Funeral For A Friend

The Welsh five-piece Funeral for a Friend forged an intense fusion of emo, metal, and post-hardcore through the efforts of singer Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Roberts and Darran Smith, bassist Gareth Davies, and drummer Randy Richards. In 2002 the group debuted via multiple EPs and singles such as Between Order and Model, Four Ways to Scream Your Name, and Juneau. These efforts brought them to the attention of Kerrang! magazine, landing them on its cover and securing a contract with Warner Music. Their first full-length effort, Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation, came out in October 2003. Without a simultaneous American release, the domestic market saw the seven-track mini-CD Seven Ways to Scream Your Name, which gathered non-album tracks from prior EPs, through Ferret, an indie label based in New Jersey. During this period the band toured extensively, including European shows as openers for Iron Maiden. Summer 2004 saw continued roadwork, followed by the September release of the Spilling Blood in 8mm DVD containing live performances, videos, and a documentary about the group. June 2005 brought their sophomore album Hours, after which they toured more, marking their initial participation in the Warped Tour and receiving the Kerrang! award for Best British Band that year. Toward the close of 2005, Matt Davies used a break from the road to develop songs for his side project the Secret Show, an alt-country endeavor whose first album emerged in February 2007. Three months afterward, Funeral for a Friend put out Tales Don't Tell Themselves and hit the road for headlining shows in the U.K. and U.S., plus another summer on the Warped Tour. Memory and Humanity appeared soon after, in the last quarter of 2008, showcasing their characteristic emo-tinged songwriting mixed with anthemic rock uplift. Their fifth album, the apocalypse-themed Welcome Home Armageddon, surfaced in 2011, accompanied later that year by the See You All in Hell EP. In 2012 longtime drummer Ryan Richards departed to prioritize family life, with Pat Lundy stepping in as replacement. With the lineup restored, they delivered their sixth studio album Conduit in early 2013. The next year marked the beginning of work on their seventh release, the crowd-funded Chapter & Verse, slated for 2015. Following the promotional tour, the band dissolved, marking the end of their run.