As Cities Burn
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2002 in Mandeville, Louisiana, United States |
| Defunct | 2023 (final dissolution announced) |
| Fate | Disbanded (multiple cycles of reunion and disbandment) |
| Headquarters | Mandeville , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, extended plays, music videos |
| Website | www |
As Cities Burn is a post-hardcore band originating from Mandeville, Louisiana, established in 2002 and known for producing four studio albums. Their initial release, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest, came out in 2005, followed by Come Now Sleep in 2007 and Hell or High Water in 2009. After active years between 2011 and 2016, drummer Aaron Lunsford declared the group had disbanded on August 16, 2016. However, they reunited in December 2017 to tour as the opening act for Emery and confirmed intentions to continue creating new material.
Formation and Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest (2002–2006)
Initially without a record deal, As Cities Burn caught the attention of Solid State Records, a subsidiary of Tooth & Nail Records, which signed them in 2004.
Their debut full-length album, Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest, was released on June 21, 2005, coinciding with Solid State's Young Bloods Tour alongside The Chariot, Showbread, and He Is Legend. In 2006, the band toured with The Bled, Protest The Hero, and Sincebyman. They held two album release shows on June 21 in Covington, Louisiana, and June 22 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The album featured a post-hardcore sound characterized by intense screaming from lead vocalist TJ Bonnette and backing vocals by his brother Cody Bonnette. Its consistently dark and emotional atmosphere was a defining element; notably, the track "The Widow," which included clean vocals by Cody, hinted at the band's future shift away from screamed vocals.
Break and Come Now Sleep (2006–2008)
On June 10, 2006, the band announced their dissolution but reversed this decision by early July after receiving considerable fan encouragement. Their initially planned final show took place on August 19, 2006, at the House of Blues in New Orleans, Louisiana. Soon after this event, they opted to continue as a band and began working on a new album.
During their concluding tour that summer, bassist Pascal Barone left the group; Robert Chisolm of Jonezetta stepped in to complete the tour. Subsequently, guitarist Colin Kimble took over bass duties for their upcoming recordings.
On December 17 (midnight December 16), they released a demo from their forthcoming album via MySpace and PureVolume that notably lacked any screaming vocals. This change followed original screamer TJ Bonnette’s departure to prioritize family commitments. Guitarist Cody Bonnette assumed all vocal responsibilities thereafter. TJ performed one last show with the band in January 2007.
Recording sessions occurred between February and March 2007. On April 12, the band announced their sophomore album titled Come Now Sleep, which was released on August 14, 2007. Prior to release, tracks such as "This Is It, This Is It" and "Empire" were streamed on MySpace and PureVolume to promote the album.
Hell or High Water and Disbandment (2008–2009)
In early 2008, As Cities Burn began composing material for their next record and spent the summer recording it. By September 7, they reported being three weeks away from finishing the project while continuing to develop the sound introduced with Come Now Sleep. Most of the recording was undertaken by Cody Bonnette and Tyler Orr themselves.
On January 2, 2009, they uploaded "Gates" to MySpace; "'84 Sheepdog" premiered live on January 10 and was shared online on March 30. Starting April 2, tracks "Into the Sea," "Pirate Blues," and "Errand Rum" were released weekly leading up to the April 21 launch of Hell or High Water.
Although initially intending to persist indefinitely as a band, As Cities Burn announced their breakup on July 15, 2009. They attributed this decision to evolving personal circumstances and expressed appreciation to their fans for six years of support.
New ventures (2008–2011)
Chris Lott contributed guitar work for Twin Killers during this period. Meanwhile, Cody Bonnette and Aaron Lunsford established a fresh project named Hawkboy, which toured alongside Emery on the We Do What We Want Tour. Their performances featured both original tracks and covers of As Cities Burn songs. Hawkboy also released a complimentary EP accessible through iTunes and Facebook.
Cycles of reunion and disbandment (2011–2025)
On August 30, 2011, As Cities Burn teased upcoming developments via Facebook and launched a Twitter profile to announce a reunion concert showcasing the entire Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest album at Unsilent Night in Dallas, Texas. Pascal Barone was not involved; Colin Kimble continued on bass while Chris Lott transitioned to rhythm guitar. In April 2012, the band performed the full album in Nashville and Baton Rouge.
A brief tour with UK’s The Elijah took place in July 2012. The group declared its revival on Facebook.
As part of Underoath's Farewell Tour on October 9, 2012, As Cities Burn performed alongside MewithoutYou and Letlive, with Stephen Keech from Haste the Day filling in on bass.
New tracks "Prince of Planet Earth" and "Goldmine" were released on YouTube on June 1 and July 1, 2015, respectively. Stephen Keech officially joined as bassist and vocalist on August 3, 2016, though he did not participate in touring; substitute bassists handled live performances. On August 17, 2016, the band announced their definitive split and canceled all remaining engagements.
On December 6, 2017, As Cities Burn revealed plans for a reunion tour with Emery alongside intentions to write and record a fourth studio album, welcoming Hunter Walls as guitarist. On July 31, 2018, they supported Silverstein's 15th anniversary tour for When Broken Is Easily Fixed, joined by Hawthorne Heights and Capstan.
The single "2020 AD," their first release in three years, debuted on November 8, 2018, coinciding with their signing to Equal Vision Records.
On September 12, 2023, the band announced a final dissolution following their performance at Furnace Fest on September 24. Only Cody Bonnette and Hunter Walls were official members present; additional musicians completed the lineup. During this appearance, they introduced a new endeavor called My Only Passenger.
Emery announced on May 21, 2025, that As Cities Burn would support the third leg of their The Question 20th Anniversary tour, signaling another reunion.
Members
Final roster
- Cody Bonnette – clean vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming (2002–2009, 2011–2016, 2017–2023); lead vocals (2007–2009)
- TJ Bonnette – screamed vocals, programming, piano (2002–2007, 2011–2016, 2017–2023)
- Aaron Lunsford – drums, percussion (2003–2009, 2011–2016, 2017–2023)
- Hunter Walls – guitar (previously with Mychildren Mybride and Better Off) (2017–2023)
Past members
- Stephen Keech – bass guitar and backing vocals (live performances: 2012–2013, 2015–2016; official: 2016; sporadic involvement: 2017–?)
- Bryan Dixon – drums (2002–2003)
- Pascal Barone – bass (2002–2006)
- Colin Kimble – bass (2006–2009, 2011–2014), guitar (2002–2006, 2014–2016), backing vocals (2002–2009, 2011–2016)
- Chris Lott – guitar and backing vocals (2006–2009, 2011–2016)
Discography
Albums
| Release Year | Album Name | Record Label | Chart Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | US Christian Albums | US Heatseekers | |||
| 2005 | Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest | Solid State Records | — | 19 | 32 |
| 2007 | Come Now Sleep | Solid State/Tooth & Nail Records | 135 | 5 | — |
| 2009 | Hell or High Water | Tooth & Nail Records | 109 | 9 | — |
| 2019 | Scream Through the Walls | Equal Vision Records | — | — | — |
Extended plays
- 2003: As Cities Burn...
- 2004: As Cities Burn EP
- 2007: The EP
- 2015: Prince of Planet Earth / Goldmine
Videography
- "Bloodsucker Pt. II"
- "Empire"
- "The Widow" (live performance)
- "Prince of Planet Earth" (lyric video)
- "Goldmine"
- "Chains"