This week, Rockfest Records announced the new band World Gone Cold. This is a supergroup band comprised of members from rock bands Disciple (Andrew Stanton), The Letter Black (Mark Anthony), nu-metal band P.O.D. (Traa Daniels), metal bands Demon Hunter (Yogi Watts), and lastly, Inhale Exhale (Ryland Raus).
They launched a teaser trailer (below) with the announcement that said, “You’ve listened to our music for years, but you’ve never heard us together.”
World Gone Cold deliver massive hard rock anthems, powerful enough to move icy mountains, thawing the avalanche of frustration and alienation, keeping many of us frozen in place. A huge wall of guitars, fluid bass rumble, monstrous drums, and soaring vocals coalesce into an explosive mixture of heavy groove and melodic hooks, shaking the earth with unbridled abandon.
A combination of organic metal might and rock radio-ready songwriting comprise the foundation of a band that began as one man’s solo outlet and quickly transformed into an unprecedented supergroup. This new band arrives armed with songs akin to the timeless catchiness of Rob Zombie or Nine Inch Nails, with the postmodern urgency of Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, and I Prevail.
Mark Anthony, guitarist and co-vocalist for The Letter Black, set out determined to create unapologetically heavy music with memorable melodic bite. “I wanted to make a metal record, just for myself,” he recalls. “But the thing about doing a solo album by yourself? It just isn’t as fun.” Anthony reached out to longtime producer Travis Wyrick (10 Years, Adelita’s Way, P.O.D.), who suggested he get in touch with singer Ryland Raus. The former frontman for Solid State Records artist Inhale Exhale was open to the idea, and once he heard a single instrumental track, he came onboard.
“He wrote his parts for the song in just a few days and sent it back to me, and it was awesome right out of the gate,” Anthony says. “The whole point in making this a band versus a solo project was to get creative input from other people, to let them be themselves, without micromanaging them.” Invigorated by the new collaboration, the pair worked on music together, then enlisted more friends.
The rest of the lineup quickly assembled like heavy metal Avengers, each bringing unique skillsets and experience to the table. Tim “Yogi” Watts is the Grammy-nominated drummer for Demon Hunter, a band whose albums regularly crack the Billboard 200 Top 20 and top Christian Rock radio. Mark “Traa” Daniels is best known as the bassist for multiplatinum rockers P.O.D., with 12 million albums sold around the world, driven by enduring anthems like ‘Boom’ and ‘Youth of the Nation.’ Andrew Stanton, formerly with long-running rockers Disciple, filled the lead guitarist position.
“My whole thing was to surround myself with killer guys that just love to play,” Anthony explains. “There’s no pressure to write ‘hits.’ We’re making music we enjoy, and hopefully, everybody else will, too. The music quickly became fun, poppy, catchy melodies over dark, heavy guitars. Between the five of us, we have the seasoned guys who have been doing this for 20 years, bringing our more classic metal influences, and the younger guys like Andrew and Ryland, who brought the newer vibe.”
The band’s genesis coincided with the lockdowns and restrictions of the 2020 pandemic, which caused them to reflect on the increasing isolation and chilly feeling within the community at large. Steadfast believers in a higher purpose, World Gone Cold seek to warm the blood and soothe the soul with uplifting “dark” hard rock music capable of shining a bit of light in these dark times.
Keep up with World Gone Cold by following them on their socials: website / facebook.