Changes: Burnward

Revision as of 00:10, 6 March 2019

Burnward (originally known as Spyder) was an American nu metal band originating in Aztec, New Mexico. The band has released three albums and an EP throughout the late-90s and early-2000s. In spite of this, they were unable to find any everlasting success and folded in 2003.

Background

The members never revealed their names to the public, and interviews with them are rare; details are scant but have been confirmed by members of acts they've performed with. The band originated following a discussion between three of the members. They obtained the remainder of their roster after doing a show in the Midwest. In spite of their place of origin, none of the members are natives to New Mexico; two are natives to Canadian regions (namely Alberta and British Columbia) while the remainder came from the the East Central States. Under the name Spyder, they rose to prominence in Aztec, New Mexico and acquired the second half of a duplex they were renting as a personal headquarters. The band featured two vocalists, a lead and rhythm guitarist, a bassist, a drummer and formally a keyboardist/sampler)

The band were notable, in that they became famous at a relatively young age (each member was around 15-16 years old at the time). Because of their age, they were unable to perform shows at certain venues and lacked help from an older figure to help clear out contractual obligations. A majority of their earlier shows were performed at high schools throughout Western America and at beaches along the west coast, with their biggest show at the time taking place in Carson City, Nevada. In 1997, Ceri Mott, one of the members, was killed at her home. The band reluctantly agreed to continue and the death molded a much darker sound for them. They changed their name to Burnward soon after and continued as a sextet.

Due to a lack of management, the band were able to maintain strong creative freedom and were able to gear out material on a yearly basis. Following a performance with Nickelback in 1999, the band considered hunting for record deals. Around this time, they caught the eye of reps from Republic Records and Portrait Records. The band went with Portrait after they gave them a more flattering deal.

During their time with Portrait, their second album received a re-release and two singles came out of it. Both managed to chart and the album did well commercially. During its release period, the band had a brief tour with Kittie, Spike 1000 and OTEP to promote the album, and they later turned up at Ozzfest in 2001. A second album was released the same year, and while it was well-received, it didn't enjoy the same commercial success as their previous album due to it being released near the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Portrait forgave the poor sales due to the aforementioned events and intended to give the band another chance, but in 2002 the label was shuttered and Epic absorbed their contract. The label gave the band virtually no support, and following the decline of nu metal's popularity the band broke up.

In spite of no longer being active, the band still receives recognition in the Northwestern regions of New Mexico as one of the first nu metal acts to emerge from the state. They also receive recognition in South Korea, where their albums surprisingly performed better commercially.

Musical Style

Genres the band have been identified under include alternative metal, hard rock and nu metal. Critics have noted elements of funk in most of their songs, an aspect usually singled out in reviews for their albums. The band also cultivated a more casual image as a protest against the fashion associated with nu metal. Many of their songs display a cynical atmosphere, decrying the concept of social change promoted through music and stardom aspirations.

Discography

Album	Year	Label	Notes
As "Spyder"
Demo	1996	Self-released	Three track cassette demo
Feed	1997		Extended play. The release was cut short following the death of one of their members.
Burn Ward	1998		Limited release, only available at record stores within the west coast and concerts they performed at.
As "Burnward"
Hey Hey! It's the Meat Man!	1999	Choice Cuts (self-released) Portrait/Columbia (re-release)	Re-issued in 2000 by Portrait/Columbia.
Freedom: A Division	2001	Portrait/Columbia	Final release.

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 == Background ==
-The members never revealed their names to the public, and interviews with them are rare; details are scant but have been confirmed by members of acts they've performed with. The band originated following a discussion between three of the members. They obtained the remainder of their roster after doing a show in the Midwest. In spite of their place of origin, none of the members are natives to New Mexico; two are natives to Canadian regions (namely Alberta and British Columbia) while the remainder came from the the East Central States. Under the name Spyder, they rose to prominence in Aztec, New Mexico and acquired the second half of a duplex they were renting as a personal headquarters. The band featured two vocalists, a lead and rhythm guitarist, a bassist, a drummer and a sampler.
+The members never revealed their names to the public, and interviews with them are rare; details are scant but have been confirmed by members of acts they've performed with. The band originated following a discussion between three of the members. They obtained the remainder of their roster after doing a show in the Midwest. In spite of their place of origin, none of the members are natives to New Mexico; two are natives to Canadian regions (namely Alberta and British Columbia) while the remainder came from the the East Central States. Under the name Spyder, they rose to prominence in Aztec, New Mexico and acquired the second half of a duplex they were renting as a personal headquarters. The band featured two vocalists, a lead and rhythm guitarist, a bassist, a drummer and formally a keyboardist/sampler)
-The band were notable, in that they became famous at a relatively young age (each member was around 15-16 years old at the time). Because of their age, they were unable to perform shows at certain venues and lacked help from an older figure to help clear out contractual obligations. A majority of their earlier shows were performed at high schools throughout Western America and at beaches along the west coast, with their biggest show at the time taking place in Carson City, Nevada. In 1997, Ceri Mott, one of the members, was killed at her home. The band reluctantly agreed to continue and the death molded a much darker sound for them. They changed their name to Burnward soon after.
+The band were notable, in that they became famous at a relatively young age (each member was around 15-16 years old at the time). Because of their age, they were unable to perform shows at certain venues and lacked help from an older figure to help clear out contractual obligations. A majority of their earlier shows were performed at high schools throughout Western America and at beaches along the west coast, with their biggest show at the time taking place in Carson City, Nevada. In 1997, Ceri Mott, one of the members, was killed at her home. The band reluctantly agreed to continue and the death molded a much darker sound for them. They changed their name to Burnward soon after and continued as a sextet.
-Due to a lack of management, the band were able to maintain strong creative freedom and were able to gear out material on a yearly basis. Following a performance with Nickelback in 1999, the band considered hunting for record deals. Around this time, they caught the eye of reps from Republic Records and Portrait Records. The band went with Portrait due to their promise of creative lenience, while Republic intended to mold the band into a more commercial form.
+Due to a lack of management, the band were able to maintain strong creative freedom and were able to gear out material on a yearly basis. Following a performance with Nickelback in 1999, the band considered hunting for record deals. Around this time, they caught the eye of reps from Republic Records and Portrait Records. The band went with Portrait after they gave them a more flattering deal.
 During their time with Portrait, their second album received a re-release and two singles came out of it. Both managed to chart and the album did well commercially. During its release period, the band had a brief tour with Kittie, Spike 1000 and OTEP to promote the album, and they later turned up at Ozzfest in 2001. A second album was released the same year, and while it was well-received, it didn't enjoy the same commercial success as their previous album due to it being released near the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Portrait forgave the poor sales due to the aforementioned events and intended to give the band another chance, but in 2002 the label was shuttered and Epic absorbed their contract. The label gave the band virtually no support, and following the decline of nu metal's popularity the band broke up.