Dead Poetic
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 in Dayton, Ohio, United States |
| Founder | Zach Miles, Brandon Rike, Chad Shellabarger |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Dayton , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, greatest hits album |
Dead Poetic was a rock group originating from Dayton, Ohio in 1997. The lineup at the band's conclusion featured lead singer Brandon Rike, guitarist Zach Miles, and drummer Jesse Sprinkle. Throughout their career, they issued three studio albums along with a greatest hits collection titled The Finest, all released through Tooth & Nail Records. The ensemble ceased activity in 2007, primarily due to internal disagreements and difficulties with touring. In 2015, Rike confirmed that there were no intentions to reunite or create a fourth album.
Formation
Established in 1997 by Zach Miles, Brandon Rike, and Chad Shellabarger—who were approximately 13 years old at the time—with Josh Shellabarger being 15, the band members came together through their local church community as self-taught musicians. Their debut performance took place during their middle school's annual "Talent Show." The group initially performed under the names MindSet and Ded Poetic before ultimately adopting the name Dead Poetic.
1997–2002
Dead Poetic garnered underground recognition following the release of their 1999 EP Invasion and their first full-length album Four Wall Blackmail, which was distributed by Solid State Records, an imprint of Tooth & Nail. The album featured the track "August Winterman." Their 2004 album New Medicines, produced by Aaron Sprinkle, elevated their visibility substantially. The title song received considerable airplay on MTV2 and Fuse TV. Critics found it challenging to assign a specific genre to their music, describing it variously as emo, post-hardcore, or alternative rock.
2002–mid 2004
After completing the New Medicines tour supporting Demon Hunter in the fall of 2004, internal tensions resulted in bassist Chad Shellabarger, drummer Josh Shellabarger, and guitarist Todd Osborn departing from the band. Remaining members Brandon Rike and Zach Miles restructured Dead Poetic by bringing in drummer Jesse Sprinkle alongside guitarist Dusty Redmon and bassist John Brehm—both previously of Beloved—forming a refreshed lineup dedicated to continuing the band's trajectory.
2004–late 2006
For their third studio effort, Vices, Dead Poetic reunited with producer Aaron Sprinkle but notably eliminated the screaming vocal style that had been a hallmark of their earlier work. In an interview with CCM Magazine, frontman Brandon Rike expressed his disinterest in incorporating screaming vocals moving forward. Although initially slated for release on July 18, Vices was postponed until October 31, with "Narcotic" serving as the lead single. The band intended to join a fall 2007 tour with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus but withdrew in mid-October 2006.
On November 25, 2006, announcements revealed that Rike had exited the band and that the remaining members opted not to continue Dead Poetic. Despite a December 2006 MySpace update asserting ongoing activity, prolonged silence led fans to believe the band had dissolved. Guitarist Dusty Redmon confirmed the disbandment in September 2007, noting that Rike's departure before the release of Vices caused financial difficulties for Tooth & Nail Records, which subsequently reduced promotional efforts. Redmon mentioned that band members had pursued various other endeavors: Jesse focused on recording projects; Brandon engaged in design work; John pursued tattoo artistry; Zach embraced fatherhood; and Dusty joined The Almost.
2006–2015
Though there were declarations about continuing songwriting and fulfilling contractual obligations with Tooth & Nail, these ambitions did not come to fruition. On October 30, 2007, Jesse Sprinkle posted on MySpace reaffirming that Dead Poetic still existed and announced an upcoming "Best Of" compilation from Tooth & Nail. This collection, titled The Finest, was released on November 20, 2007; however, no new material followed and the band remained inactive thereafter.
On November 16, 2007, Brandon Rike detailed on his MySpace blog the challenges of maintaining the band due to personal commitments and other projects among members. He described plans involving himself, Miles, and Sprinkle to record another album after The Finest without intentions to tour. By October 2008, Dead Poetic was removed from Tooth & Nail’s artist list. Inside the liner notes of The Finest, Rike indicated that touring would cease so members could prioritize family life but mentioned aspirations for one final album—though no subsequent releases appeared. By April 2009, their official website redirected visitors to their MySpace page.
In a podcast recorded in 2015, Rike confirmed that no reunion or new music production was planned at that time.
Band members
- Final lineup
- Brandon Rike – lead vocals (1997–2007)
- Zach Miles – lead guitar, backing vocals (1997–2007)
- Jesse Sprinkle – drums (ex-Poor Old Lu, Demon Hunter, Serene UK), among others (2004–2007)
- Former members
- Dusty Redmon – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2005–2006) (departed to join The Almost)
- John Brehm – bass guitar (2005–2006)
- Chad Shellabarger – bass (1997–fall 2004)
- Josh Shellabarger – drums (1997–fall 2004)
- Todd Osborn – rhythm guitar (2002–fall 2004)
- Timeline
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Discography
- Invasion EP (1999) – self-released
- Song EP (2001) – independent release
- Four Wall Blackmail (2002) – Solid State Records
- New Medicines (2004) – Solid State Records / Tooth and Nail Records
- Vices (2006) – Tooth & Nail Records
- The Finest Compilation (2007) – Tooth & Nail Records
- Music videos
- August Winterman (from Four Wall Blackmail) – 2002
- New Medicines (from New Medicines) – 2004
- Narcotic (from Vices) – 2006