Artist description This former Los Angeles area band, known as XL & D.B.D., is a straight to the point, no holds barred, live Christian music experience. Their 1993 release "Sodom and America" on Word/Epic Records typifies their "sounds like Rage Against the Machine meets Living Color" musical reputation, and helped open the door for the musical style that is frequently now called "rapcore'. The band's members have performed nationwide and have enjoyed "top 10" chart success in hard markets like Detroit, New York and Texas.

Music Style Rapcore's pioneers venture into many genres

Similar Artists The Crucified, Deliverance, Living Color, Payable On Death, Rage Against the Machine

Artist History XL and Death Before Dishonor were rapcore pioneers. They have evolved to a point where they now perform a variety of music styles. The band has transplanted to the Midwest to escape the madness and the lifestyles they once lived. They continue to mix the rap, rhythm and soul of their heritage with the hard-hitting lessons of their life experiences. Theirs is a message that is positive and insightful, full of the type of grit that only comes from those who have been there and lived to tell about it. A performance from these survivors portrays the blunt emotion of men from the street writing music for people who are still living on the street and trying to get over. They also form the core of "Psalt" - a contemporary worship and praise band.

Group Members Todd 'XL' Stevens: Lead Guitars/Songwriter. Well known in southern California recording studios, XL has toured with acts as diverse as LA Guns, KRS-I, Boogie Down Productions, and DC Talk. His studio time includes tracking with Oz Fox of Stryper, Bryan J of Keel, B.B. Dickerson of War, Adam Again, Gospel Gangstas, Jimmy Brown of Deliverance, Mark Salomon of the Crucified/Stavesacre, and Greg Minier of the Crucified. He's performed live with Soldiers For Christ (SFC), the Dynamic Twins, the Crucified, Applehead, Mortal and Peace 586, just to name a few. This flexibility in styles fuels the D.B.D. sound as XL serves as the band's primary songwriter. Eric Stevens: Bass guitar. A blues/jazz natural, Eric anchor's the bands sound by infusing the music with hooks and punches beyond those typically used in rock genres. He has toured with XL & D.B.D., Vaya Con, and the praise band Psalt. He has performance experiences that include venues such as Cornerstone Festival in Illinois and New Earth (formerly The Coffee House) in Kansas City. His socially aware lyrics serve to pinpoint the ills of a society bent on oppression. Listen closely, and Eric will give you a reality check - or several of them all at once. Tony Stevens: Drums/Percussion. A percussion educator and performer steeped in percussion traditions ranging from the Nigerian Udu to the Celtic Bodhran, Tony brings the hard drive to the modern drum kit for XL & D.B.D. His stage experiences include opening spots for War, Mike Stand of the Altar Boys, and the Violet Burning, his African drumming for Karen Donaldson and the Kuumba Dancers, solo accompaniments for African story teller Eshu Bompus, and percussion work with Deb Marquart and the Bone People, only to name a few. He has lectured and performed at colleges and universities for a number of years.

Albums Sodom and America (1993), Live From Ninevah... What Next (2002).

Press Reviews XL & D.B.D.'s 1993 album Sodom and America: If you like the secular group Living Colour, then this is an album to check out. XL & Death Before Dishonor have created an exciting, aggressive Rap/Rock/Hip-Hop/Thrash/Punk album that you might find if you mixed up Mike-E, D.C. Talk, and One Bad Pig. The album's pace is great, blending heavy bass with harsh electric guitars. It mixes tunes emphasizing each of these influences into a hard hitting experience that seems to last much longer than the 41 minute playing time. The lyrics are hard hitting, aggressive, and even militant, matching the musical style perfectly. There's quite a topical diversity as well. There are songs addressing street life and others addressing the Christian faith. The message is urgent, easy to understand, militant at times, slightly violent in spots, but positive on the whole. Unlike most recordings in this genre, XL & DBD avoid getting stuck in the darkness. There are a couple dark songs, but for the most part, they present a path to the light, making this a surprisingly uplifting album in comparison. (source: Roger Appelinski, Copyright ©1993 THE LIGHTHOUSE)

Additional Info See MP3.Com's HEARTH and PSALT pages for additional XL & D.B.D. projects.

Location Ames, IA - USA

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