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Something wicked this way comes. From the foggy majesty of Seattle, Washington comes Aiden, a young band who meld punk, post-hardcore and goth influences into a lethal stew that recalls the best of bands like AFI and H.I.M. With music that defies categorization, Aiden dubbed it horror rock, defining once and for all the dark lyrical influences and vital energy displayed both live and on disc. Nightmare Anatomy is Aiden's Victory Records debut: a heavy clash of hardcore and up tempo melodies that belies songs with decidedly grim themes.
Aiden began in the spring of 2003 by four friends from Seattle, WA - Jake W., Angel, Jake D. and Will - as more of a fun hobby than an effort to take over the world. With only 5 songs written, Aiden played their first show in July, 2003 at a pizza joint in downtown Seattle. Taking their name from a horror movie called The Ring, Aiden had a few line-up changes early on: singer wiL was originally the band's bassist, and switched to vocals when the original singer left the band. After adding Nick to play bass, the final unit was rock solid. Aiden went into the studio in December 2004 with producer Steve Carter and the result was their debut full length titled Our Gangs Dark Oath. The boys took it into their own hands to make cd samplers of some of their new material and passed out over 2,000 copies of the two song demos at shows around Seattle. Their DIY promotion started the enormous word-of-mouth phenomenon on Aiden.
2004 was a very busy and exciting year for Aiden. They managed to play over a hundred shows, put out their debut full length, make two music videos, and catch the attention of Victory Records. Quite the feat for a band with two members in high school! Taking advantage of any chance to get out on the road; they toured throughout the school year, holiday school breaks, and were in a hotel in Gallup, New Mexico on Christmas eating Subway sandwiches for dinner. When asked about their dedication to touring so soon, Will said, "We all do miss our friends and families, with these guys still going to school we just have to take any opportunity to get out there and get known. This is my family, my brothers and it is awesome that we all get to be together." Victory Records signed Aiden in December 2004, and plans for Nightmare Anatomy began.
Aiden entered the studio in March 2005 for pre-production at Robert Lang Studios, before heading to Orbit Audio for five weeks of non-stop recording. Produced by longtime friend (and producer of their debut) Steve Carter, who has worked with the band since the beginning. The songs on the album are imbued with references to pain, darkness, immortality and redemption. From Die Romantic a dedication to the memory of a friend whose suicide will not be forgotten, to The Last Sunrise which explores addiction and abuse, to Genetic Design For Dying, a love letter to a parent asking forgiveness.
In June, Jake D. and Angel graduated from high school and Aiden hit the road, joining the Zumiez Coach Tour. Heading home to film the video for The Last Sunrise was next. "We watched The Queen Of The Damned we decided that it would be cool to make a video with a similar storyline but with young kids from our scene instead of older people. We had a lot of fun getting it together, from props to the actors. We shot it in an old Masonic Temple in Tacoma, and it was creepy, we kept hearing noises in the balcony, but every time we checked they would stop."
Aiden hit the road on the Victory Records Tour in July and August with The Hurt Process, The Junior Varsity and theAudition, but there will be no rest for the band - in October they join Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein and Bayside for the Never Sleep Again Tour in North America. Nightmare Anatomy is in stores October 4th. When asked about the new record, Will sums it up: "What we have is a collection of cohesive new material and something to say. We aren't holding anything back on this record. We are ready to let the world know we're here."
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