Memphis May Fire

Emerging from Texas yet rooted in Nashville, Memphis May Fire craft an exacting, aggressive fusion of post-hardcore, metal, and emo. Fronted by Matty Mullins, whose songwriting often confronts his experiences with anxiety and depression, the group has weathered repeated membership shifts across its history, guitarist Kellen McGregor standing as the lone constant from the original lineup. First performing as Oh Captain, My Captain, the outfit surfaced in 2009 via the intense Sleepwalking, released through Trustkill Records. Momentum built in 2015 when their fourth album, Unconditional, entered the Billboard 200 at number four and topped the Alternative Albums chart; further commercial traction followed with This Light I Hold (2016), Broken (2018), and Remade in Misery (2022).

Chase Ryan on vocals, Kellen McGregor handling guitar and vocals, Ryan Bentley on guitar, Austin Radford on bass, and Jeremy Grisham on drums established the band in 2006. They adopted the Memphis May Fire name the next year and issued their self-titled debut EP, initially independently in early 2007 before Trustkill reissued it after signing the act. While sharpening their complex metalcore approach through touring, the members immediately began composing material for a full-length. Ryan exited in 2009, prompting the arrival of Matty Mullins, whose first recorded performances appeared on Sleepwalking; “Ghost in the Mirror” later featured on the Saw VI soundtrack.

Between the Lies arrived in 2010. After signing with Rise Records in 2011, Memphis May Fire delivered The Hollow, which reached the summit of Billboard’s U.S. Heatseekers chart. The album introduced drummer Jake Garland in place of Eric Molesworth and marked the final studio effort for Ryan Bentley, who departed soon afterward. Ex-Decoder guitarist Anthony Sepe joined for the third album, 2012’s Challenger, which also topped the Heatseekers chart and left Kellen McGregor as the sole remaining founding member. The versatile, theatrical Unconditional reached stores in 2014, again debuting at number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Alternative Albums chart. This Light I Hold followed in 2016, peaking at number 42 on the Billboard 200 and including guest turns from Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and My American Heart’s Larry Soliman.

Anthony Sepe left prior to the sixth album, the Kane Churko-produced Broken, which surfaced in 2018 and contained the mainstream rock single “The Old Me.” The punishing “Blood & Water” emerged in 2021, followed in early 2022 by the equally aggressive “Death Inside” and “Bleed Me Dry,” both pointing toward a heavier direction. All three tracks later appeared on the seventh album, Remade in Misery, issued that summer.