Back in their high school days in Indiana, Beau Brackett, Bill Smith, and Joe Hassett started jamming metal on their guitars with each other, influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, AC/DC and Motor Head. The three soon met Corey McLain, a drummer from nearby Michigan, Bill switched to the bass and Sudden Death was born. They started playing shows around the two states. From the beginning, Sudden Death was focused on creating their own music and style, and was not satisfied playing cover songs. They soon found themselves in TRS recording studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
After recording three self made demos in Indiana and basing themselves in Texas for two years, Sudden Death moved to Florida in 1998. As a four piece band they had gigged around like most bands. By 2002 they had played in states from Michigan to Texas, to Florida and back. While working on their next recording project, they felt the need to take it to the next level and separate themselves more from the pack. That is when they started auditioning singers.
In early 2004, Jon Kaufman joined the band on lead vocals. Adding a man dedicated to vocals gave the other members who were sharing the vocal duties the freedom to focus solely on their instrument. As a result, the bands music became more intense and complex. By the middle of that year they recorded a seven song demo CD. Then in the fall of 2004 they entered their cd in The TAXI Music Convention, a major L.A. music convention. It received the biggest and most enthusiastic response of the three day event and the band quickly found themselves playing a closed, solo band showcase in L.A. California at S.I.R. Studios for many major and international record label reps.
While getting offers from various labels, Sudden Death continued to write more material. One of the new songs, B.T.K., was used for the bands first video. Directed by Denver Black of Black in the Box Production, the video is a dark look into the world of a serial killer. Filmed in Ohio and Indiana, it was a great way for the band to celebrate their success with their roots. After seeing all Their options, Sudden Death signed a three full length CD deal with Locomotive Record, a well established European Indie label, for world wide release.
After going back in the studio, Sudden Death added three more songs to their demo. Unpure Burial was released world wide in April 2006 on Locomotive Records. "An all-out assault that fuses a speedzip punk aesthetic with heavy as hell metal to produce a sweltering effect..." Mike Greenblatt, Metal Edge. Unpure Burial was the number seven added album on the CMJ charts when it came out April 4, 2006. "The entire album is compiled with teeth kicking screams and totally bitching old-school guitar riffs all on top of bone crunching drums." -Mike Rapin, Rock n World magazine.
After touring for much of 2006, Sudden Death started this year writing new material for their next CD, due out later in 2007. Building on their momentum, the band will hit the road again and again for the next year, to give their fans what they want before and after the release of the upcoming CD.
