Authority Zero
originated in the sunny streets of Mesa, AZ in the the summer of 1994. Originally made up of Jason DeVore (vocals),
Bill Marcks
(guitar/vocals),
Jeremy Wood
(bass/vocals), and
Jim Wilcox
(drums), the four comprised the exotic punk sound that became Authority Zero. Initially starting off as a five-piece with rhythm guitarist
Jerry Douglas,
they soon became a four piece after Douglas moved on in 1999 to pursue service in the Air Force, though remained an integral part of the Authority Zero family. Over the course of the '90s, the band eagerly pushed its sound, playing countless house parties, colleges, and club shows in and around Arizona. Their live show and energy on stage quickly drew comparisons to that of Rage Against the Machine, and the local independent record store Zia Records caught on. In 2001, Zia issued Authority Zero's debut, self-titled EP "
Patches In Time
". College radio, as well as main local Indie station The Edge 106.3 immediately jumped on the band, as the heavy drive of "One More Minute" and "Sky's the Limit" became moderate hits played in heavy rotation. That same year, Authority Zero scaled back on the riveting metal-like sound for structured hard rock that accented the band's multi-cultural backgrounds and diverse musical tastes. Atlantic's label sibling Lava signed Authority Zero within months of the Authority Zero EP becoming Zia's best-selling release. The band's full-length debut,
A Passage in Time
, appeared in fall 2002, containing nods to influences like
Bad Religion
,
Dick Dale
,
Manu Chao
, and
Sublime
. Tours with
Guttermouth
and H2O followed, spending time on the Warped Tour as well, and as the word-of-mouth buzz continued to spread, the band found itself having to play local shows under various alias in order to stay close to their hometown scene. Writing their next album in the span of a month, the band returned in 2004 with the culturally diverse and Latin-flavored
,
produced by
Ryan Greene
(
Lagwagon
,
Strung Out
). Subsequent touring and their deal with Lava done, the live acoustic
Rhythm and Booze
appeared in June 2006 on Suburban Noize. Authority Zero returned in late January 2007 with the faster skatepunk sounds of
, again with production by
Greene
during which time
Wood
exited and the band. The group carried on with a temporary replacement before bringing in old friend from the Arizona music scene Dean Farmer who became the permanent bassist to date. In late fall of 2008, original guitarist William Marcks also decided it was time for him to retire due to the lack of time and ability to focus on family as well as to further his education. It was then that Authority Zero brought in another old time friend and fellow local AZ musician Zach Vogel on lead guitar. Through ups and downs, trial and error, and above all the desire to succeed and play to their dedicated friends and fans throughout the world, Authority Zero has overcome and pressed on with a vengance. With the power house four piece re-established, and having just having returned from a west coast tour with So-Cal punk legends Pennywise, they are gearing up to hit the road once again for the Jagermeifter tour featuring Pennywise and Island Reggae Rock outfit Pepper this Spring of 09'. More determined than ever, Authority Zero is back in the studio hammering away on their fifth full length album which is set for release in the fall of 09'. Authority Zero having been through hell and high water, is in full force and ready to take on the world.
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