Hell Is for Heroes (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | London , England, United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
Hell Is for Heroes is a London-based English post-hardcore group formed by Will McGonagle and Joe Birch, both formerly of Symposium, alongside James Findlay, Tom O'Donoghue, and eventually Justin Schlosberg. The band began gaining recognition through early performances across West London in 2001.
After issuing two self-released singles, their first full-length album The Neon Handshake was launched in February 2003 under EMI. The recording took place at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles and was mixed in Umeå, Sweden by Pelle Henricsson and Eskil Lövström. Duncan Illing handled A&R management during this period. Following their departure from EMI in 2004, Hell Is for Heroes independently put out their sophomore album Transmit Disrupt, which was later reissued by Burning Heart Records in 2006. Their final album, self-titled, came out through Golf Records in 2007.
In 2005, The Neon Handshake was voted the 58th greatest British rock album by readers of Kerrang!.
The band went on an indefinite break starting October 2008 but reunited in June 2012 for several shows alongside Hundred Reasons and Cable. They marked the 15th anniversary of The Neon Handshake with a UK tour in 2018 and resumed live performances again in 2021.
Band line-up
- Justin Schlosberg – vocals
- William McGonagle – guitar
- Tom O'Donoghue – guitar
- James Findlay – bass
- Joe Birch – drums
Formation
Prior to Hell Is for Heroes, Will McGonagle and Joe Birch were members of the British band Symposium, which dissolved around 2000 due to internal conflicts and label complications. Subsequently, they joined forces with old schoolmates James Findlay and Tom O'Donoghue to create Hell Is for Heroes, bringing in Justin Schlosberg as lead singer through shared connections.
Their inaugural performance took place in January 2001 at The Half Moon venue in Putney, London. By March of that year, after supporting acts such as Sunna and Biffy Clyro, they had cultivated a dedicated following that attracted attention from major labels. This culminated in a contract with EMI in July 2001. Later that year, they issued their debut double A-side single featuring "Sick/Happy" and "Cut Down" on Superior Quality Recordings.
In January 2002, the band released the single "You Drove Me To It," backed with "Things Fall Apart" and "Kill the Silence." This was followed by two additional singles: "I Can Climb Mountains" and "Nightvision," the latter including the fan-favorite "Folded Paper Figures," which was subsequently re-recorded for their second album.
The Neon Handshake
Released in February 2003, The Neon Handshake earned favorable critiques from NME and reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart. The band's music videos received frequent airplay on prominent music television channels, bolstering their status as a dynamic live act. A concert held at The Astoria, London, was filmed and broadcast via MTV2.
Early in 2003, a remastered version of the single "You Drove Me To It" was reissued. Following the album's release, Hell Is for Heroes supported Feeder on five dates during their UK tour. They also took part in the Carling Weekend at the Reading and Leeds Festival, performing on the BBC Radio 1 stage.
In 2004, EMI underwent restructuring that led to the shutdown of Chrysalis Records, the label holding rights to Hell Is for Heroes’ recordings. This resulted in the band severing ties with EMI.
Transmit Disrupt
In May 2004, the group unveiled their sophomore album, Transmit Disrupt, via the independent label Captains of Industry. The initial single, "One of Us," did not benefit from the promotional backing that their former major label had provided. Prior to the album's release, singles such as "Models for the Programme" and "Kamichi" were issued. Transmit Disrupt reached a peak position of No. 89 on the UK charts.
By September 2005, Hell Is for Heroes had signed with Burning Heart Records, which led to a reissue of Transmit Disrupt accompanied by a new music video for "Models for the Programme." In February 2006, the band announced their return from a break, premiering "New Song" on their website. This was followed by a tour and a complimentary Myspace release of "Eject Eject Eject" in July.
Hell Is For Heroes and Break Up
During February 2007, Hell Is for Heroes toured across the UK, Ireland, and Europe to promote fresh material including "You've Got Hopes," shared via Myspace. Their third album, self-titled Hell Is For Heroes, was launched in June under Golf Records and received broader attention through reviews and interviews in Kerrang!. To support this release, the band embarked on a sponsored UK tour featuring performances at Barfly venues.
On 25 October 2007, the band revealed that their forthcoming UK tour would be their final full-length tour before a reunion planned for 2037. They expressed intentions to concentrate on other projects and possibly work on a fourth album, while reflecting on seven years of rigorous touring.
Health issues necessitated the cancellation of three shows late in the 2007 tour. In October 2008, Hell Is for Heroes declared their last UK tour, culminating in a farewell show on 12 December 2008 at Glasgow Barfly.
Recent Events
In June 2012, Hell Is For Heroes announced they would join Hundred Reasons as support for their 10th Anniversary concerts, performing The Neon Handshake in its entirety alongside additional tracks. Guitarist Will McGonagle commented, "We’ve been friends with Hundred Reasons for over 10 years, so when they suggested playing our first records together it sounded like fun. We are proud of the music we’ve made and look forward to performing The Neon Handshake. The early 2000s were exciting for British rock, with our bands touring and building strong friendships." Later, in August 2017, the band revealed plans for a headline tour in February 2018 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of The Neon Handshake.
On 27 March 2018, it was confirmed that Hell Is For Heroes would perform at Download Festival on Friday, 8 June, appearing on the second stage.
In 2021, the band announced a nine-date UK tour with Hundred Reasons initially scheduled for February and March 2022 but postponed to February and March 2023. In December 2022, they released the single I Should Never Have Been Here in the First Place from their new 7" record through Big Scary Monsters.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock | UK Indie | SCO | |||
| 2003 | The Neon HandshakeTemplate:Smalldiv | 16 | 1 | - | 22 | |
| 2005 | Transmit DisruptTemplate:Smalldiv | 89 | 3 | 9 | 78 | |
| 2007 | Hell Is For HeroesTemplate:Smalldiv | - | 27 | 17 | - | |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Rankings | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | UK Rock |
UK Indie |
SCO | |||
| 2001 | "Sick/Happy/Cut Down" | – | – | – | – | The Neon Handshake |
| 2002 | "You Drove Me To It" | 63 | 4 | – | 71 | |
| "I Can Climb Mountains" | 41 | 6 | – | 47 | ||
| "Night Vision" | 38 | 4 | – | 41 | ||
| 2003 | "You Drove Me To It" (re-release) | 28 | 3 | – | 34 | |
| "Retreat" | 39 | 3 | – | 48 | ||
| 2004 | "One of Us" | 71 | 5 | 16 | 79 | Transmit Disrupt |
| "Kamichi" | 72 | – | 10 | 66 | ||
| "Models for the Programme" | 54 | 3 | 8 | 64 | ||
| "You've Got Hopes" | – | – | – | – | Hell Is For Heroes | |
| "I Should Never Have Been Here in the First Place" | – | – | – | – | ||
DVDs
- Live at the Sheffield Leadmill (Director: Oli Cole) (2004)