Bloodsimple

Bloodsimple
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2002 in New York City, United States
Defunct	2008
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Products	Heavy metal music
Owner	Warner Bros. Records (label)

Bloodsimple was a heavy metal group originating from New York City, established in 2002 and later signed under Warner Bros. Records.

The band's name is inspired by a term introduced by detective fiction writer Dashiell Hammett, which describes the psychological state of fear following extended exposure to violence. This concept appears in the novel Red Harvest, which also serves as the title for Bloodsimple's second studio album.

Formation and initial years (2002–2004)

Initially formed in 2002 under the name Fix 8, Bloodsimple included former members of Vision of Disorder: vocalist Tim Williams and guitarist Mike Kennedy. The lineup was completed by bassist Kyle Sanders—who had previously played with Piece Dogs, Skrew, Medication, and later joined Hellyeah—and drummer Chris Hamilton, formerly of Downset and Deadbolt. Kyle Sanders is also the brother of Mastodon's Troy Sanders.

In May 2004, Bloodsimple supported Superjoint Ritual during their New York performances. That same month, they secured a contract with Warner Bros. Records through Bullygoat Records, an imprint created by Chad Gray of Mudvayne and Hellyeah. Their debut album, A Cruel World, was produced by Garth Richardson in Vancouver. By February 2005, Bloodsimple participated in the "Alliance of Defiance" U.S. tour alongside bands such as Otep, American Head Charge, and Candiria.

A Cruel World era (2005–2007)

In May 2005, the track "Path to Prevail" by Bloodsimple was included on the soundtrack for the film House of Wax. Their first album, A Cruel World, recorded initial sales of 3,120 units during its opening week. Although there were speculations about the band filling an unidentified slot on Ozzfest’s second stage lineup, these rumors were eventually dispelled.

June saw Bloodsimple embark on a U.S. tour with American Head Charge and Static-X. Meanwhile, drummer Brendon Cohen joined forces with bassist Mike Fleischmann, vocalist B. Folly, and guitarist Skullion to create Karnov. This new group intended to participate in the "Masters of Brutality" U.S. tour alongside Byzantine, Gizmachi, and Six Feet Under in July; however, the tour was postponed. On July 26, Bloodsimple unveiled a music video for "What If I Lost It" via MySpace. In September, they performed at Locobazooka! alongside Disturbed and Dope; their song "Overload" was also featured on the Masters of Horror soundtrack.

Tim Williams lent his vocals to Roadrunner Records' Roadrunner United project on the track titled "Army of the Sun". Additionally, Bloodsimple's song "September" appeared on the soundtrack for Saw II. On September 24, members Tim Williams and Mike Kennedy reunited for a performance under Vision Of Disorder at a Bloodsimple concert held in Levittown, New York. Towards the end of 2005, Bloodsimple toured with Throwdown, Soulfly, and Incite. Their track "Sell Me Out" was included on the compilation Best of The Taste of Chaos. Notably, fellow musicians Brock Lindow (36 Crazyfists) and Chris Spicuzza (Chimaira) listed A Cruel World among their favorite albums released that year.

Early 2006 featured Bloodsimple supporting Disturbed on the Jägermeister Music Tour. They were also slated to join "The Crusade III" tour across the UK and Ireland alongside God Forbid and Trivium. In May, drummer Chris Hamilton left to establish Saint Caine with former members of Dropbox; Brendon Cohen stepped in as drummer for summer touring dates, reuniting much of Vision Of Disorder’s former lineup.

Throughout summer 2006, Bloodsimple toured Europe with Stone Sour and Alice in Chains, performing at several major festivals including Download Festival (UK), Nova Rock (Austria), With Full Force (Germany), Rock am Ring and Rock im Park (Germany), Gods of Metal (Italy), Hultsfred Festival (Sweden), and Waldrock Festival (Netherlands). They also appeared at Japan’s Loud Park 06 festival in October.

In December 2006, Bloodsimple shared a cover version of The Doors’ "Five to One" on their MySpace profile.

Red Harvest (2007–2008)

Initially, Bloodsimple was reported to be touring alongside Diecast and Sevendust in February 2007; however, the band later clarified that they were still completing their album and intended to begin touring in March. In April, it was announced that Bloodsimple would support Hellyeah during their May tour. The release of their forthcoming album, originally planned for July, was subsequently delayed.

Throughout May and June 2007, the band embarked on a European tour, appearing at prominent festivals such as Download Festival at Donington Park, Fields of Rock in the Netherlands, Bilbao DDK Live Festival in Spain, Hellfest in France, and Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium. On July 29, Bloodsimple joined the Family Values Tour performing on the second stage but had to cancel their final three shows due to vocalist Tim Williams experiencing dental problems.

Coinciding with the October 30 release of their sophomore album Red Harvest via Bullygoat/Reprise Records, Bloodsimple commenced touring with Hellyeah on the "Balls Volume Strength" tour. The album was produced by Machine, recognized for his work with Eighteen Visions and Lamb of God, and sold approximately 2,400 copies during its first week. A concert scheduled for November featuring Hellyeah and Otep was abruptly canceled.

Between January 17 and February 1, Bloodsimple served as the opening act for Avenged Sevenfold. Their single "Out to Get You" was accompanied by a music video that incorporated scenes from George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. In April 2008, the band toured Australia and New Zealand alongside Korn, Biohazard, and Chimaira. That same month, they earned a nomination for "Breakthrough Artist" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

Although Bloodsimple was booked to perform at WSOU's 60th Anniversary celebration and Rockfest in Kansas City, they withdrew from both events. By May 2008, bassist Kyle Sanders confirmed that the band would not participate in Rockfest nor continue with extensive touring.

In late 2008, their song "Dead Man Walking" was featured on the soundtrack of the video game WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009. October saw Vision of Disorder reunite to work on a new album. By March 2010, Sanders’ announcement regarding his new project Monstro indicated that Bloodsimple had ceased activity.

Members

Final lineup

Tim Williams – vocals (2002–2008)
Mike Kennedy – guitar (2002–2008)
Nick Rowe – guitar (2002–2008)
Kyle Sanders – bass (2002–2008)

Former members

Chris Hamilton – drums (2002–2006)
Chris Jeter – drums (2006–2008)

Live and studio musicians

Brendon Cohen – drums (2006)
Will Hunt – drums (2007)
Mike Froedge – drums (2007)
Bevan Davies – drums (2007–2008)

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart
Year	Album details	US Heat.
2005	A Cruel World Released: March 29, 2005 Label: Reprise Format: CD	44
2007	Red Harvest Released: October 30, 2007 Label: Reprise Format: CD	10
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Demos and Extended Plays

Demo 2002, issued: 2002 Demo 2003, issued: Early and Late 2003 Demo 2004, issued: August 10, 2004 via Warner Bros. Records Bloodsimple EP, issued: February 15, 2005 through Relapse Records

B-sides

2005: Masters of Horror OST – track "Overload"
2005: Saw II OST – track "September"
2006: Released on official Myspace – "Five to One" (a cover of The Doors)

Singles

Year	Song	US Main.	Album
2005	"Straight Hate"	—	A Cruel World
2005	"Sell Me Out"	39
2006	"What If I Lost It"	38
2007	"Out to Get You"	30	Red Harvest
2008	"Dark Helmet"	—	Red Harvest
"—" indicates the single did not enter the charts.

References

Additional sources

Interview with Tim Williams (December 2007)
Bloodsimple interview, Maximum Ink, February 2005