Destro (band)

Chip Walbert
Born	Richard Charles Walbert II (1979-01-16) January 16, 1979 Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, DJ
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Guitarist for Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Until the End, Target Nevada, On Bodies, Morning Again; DJ as Chip Rock

Richard Charles "Chip" Walbert II (born January 16, 1979) is an American artist, songwriter, and DJ originally from Tampa, Florida, currently residing in Miami, Florida. He is primarily recognized for his guitar contributions to hardcore punk and metalcore groups such as Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Until the End, Target Nevada, On Bodies, and Morning Again. Additionally, Walbert has been involved with bands including Destro, All Hell Breaks Loose, Dance Floor Justice, Phantom Drive, No Excuses, and More Than Ever.

History

Born in Tampa, Florida on January 16, 1979, Walbert is the son of Richard Charles Walbert and Lynn (née Sannino). He has two siblings named Alex and Brittany. His father served as a physician and Co-Director of Emergency Services at Baptist Health South Florida's South Miami Hospital.

Walbert entered the South Florida hardcore punk scene in 1995 and embraced a straight edge philosophy. In 1997, he formed his first band, Destro, alongside high school classmates Roy Ugarte and Ariel Arro. After a brief hiatus by Destro in 1998, he created xMore Than Everx, which performed a limited number of shows. Later that year, Destro reassembled with new members Julio Marin and Kenn Marshall. The group issued an EP and a full-length album while appearing at festivals such as Hellfest 2K and Furnace Fest before disbanding in 2002.

Following this, Walbert established All Hell Breaks Loose with musicians from Santa Sangre and Target Nevada. In 2002, he became the second guitarist alongside John Wylie for both Where Fear and Weapons Meet and Until the End. The following year saw the launch of Dance Floor Justice with Alex Leon. The passing of All Hell Breaks Loose’s drummer Joe Lamadrid in 2004 led to the band's dissolution. Between 2004 and 2005, Walbert and his wife Crystal Preston Walbert managed the record label Lotus Effect Records.

In 2006, Walbert brought together Ariel Arro, Chad Kishick, and vocalist Damien Moyal to form Best Wishes. He also contributed guitar work to No Excuses, a straight edge hardcore band based in Tallahassee. By July 2011, On Bodies added Walbert along with drummer Julio Marin and guitarist Chad Kishick to their lineup. He served as a touring guitarist for Morning Again during their 2012 and 2014 tours. From 2017 through 2019, Walbert played guitar for Phantom Drive. In 2023, All Hell Breaks Loose reunited for a show at the South Florida Hardcore Unity festival.

Besides band involvement, Walbert performs under the name DJ Chip Rock, hosting weekly events since 1997 at Miami locations such as Hot Wheel Skating Center and Galaxy Skateway. He is an avid collector of band t-shirts, focusing especially on those from 1990s hardcore groups. Furthermore, he has acted as editor of The South Florida Music Scene Past and Present webzine and co-editor of the xStuck in the Pastx webzine.

Related bands

• Destro: 1997–1998, 1998–2002
• xMore Than Everx: 1998
• All Hell Breaks Loose: 2001–2004, 2006–2008, 2016, 2023
• Where Fear and Weapons Meet: 2002–2004, 2012
• Until the End: 2002–2005
• Dance Floor Justice: 2002–2003, 2004–2008
• Target Nevada: 2005
• Best Wishes: 2005–2006
• No Excuses: 2007–2008
• On Bodies: 2011–2014
• Morning Again: 2012, 2014
• Phantom Drive: 2017–2019

External links

• [Profile on AllMusic]
• [Artist page on Discogs]
• [Profile on IMDb]
• [Artist profile on MusicBrainz]