Elysia

Not to be confused with a younger vocalist sharing the identical name, Elysia emerged in 2003 as a five-piece deathcore outfit from Sacramento, CA, initially operating under the moniker Elysium's Revenge. Founding vocalist Zak Vargas and his then-bandmates—all of whom have since departed—were still enrolled in high school when they issued the early track “Incinerate,” whose violent lyrics drew accusations of homophobia despite the group’s insistence to the contrary. Those misinterpretations reportedly led to an onstage assault during a stop in Phoenix, AZ, prompting the members to mature their lyrical approach ahead of the self-released debut Masochists in 2006. Near dissolution followed the next year, yet Vargas assembled a durable new configuration featuring guitarists Garrett Gilardi and Chris Cain, bassist/vocalist Jon Malinowski, and drummer Steven Sessler. This lineup delivered the band’s second album, Lion of Judas, issued by Ferret Records in June 2008.