Stonecutters

Stonecutters
Stonecutters circa 2022.
Background information
Origin	Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Genres	Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal
Years active	2005 - Present
Labels	Time Is Truth Recordings, Grind Ethos
Associated acts	My Own Victim, Kallus, False, Incursion, Son of Dog, The Hookers, Assisting Sorrow, Fatal Step, Cult of Frost, Cryptic Hymn, Winterhymn, Tyranny Enthroned, Anagnorisis, Bowels, War Cloud, Volcandra, Savage Master, Crown ov Serpents, Horseburner, Blind Scryer, Shi - 死
Website	Official Webpage Facebook

Stonecutters are a metal band from Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Beginning in 2005, they played primarily sludge metal but have incorporated elements of doom metal, death metal, hardcore punk and thrash metal into their sound over the years. Throughout the late 2010s their sound would be more predominantly focused towards thrash metal, with the band referring to themselves as "genre-bending death metal" around that time.

Overall, Stonecutters have released six studio albums with a sixth in the works along with touring through the United States with a wide range of heavy bands over the years.

History

Early Years (2005 - 2013)

Stonecutters in their early years.

Stonecutters were formed by Brian Omer and Cliff Whitehead in 2005 sometime after the dissolution of My Own Victim, recruiting members of Louisville's metal scene and adopting a sludge metal sound.  Louisville artist and former musician William David Pollard (Evergreen, Cinderblock) took the role of providing artwork and lyrics for the band, acknowledged as a "shadow member". Sometime in the next year they would play their first live show at Uncle Pleasant's (Also known as The New Vintage) in Louisville and release their first album in 2006 titled The Death of Me. Three years later a second album by the name of Christhammer would follow on their personal label Time is Truth, gaining buzz from the likes of Metalsucks, Invisible Oranges and Decibel Magazine.

In 2011 the lineup would change with Eric Christopher Leffler replaced founding member Cliff Whitehead. In April 2013 lineup their third album Creatio ex Nihil was released with a release show at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville. A tour of the Midwest would follow that year.

Blood Moon and Carved in Time (2013 - 2019)

Stonecutters in 2018.

In the Fall of 2013 Chris Leffler would leave the band and be replaced by Nick Burks. 2014 led the band to two short tours of the United States and a performance at Berserker Fest in Michigan.

In 2015, Stonecutters toured twice in support of their current album along with promoting songs from their upcoming fourth album entitled "Blood Moon". Notable performances include the closing party for iconic Louisville video store Wild & Woolly Video, a second appearance at Berserker Fest and performing at GWAR-B-Q.

Stonecutters officially released their fourth album Blood Moon on 31 October 2015 with a video following for "Sign Of The Pentagram". A vinyl edition was officially released on April 2 but was available in March to support their "Blood Moon Rising" Tour. The band followed up with appearances at Louisville is Dead (A local festival) and Full Terror Assault alongside two more tours of the United States that year.

On 9 February 2017 the band released a second video from Blood Moon for the song "Carbon Footprint".

On 25 August 2017, Stonecutters announced a fifth studio album was fully written and in the works with a crowdfunding campaign lasting from August to December. Following a series of 2018 tours, Stonecutters would confirm that Carved in Time would be set for a 2 November 2018 release. The band would tour the West Coast USA in support of the record and close out with a string of dates supporting GWAR. On 2 January 2019 the band announced a mini-tour where they would perform the entirety of Carved in Time. 2019 would prove to be one of the most active years for Stonecutters, participating in several tours and releasing a new EP in The Living Dead in October 2019, with a release party at the Mag Bar on 31 October.

Two Stonecutters? (2020 - 2022)

On 4 December 2019, bandleader and founder Brian Omer announced that, after a March tour in 2020, that he would be intending to disband Stonecutters in the following personal post:

“	“It is with a heavy heart that I write this...but after nearly 15 years, 6 releases, countless shows and tours, I've decided to bow out of Stonecutters. I love my bandmates and cherish our great times together, but it's time for me to move on. I will be doing one last tour in the month of March, then onto the next chapter in life. We still have lots of awesome merch available on our bandcamp page. If you've ever been interested in any of it now is the time. I always thought of Stonecutters as a very powerful, unique, dedicated, hard working band that I will always be proud of. Hope to see you all soon somewhere down the road.”	”
	— Brian Omer, Facebook Post

On 16 July 2020 a new song would be revealed in "The Absurdist" as Burks, Redford and Smith would continue on with the name. River Jordan (Blind Scryer, Volcandra) would be revealed as the band's new guitarist, who initially filled in on a few dates of a 2019 tour. In the Summer of 2021 the band would perform their first shows with the lineup of Burks, Redford, Smith and Jordan. Following a string of shows in 2021 with this lineup, a tour featuring this same lineup with Lich King and Toxic Ruin would take place circa March 2022, the final shows with that lineup.

Eye of The Skull (2022 - Present)

In 2021, Brian Omer would announce that a new Stonecutters album was in the works, working with former members Chris Leffler and Johnny Wooldridge, along with new bassist Jayce Wraley. This lineup would perform a return show at Headliners Music Hall on 22 April 2022, with Batwizard and Ohlm. Follow-up shows with this lineup would take place throughout the year with a new song "Scowlers" released on 2 September 2022. A second single in "The Search For Rest" would follow on 16 December 2022. That same month it would be announced that Omer had secured the rights to the Stonecutters name on a state and federal level, disbanding the Burks lineup.

Following a string of shows in 2023, including a gig honoring the tenth anniversary of Creatio ex Nihil, Stonecutters would announce a release party for Eye of The Skull at Headliners Music Hall on 15 September 2023 with Shi - 死 and Sinistrum as support.

Members

• Brian Omer - Guitar, Bass, Vocals (2005 - 2020, 2021 - Present)
• Johnny Wooldridge - Drums (2008 - 2017, 2021 - Present)
• Chris Leffler - Guitar, Backing Vocals (2011 - 2013, 2021 - Present)
• Jayce Wraley - Bass, Backing Vocals (2022 - Present)

Past and Live-Only Members

• Cliff Whitehead - Guitar, Vocals (2005 - 2011)
• J.R. Switzer - Drums (2005 - 2008, 2009)
• J.D. Hall - Bass (2005 - 2006)
• Chad Omen - Bass (2005)
• Greg Stilts - Drums (2005)
• Richard Bybee - Drums (2005)
• Kevin Redford - Bass, Backing Vocals (2006 - 2022)
• Nick Burks - Guitar, Vocals (2013 - 2022)
• Charlie Taylor III - Live Drums (2017; Pagan Warrior Tour)
• Nicholas Bryan - Drums (2017 - 2018)
• Christopher J. Smith - Drums (2018 - 2022)
• River Jordan - Live Guitar (2019); Guitar (2020 - 2022)

Discography

Studio Albums

• The Death of Me (2006, Self-Released)
• Christhammer (2009, Time is Truth)
• Creatio ex Nihil (2012, Time is Truth)
• Blood Moon (2015, Time is Truth)
• Carved In Time (2018, Grind Ethos)
• Eye of The Skull (2023, Time is Truth)

Other Releases

• Stonecutters (Demo)  (2005, Self-Released)
• The Living Dead (7" Single) (2019, Grind Ethos)
• The Absurdist (Digital Single) (2020, Self-Released)
• Scowlers (Digital Single) (2022, Self-Released)
• The Search For Rest (Digital Single) (2022, Self-Released)
• One of Us (Digital Single) (2023, Self-Released)
• StoneWizard (Split with Batwizard) (2024, Third House Communications)

Compilation Appearances

• "Our Mother of Sorrows" on Bluegrass Doom Comp Vol. 1 (Blue Grass Records)
• "Red" on Rise: A Tribute to Kinghorse (Louisville Lip Records)
• "Seekers of Truth" on Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation Vol.  1 & 2 (Gubbey Records)
• "Thieves" on Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation Vol. 3, 4, 5 & 6 (Gubbey Records)
• "Sound The Trumpets" on Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation Vol. 7, 8, 9 & 10, 11 (Gubbey Records)
• "Pagan Warrior" on Positively Lost: The Art of Doodlehound (Doodlehound)
• "Scowlers" on Doodlehound XV: A Kentucky Compilation (Doodlehound)

Tours

• 2013 - Creatio ex Nihil Tour
• 2014 - August 2014 Tour
• 2014 - Frozen in Dysphoria
• 2015 - March 2015 Tour
• 2015 - May 2015 Tour
• 2016 - Blood Moon Rising
• 2016 - Madness Prevails
• 2016 - Death Awaits
• 2017 - Stoneburner (With Horseburner)
• 2017 - Pagan Warrior West Coast Tour
• 2017 - Road to WVRMFest
• 2018 - Embrace The Unknown
• 2018 - Gods and Monsters
• 2018 - Die Killing (Select dates with GWAR)
• 2018 - Carved In Time North American Tour
• 2019 - Carved in February
• 2019 - ...An Image Carved In Time
• 2019 - The Devil Rides Alone
• 2019 - Midwest Shredfest
• 2019 - Death Spiral
• 2019 - The Living Dead Tour (Select dates with Yatra, War Cloud)
• 2020 - March Radness (With Lich King, Toxic Ruin; partially canceled)
• 2021 - Spectral Slaughter (With Yatra, Blind Scryer)
• 2022 - March Radness Redux (With Lich King, Toxic Ruin)

Links

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Bandcamp
• Reverbnation
• Interview via LEO Weekly