Biography
Late in 2004, as Biohazard’s run neared its close, guitarist and vocalist Billy Graziadei reached out to former Groovenics frontman Karl Bernholtz to launch Suicide City. Guitarist AJ Marchetta, another Groovenics alum, came aboard shortly afterward, followed by ex-Kittie bassist Jennifer Arroyo—a musician Graziadei had promised to collaborate with after crossing paths on the road during his Biohazard days. Sworn Enemy’s endorsement brought drummer Danny Lamagna into the fold, rounding out the Brooklyn-based quintet. The group did not fully commit until 2005, once Graziadei and Arroyo had wrapped their prior commitments. Early that year they tracked a five-song demo first titled Give Me Your Pity and later retitled Not My Year, which surfaced as their debut EP in April. The material fused dark, volatile punk with heavy-metal edges, gothic flourishes, and piercing screamo vocals, nodding to the Misfits, Black Sabbath, Joy Division, and the Cure. Suicide City opened for Otep across the summer of 2005, then traversed the country supporting Mindless Self Indulgence. Their ferocious performances and self-reliant approach moved more than 4,000 copies of the EP independently. Further momentum came from spring 2006 dates alongside Taking Back Sunday, followed by an August stint with GWAR.
Albums
