Boysetsfire

Progressive hardcore outfit BoySetsFire originated in Delaware during 1994, founded by vocalist Nathan Gray alongside guitarists Josh Latshaw and Chad Istvan, bassist Darrell Hyde, and drummer Matt Krupanski. After issuing their first single, “Consider,” on their own imprint in 1995, the group followed with a split effort alongside Jazz Man’s Needle that drew praise for both the ferocity of their concerts and the depth of their political beliefs. Their first complete album, The Day the Sun Went Out, appeared in 1997; a split single with Snapcase paved the way for the 1999 arrival of In Chrysalis. Hyde departed, Rob Avery assumed bass duties, and the band delivered After the Eulogy in 2000—their initial outing for Victory Records—while This Crying, This Screaming, My Voice Is Being Born surfaced later that same summer. Sucker Punch emerged at the start of 2001.

BoySetsFire departed Victory for Wind-Up in 2002 and introduced themselves on the major label via the Live for Today EP, which contained four fresh songs plus two concert recordings. They then worked with producer Dave Fortman (12 Rods, Evanescence) on their Wind-Up debut full-length. Tomorrow Come Today reached stores in April 2003 and marked a shift toward broader appeal, though the group’s outspoken political stance remained undiluted; the record’s inner flap carried a blistering political statement, and its lyrics provoked reactions from certain religious organizations. A limited edition of the album also included a DVD compiling live footage and behind-the-scenes material. While supporting the release on tour, the band lost Avery and recruited Rob Ehrenbrand in his place.

Wind-Up proved an uneasy match, prompting a 2005 move to Equal Vision (Burning Heart in Europe), which put out Before the Eulogy that autumn. Their robust and wide-ranging fourth album, Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years, followed in March 2006, yet it proved to be their final statement at the time. By the close of July the members posted a website message declaring their intention to disband after a handful of farewell performances. Shortly afterward Latshaw sustained a broken neck, collapsed lung, and two fractured vertebrae in a construction-site mishap. The group completed their booked European dates with a guitar technician substituting, then postponed plans for concluding U.S. shows; their last concert together took place in early June at Philadelphia’s Trocadero Theatre. A 2010 Facebook post signaled the band’s return. A full European tour ensued in 2011, and in 2012 they reentered the studio, resulting in the 2013 release While a Nation Sleeps. Their self-titled sixth album arrived in 2015, succeeded by another European run.