Starkweather is a innovative metal/hardcore band from Philadelphia, United States that formed in 1989. Their name is taken from Charles Starkweather, a late 1950s spree killer. Starkweather helped pioneer the hardcore/heavy metal crossover sound that would later be known as "metalcore". They have influenced many of today's top selling hardcore/metal bands such Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon. Starkweather made an impression with a succession of 7" single releases. These were followed by their first EP, Starkweather, for Inner Rage Records (1993); a studio album, Crossbearer, for Too Damn Hype (1994); their second full-length effort, Into the Wire, on Edison Recordings (1995); and the 1996 Bitter Frost / Bee Stings and Posion Eggs split with Season to Risk through Supermodel Records. Starkweather released their third album, Croatoan, in late 2005. It was produced by Pierre Remillard, and was released only on vinyl through Hypertension Records. In that year, the band went on their first international European tour. 2006 saw the CD release of Croatoan on Candlelight Records. Croatoan features guest performances from bass player Liam Wilson (The Dillinger Escape Plan and Burnside) and Jim Winters (Believer, Earth Crisis, Turmoil, and The Promise). The cover art was done by artist Paul Romano, who also worked with Mastodon, The Red Chord, Trivium, Earth, and Godflesh. The band is currently working on a number of releases with engineer Alap at Deadverse Studios (Dalek), including a new album and a split LP with Overmars. Recently they've inked a deal with Massachusetts' Deathwish Inc. for the release of the new material. The band has signed over the rights to their earlier works to Candlelight Records, which intends to reissue both the "Crossbearer" LP and "Into The Wire" EP. Style and influences Starkweather songs don't follow traditional verse-chorus-verse structure. Songs tend to have "narrative or cinematic flow", the compositions tend to emphasize an ongoing development of themes and motifs. Alex Henderson of Allmusic has described their music as "dissonant, jagged, angular, and discordant as well as abrasive, noisy, violent, claustrophobic, and dense" and an "extreme sensory assault".[2] Singer Rennie Resmini is influenced by the vocalists of Swans, The Birthday Party (Nick Cave) , Amebix, Killing Joke, and others. Other influences on the band are Voivod, Celtic Frost, Articles of Faith, Watchtower, Atheist, Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Iron Maiden Members Current members * Rennie Resmini - vocals * Todd Forkin - guitar * Harry Rosa - drums * Vincent Rosa - bass guitar * Bill Molchanow - guitar Former Members * Michelle Eddison - bass guitar (1990–1999) * Sean Roberts - guitar * Jim Winters - guitar * Liam Wilson - bass guitar * Leonard Emerick - drums Discography * Crossbearer (LP) Harvest records (1991) * Starkweather (1993) on Inner Rage Records, France * Philly Dust Krew" compilation cd (1993) Too Damn Hype Records * Crossbearer (studio album, 1994 re-issue of vinyl with bonus tracks on Too Damn Hype Records) * Into The Wire (studio album, 1995 Edison Records) * Bitter Frost/Bee Stings and Posion Eggs (split with Season to Risk, 1996) * Croatoan (studio, 2005) vinyl by Hypertension cd released by Candlelight Records in 2006)
