Shortly after his exit from the enduring Christian metalcore outfit Underoath—where bandmates reportedly viewed his engagement to his longtime girlfriend as a sign of waning commitment to music—vocalist Dallas Taylor launched Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. The project marked a deliberate shift in direction even as it retained the hardcore foundation shared with his previous group, instead channeling the swagger of 1970s boogie acts that punk was expected to erase. Taylor’s gravelly delivery, rooted in post-hardcore and screamo circles, interlocks with the bold guitar work of Josh Cornutt and Scott Collum, while bassist Roman Havaland and drummer Lee Turner supply an unusually relaxed groove; together they fuse classic Southern rock drive with punk intensity, evoking a contemporary take on Humble Pie or .38 Special.
The group takes its name from 1930s outlaw Maylene “Ma” Barker and her violent sons, whose exploits in Taylor’s native Ocala, FL, have since become tourist lore—an illustration of how even ruthless crimes can soften into casual spectacle. Taylor assembled the band in Birmingham, AL, during 2004 and secured a deal with the Christian metal imprint Mono vs. Stereo, which issued the self-titled debut the next year.
After a stretch of lineup flux that included Taylor briefly exploring a new project alongside ex-Underoath musicians and former From First to Last frontman Phil Readon, the band confirmed plans for a follow-up, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Vol. 2, slated for spring 2007; the album arrived that March.
