Chelsea Grin is an American deathcore band from Salt Lake City, Utah. Formed in 2007, the group is currently signed to Rise Records and have released two EPs (Chelsea Grin in July 2008, and Evolve in June 2012) and four full-length albums, the latest being Self Inflicted (July 2016). The name of the band is derived from the torture method of the same name.

Chelsea Grin was founded in Salt Lake City during March 2007 by vocalist, Alex Koehler and (former) guitarist Chris Kilbourn. Prior to being named Chelsea Grin, Koehler and Kilbourn were in local Salt Lake City band named “Ahaziah”, which was the forerunner band to Chelsea Grin. Ahaziah over time lost most of their original line-up, leading the group to change their name to begin something new. In March 2008, the band named themselves Chelsea Grin, naming themselves after the infamous torture maneuver known as the Glasgow smile or “Chelsea grin”.

New members recruited after the beginning of this new project were bassist Austin Marticorena and lead guitarist Michael Stafford. Marticorena introduced Andrew Carlston to Chelsea Grin and assisted in rewriting their current songs as well as the creation of new material. This writing process lead to the tracks listed on their first release, Chelsea Grin EP, that was first streamed and released online through iTunes and then released in Compact Disc format worldwide on July 27, 2008. The band released the songs “Crewcabanger” and “Lifeless” as singles, both of which were received by listening audiences very well.

Following the release of the self-titled EP in July 2008, the signing to Statik Factory Records, and a few small successful west coast tours, in April 2009, original drummer, Carlston, decided to return to the band replacing, Shilling, and guitar player, and original member Chris Killbourn then left the band to start his own record label, Matchless Records. Shortly thereafter, Jake Harmond once again filled in for the band, this time as a substitute rhythm guitar player.

Soon after the band started to write the follow-up to the self-titled EP, they decided to take a new route and switch Davis Pugh from being bassist into being a third guitar player after David Flinn joined the band as bassist. The band then was added to a small, week long Canadian run in June 2009 with The Agonist, A Plea for Purging, Arsonists Get All The Girls and Statik Factory labelmates, Attila. After the successful tour, fill-in guitar player Jake Harmond decided to become a full-time member, and the band joined into a contract with Artery Foundation representatives, Mike Milford and Eric Rushing whom then booked studio time for Chelsea Grin to record their debut full-length, Desolation of Eden at Lambesis Studios in San Marcos, California during August 2009. The album was produced by As I Lay Dying vocalist and studio founder, Tim Lambesis. One week prior to heading into the studio, guitar player Davis Pugh decided to leave the band, and was replaced with ex-bandmate of Jake Harmond; Dan Jones, of another local Salt Lake City band, Hermione. Whilst in the studio the band inked a deal with Artery Recordings, a label that was imprinted between The Artery Foundation and Razor & Tie.

In August 2010, while the band was in Richmond, Virginia on the Thrash and Burn tour, vocalist Alex Koehler received a serious injury to his jaw, having it fractured in three places, which required the band to drop off its final week. Koehler was rushed out of the venue receiving surgery. Despite this, the band still carried out their two-week tour with Blind Witness and Attila on during September 2010, which had Koehler substituted with Adam Warren of Oceano.

Two songs that debuted on the band’s self-titled EP; “Cheyne Stokes” and “Recreant”, were re-recorded for Desolation of Eden. As of December 2010, the album has sold over 15,000 copies. There are currently two music videos from the record, “Sonnet of the Wretched” and “Recreant”.

Chelsea Grin finished writing and recording their second full-length album in June 2011, where the title for it was revealed as being My Damnation. It was released the following month on July 19, 2011. On April 17 Artery Recordings released the title track, My Damnation, as the album’s lead single off the album, having a music video produced for it weeks later. The song “All Hail the Fallen King” featuring Phil Bozeman, vocalist of Whitechapel, also premiered before the record’s release.

Chelsea Grin are set to play the entire Warped Tour 2012. At the same time of the Warped Tour announcement, plans for releasing a 5-song EP were confirmed. During December of the year, lead guitarist, Michael Stafford left the band. Born of Osiris (and former All Shall Perish) guitarist, Jason Richardson took up Stafford’s position until further notice. Stafford explained that he could not bear touring anymore along with other reasons for the explanation of the departure. Less than a week later, Richardson was kicked out from Born of Osiris, and then immediately switched his position as a substitute member for Chelsea Grin to a permanent member.

An EP scheduled for a summer 2012 release has been confirmed. It will contain five tracks of new, original material. Accordingly it will be titled Evolve and will be released June 19, 2012. Artery streamed a song from the upcoming EP, titled “Lilith” on May 9, 2012.

In the end of November 2012, Pablo Viveros joined Chelsea Grin on drums. During November and December 2012 Chelsea supported Motionless in White on their headline North American tour entitled "The Infamous Tour". The tour was a success with many dates being sold out. The band then did a short headline tour of North America in January. Chelsea Grin performed at the Soundwave Festival in Australia in February 2013, as well as two sidewave shows with Of Mice and Men and While She Sleeps.

During March 2013 the band headlined a tour with Attila, Betraying the Martyrs, Within the Ruins and Buried In Verona for their second major headlining tour, "The Sick Tour 2". The band supported Emmure across Europe during April and May 2013. This was the band's 3rd time in Europe. Chelsea Grin performed at several European festivals over the summer months, Including the open air festival with Parkway Drive. They also played the All Stars 2013 tour alongside Every Time I Die. In June 2013, Chelsea Grin released a full cover of the song "Right Now" by Korn, produced by one of Chelsea Grin guitarists, Dan Jones. At the end of June, they were announced as the main support on the Brothers in Arms tour alongside The Amity Affliction, Stick To Your Guns, and In Hearts Wake. The tour covered most capital cities of Australia in late October 2013.

The band officially entered the studio late November 2013, two years since their last album. The new album is entitled Ashes to Ashes and was released on July 8, 2014 via Artery Recordings/Razor & Tie. A song called Letters was leaked on December 17, 2013. The album was produced by Chelsea Grin and Diego Farias, guitarist from the band Volumes. The band has stated that the album "has the same amount of material as Desolation of Eden, My Damnation and Evolve… COMBINED." Frontman Alex Koehler stated that the lyrical content on Ashes to Ashes is much more positive than on the other records: "It's more about standing up for yourselves and not giving a fuck about anyone else's opinions. Every song is going to be based on real life: alcoholism, drug abuse, violence and everyday bullshit forced down our throats". Koehler described the album as "relentlessly heavy, with a touch of melody.". On May 12, 2014 a lyric video for Angels Shall Sin, Demons Shall Pray was released. Another single for the album was released June 3, 2014 titled "Playing With Fire".

Chelsea Grin performed on Vans Warped Tour 2014. The music videos for their songs "Letters" and "Clockwork" were released on June 30, 2014 and July 17, 2014, respectively. The band later supported The Black Dahlia Murder and Suicide Silence on their co-headline North American tour in October 2014, and themselves co-headlined a European tour with Veil of Maya with support from Black Tongue and Oceans ate Alaska in February 2015. They then headlined a North American tour in March 2015 with support from Carnifex, Sworn In and The Family Ruin, and have just finished a co-headlining a tour with The Word Alive, supported by Like Moths to Flames and Sylar. While also acting as support for The Amity Affliction on their October 2015 tour as they joined up with Secrets, Cruel Hand and The Plot in You.

On September 21, 2015, Chelsea Grin announced that they will release a new record in mid-2016 (which they "promise ... will be [their] most extreme release to date") and that Jason Richardson is parting ways with the band due to musical differences related to the record's direction (planning to release a solo record instead), to be replaced on guitar by Stephen Rutishauser, who had been playing with the band since 2014. On December 10, 2015 they released the single "Skin Deep". Shortly after releasing the single, the band announced a tour in which their first full-length, "Desolation of Eden" would be played in its entirety.

Current members:

Tom Barber - lead vocals

Stephen Rutishauser - lead/rhythm guitar

David Flinn - bass guitar

Pablo Viveros – drums, vocals Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.