out and when to drop out. "Tell-Tale Signs and Sure-Fire Ways," "Summary Treatment" and "The Act of Disappointing Someone" are standouts on this excellent album, which also employs the odd electronic segue or strictly melodic break to give breadth to its ceaseless conflict of styles. Unquestionably their best sounding release, sporting excellent performances and their best-written material, Quietus is another step in the Forstella Ford legacy. - Exclaim (Chris Gramlich) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sometimes the worst thing about hearing new music at the beginning of a new year is knowing that it was released the prior year and I can't rave about it. Clearly, Quietus would have had a spot on my top-10 list for 2001. This is such a fantastic album, such a perfect blending of emo and hardcore and energetic, driving rock, that it deserves such a mention. Milwaukee, Wisc.'s Forstella Ford started out their career sounding more akin to Braid but have done what every band should do: develop their own sound. The fury and power of today's Forstella Ford is the furthest thing from Braid. More akin to a hardcore outfit like Shotmaker or Yaphet Kotto, only with the restraint and melodic guitar elements of your favorite power-emo band and vocals that can go from sung (with attitude, mind you) to shouted in an instant, "Future Perfect Tense" starts out with driving rhythm but a more restrained pace comparatively. The driving guitars and sung vocals break into pounding rhythms and shouts and back with effortless grace. The screamed out "For all intents and purposes" to kick off "Tell-Tale Signs and Sure-Fire Ways" alert you that things get heavier, yet they also get quieter, as the band breaks into more subtle moments here of drums and bass and quiet before exploding with all-out screams and pounding rhythm and wailing guitar. I am such a sucker for bands that do that well, and Forstella Ford do. What gets me about this band is that they're not your all-out power-chord and scream hardcore outfit. More talented than that, it's the pure rock you can hear - instead of the assault of noise you can't - that make them so good. As on "Irrational and Repenting," there's some fantastic guitar and sung vocals, as Mark Sheppard sings "The precision with which you look right through me - it's as though you second guess the present tense. Should I just sit here and be content? The night was over before it began." One of my favorite songs for the sheer urgency and for the stellar guitar work, "Summary Treatment" may be the most "emo" of the band's songs, with its melodic, moody breakdowns and powerful delivery. The band's seven-minute re-work of "Dying on Our Own Terms," which appeared on a split 12", shows off their originality. Moments of electronics over mumbled spoken words, guitars and drums meandering in and out, make up a long and swirling interlude to this fast, powerful song that shows the band at their heaviest. The album closer, "Mercurian Harmonium," similarly runs over six minutes and runs from bass-driven rock with sung vocals to faster and all-out energy, although it is one of the more restrained songs on the album. I must have listened to Quietus a hundred times before starting to review it. It's the kind of album that's worth putting on repeat and blasting the whole way through repeatedly. The way the band flows, from urgent and powerful to moody and quiet doesn't just stand out in one song but throughout the flow of the album itself. Put this band up there along with your favorite hardcore/emo bands; they've deserved a spot. - Delusions of Adequacy (Jeff) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I just saw Forstella Ford a few weeks ago and they were really good. I almost bought the CD but I was low on cash and wanted to eat after the show. Now I get a copy to review so I am pretty happy because this CD is pretty good. These dudes must have spent a long time practicing to become this tight and write such interesting songs. Their songs incorporate mellow spacey parts, heavy rhythmic parts, chaotic out of control progressive rock parts and everything in between or all at once. The vocals are singy most of the time, but aren't too whiny, and the screamy vocals are cool too. Forstella Ford are a band that's hard to describe because, while they draw influences from various subgenres, they're doing something inventive and creative. This band's on tour for a while so you should all check them out, and I'm not just saying that beause they are nice guys (which they all seemed to be) but because they're a hard working finely tuned oiled up rock unit that should not be overlooked. Killer production. - Heartattack (Adi Tejada) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Three things you can always expect from Forstella Ford : Sincerity, Passion, and Creativity. All three of these elements were captured yet again in the release of their third full length effort 'Quietus' pronounced (kwi e' 'tes). Forstella Ford might as well be known as the pioneers, of what we now know as Screamo, but Forstella can't be just thrown into that genre or any genre for that matter because they are the epitimy of Originality. After all the records that Forstella has put out, it's evident that every single time they release another one they almost "re-invent" themselves while still remaining the band we all know and love. Building on the success of their previous records Forstella manages to eclipse the emotions, beauty and chaos of these previous records while still emphasizing that passion and sincerity they are known for. Nine brand new beautifully structured tracks and a re-recording version of 'Dying On Our Own Terms' (from their split 12' with Life Detecting Coffins) that completely surpasses the original recording. As almost all of Forstella's songs incorporate a wide range of styles, it's no surprise that Forstella Ford appeal to many different walks of life around the globe. As long as you love passionate and dedicated musicians, who can create incredible works of musical art, you will enjoy this record imensely. The encasing of this record as all of Forstella's records do, looks absolutely amazing, Marty Defatte always seems to know how to blow my mind. - Sharpshooter (Brian) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I saw these guys in Fort Wayne not too long ago with Dead Letter Auction. What can I say? They rocked my face off. Real decent and original emo core-ish stuff--though these guys are way too good to be pigeonholed by such a label. Super tight and energetic. This is heavy sing/scream music that actually manages to sound fresh, a welcome relief from the barrage of stagnant crap I've been getting over the past couple months. My only complaint is that the drummer, who plays harder than just about anyone I've ever seen, nearly overpowers the band in volume and intensity most of the time. But that's nitpicking. Get this and study it carefully. Emo is dead, and its conqueror is...Forstella Ford. ROCK - Action Attack Helicopter (Jeremiah Wade) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have a feeling I've heard of Forstella Ford before, though I'm not quite sure. This is actually their third full length record, and it shows. All of the songs are complex, though not so dense that they didn't grab me with the first listen. The band hails from Milwaukee, and it definitely has a tough upper midwestern indie rock feel. It reminds me a bit of a more thoughtful Small Brown Bike, or a mor angry version of the Casket Lottery. The recording was done by Ed Rose, and the sound is both clean and fitting for the band. The songs themselves vary a lot in style, and even vary in length from under a minute to almost seven minutes. All of this, combined with the linear and well thought out song structures makes this record a lot more of a ride than your average indie rock record. The drumming especially is very indicative of a few of the more angular Chicagoland bands. But as a whole combines a lot of elements of a few Touch and Go bands, or more than a couple Dischord bands. But they also have a tendency for more melodic moments, though tey're sometimes hidden within each song, rather than being the focal point of the whole thing. The entire project from the songwriting to the execution, to the production and the artwork all reek of having taken a lot of time. Perhaps Forstella Ford have really come into their own on this record, or maybe their first two efforts were this good and I've been missing out. My favorite track is probably "Irrational and Repeating," though none of the tracks really out shine the rest of the record. Hopefully I'm not the only one turned onto Forstella Ford with the release of "Quietus." - The New Scheme (Stuart Anderson)

Additional Info West Coast US tour w/ THE SLEEPING in December & January

Location Milwaukee, WI - USA

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