He Is Legend

North Carolina rock act He Is Legend are renowned for being much of what inspires them, a cult classic. The band formed in 2000, as its members were graduating from high school in Wilmington, North Carolina. Singer Schuylar Croom, lead guitarist Adam Tanbouz, rhythm guitarist McKenzie Bell, bassist Matt Williams, and drummer Steven Bache cycled through a variety of band names and musical approaches before establishing themselves as He Is Legend. After a self-released demo, A Kiss That Killed the One We Love (No One Wins), the band signed with the small indie label Tribunal Records to release their first EP, 91025, in the summer of 2004. Shortly after, He Is Legend signed with the more established Solid State Records to release their critically acclaimed full-length debut, I Am Hollywood, later the same year. After a two-year break, He Is Legend returned with their second full-length, Suck Out the Poison, in the fall of 2006. In May 2009 the band issued the single “The Primarily Blues,” in anticipation of the release of their third studio long-player It Hates You. By the end of that summer, the band had gone on an indefinite hiatus. In February 2014, they dropped “Something Witchy,” the first single from their next full-length, Heavy Fruit, which arrived later that August via Tragic Hero. Few, the band’s entirely crowd-funded fifth long-player, followed in April 2017 after the band signed with Spinefarm Records.

Greyhaven’s debut full-length, Cult America, was released in 2014 and has since enjoyed a steady increase in revarance from fans and critics alike. On Cult America, Greyhaven came close to achieving the sound they’ve sought since beginning their careers in music. With four more years of creative maturity in hand, the members of Greyhaven – Brent Mills (Vocals), Johnny Muench (Bass), Nick Spencer (Guitar) and Ethan Spray (Drums) – were able to precisely pinpoint their intentions on Empty Black, resulting in a collection of songs that brings to fruition their vision of a rock record that could withstand the test of time. At the core of Empty Black is the theme of universal struggle, both on a macro and micro level, best exemplified by the cyclical nature of the opioid crisis or our dependency on oil. Government maintains a volatile control over an international drug trade that causes the decimation of small town communities across America and an oil economy that is destroying the environment. As these epidemics spread, government involvement becomes more lucrative, increasing their incentive to grow their roles in these industries. Here we find one of the many meanings for the title, Empty Black, as the term conjures images of both gasoline and heroin.