Of Mice & Men

Formed in 2009 by former Attack Attack! frontman and bassist Austin Carlile alongside New Zealand-born bassist Jaxin Hall, the Southern California metalcore outfit Of Mice & Men fused grunge and nu-metal elements into a punishing sound. Their commercial breakthrough arrived in 2011 via the third album Restoring Force, which introduced clean vocalist Aaron Pauley and propelled the group into the hard-rock mainstream. When Carlile departed in 2016 for health-related reasons, Pauley assumed both vocal and bass responsibilities, steering the band through subsequent releases that included 2019’s Earth & Sky, 2022’s Echo, and 2023’s Tether.

The original lineup of Carlile on lead vocals, Alan Ashby on rhythm guitar, Phil Manansala on lead guitar, Pauley on bass and vocals, and Valentino Arteaga on drums issued the self-titled debut through Rise Records in 2010. The Flood followed in 2011, with a deluxe edition appearing the next year. Producer David Bendeth, known for his work with Beartooth, Bring Me the Horizon, and Crossfaith, helmed Restoring Force, which surfaced in 2014 and achieved the group’s strongest chart performance on both domestic and international lists. The first live document, Live at Brixton, was released in May 2016, while the studio album Cold World arrived later that year and reached the Top 40.

On December 30, 2016, Carlile disclosed his exit stemming from ongoing effects of a rare genetic disorder. With Pauley now handling lead vocals, the band issued the singles “Unbreakable” and “Back to Me” before delivering its fifth studio album Defy in early 2018. Pauley guided the Josh Wilbur-produced Earth & Sky in 2019, noted for its intensified heaviness. After moving from Rise to SharpTone, the group put out the Timeless EP in February 2021, followed by Bloom and Ad Infinitum; these three EPs were later collected on the 2022 album Echo. The aggressive single “Warpaint” surfaced in early 2023 as the initial preview of the eighth full-length Tether, which appeared that October.