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Kylesa

From Alfawiki
Kylesa
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded2001 in Savannah, Georgia, United States
FounderPhillip Cope, Brian Duke, Christian Depken, Laura Pleasants
Headquarters
Savannah, Georgia
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Phillip Cope, Laura Pleasants, John John Jesse, Roy Mayorga
ProductsStudio albums, EPs, live albums
Number of employees
4 (current members)

Kylesa is a sludge metal group from the United States, established in Savannah, Georgia, in 2001 by former members of Damad, along with guitarist Laura Pleasants from North Carolina. Their sound combines heavy riffs and drop-tuned guitars with experimental influences and touches of psychedelic rock. The band's current roster features Phillip Cope, Laura Pleasants, John John Jesse, and Roy Mayorga. They have released records through labels including Season of Mist, Prosthetic Records, and Heavy Psych Sounds.

In 2006, the band expanded their percussion section by adding two drummers, Carl McGinley and Jeff Porter; in 2008, Eric Hernandez took over Porter's role. After entering an indefinite hiatus in April 2016, Kylesa made a comeback in 2024, with scheduled shows at the 2025 Roadburn Festival, followed by performances at the ArcTanGent Festival (UK), Inferno Fest (Norway), and A Colossal Weekend (Denmark).

History

Emerging from Savannah’s sludge metal scene, Kylesa was founded by Phillip Cope, Brian Duke, and Christian Depken after their time with Damad. Cope, a prominent figure in Savannah’s metal community since the late 1980s due to his hardcore punk background and local booking experience, helped evolve Damad’s heavy Southern doom sound into what became Kylesa when Laura Pleasants joined in 2001.

The band’s debut album was primarily recorded in May 2001. Shortly following their first live performance supporting Mastodon and Cream Abdul Babar, bassist Brian Duke passed away. The group completed the album as a tribute to him, releasing it about a year later with cover art designed by Pushead—a visual identity that became synonymous with their brand. They followed up with split releases alongside Memento Mori and Cream Abdul Babar as well as the EP No Ending 110 Degree Heat Index before drummer Depken left the lineup.

Kylesa signed with independent metal label Prosthetic Records and issued To Walk a Middle Course in 2005 featuring drummer Brandon Baltzley. After Baltzley’s departure, they adopted a dual-drummer setup with Carl McGinley and Jeff Porter. Their third album, Time Will Fuse Its Worth, appeared in 2006; Eric Hernandez succeeded Porter for the Static Tensions release in 2009. During this era, they toured alongside Mastodon, who commended Kylesa’s energetic live shows.

By 2010, Kylesa had moved approximately 75,000 copies of their albums. That year they signed with Season of Mist to release Spiral Shadow along with a rarities collection titled From the Vaults, Vol. 1. Their sixth studio effort, Ultraviolet (2013), introduced a darker tone and featured more vocal contributions from Pleasants. To promote it, the band embarked on a North American headline tour supported by Blood Ceremony and White Hills. In October 2015, they unveiled Exhausting Fire under Season of Mist.

After announcing an indefinite break in April 2016, Kylesa reemerged in August 2024 with plans for prominent festival appearances throughout 2025, signaling renewed engagement within the heavy metal scene.

Musical style

Kylesa is predominantly recognized as a sludge and stoner metal band. The group is distinguished by having two front vocalists, Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants, and since 2006, it has featured a dual-drummer setup, with percussion tracks frequently separated into left and right audio channels.

According to AllMusic, Kylesa fuses hardcore punk, psychedelic stoner rock, technical speed metal, and the traditional sludge sound reminiscent of Black Sabbath. Spin magazine characterized their music as "dark psych-metal titans," highlighting an intense yet atmospheric tone that draws inspiration from Black Sabbath, Black Flag, and early Pink Floyd.

Band members

Current members

  • Phillip Cope – vocals, guitars, samples (2001–2016, 2024–present)
  • Laura Pleasants – vocals, guitars (2001–2016, 2024–present)
  • John John Jesse – bass (2024–present)
  • Roy Mayorga – drums (2024–present)

Past members

  • Christian Depken – drums, percussion (2001–2004)
  • Brian Duke – bass, vocals (2001; deceased 2001)
  • Corey Barhorst – bass, vocals (2001–2007, 2008–2011)
  • Brandon Baltzley – drums, percussion (2004–2005)
  • Carl McGinley – drums, percussion, keyboards, samples (2006–2016)
  • Jeff Porter – drums, percussion (2006–2007)
  • Tyler Newberry – drums, percussion (2007, 2010–2013)
  • Eric Hernandez – drums, percussion (2008–2009, 2013–2015), bass (2013)
  • Javier Villegas – bass (2008–2009)
  • Chase Rudeseal – bass (2012–2015)

Touring musicians

  • Jason Cadwell – drums, percussion (2005)
  • Marshall Kirkpatrick – drums, percussion (2009)
  • Edley O'Dowd – drums, percussion (2014)

Guest musicians

  • Michael Redmond – bass (featured on Kylesa)
  • Bobby Scandiffio – guitar and cricket sounds (featured on Time Will Fuse Its Worth)
  • Jay Matheson – bass (featured on Exhausting Fire)

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  at:06/01/2002
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 bar:Pleasents  from:08/20/2024 till:end        color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Depken     from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2004 color:Drums
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 bar:Jesse      from:08/20/2024 till:end        color:Bass
 bar:Porter     from:01/01/2006 till:06/01/2007 color:Drums
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</timeline>

Discography

Studio albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
  • Point of Stillness 7-inch (2002)
  • Delusion on Fire (2003)
  • No Ending / 110° Heat Index (2004)
  • Bacteria Sour double 7-inch (2004)
  • Unknown Awareness (2009)
  • Violitionist Sessions (2013)
  • Live Studio Improvisation 3.7.14 (2014)
  • Live at Maida Vale Studios (2017)
Split releases
Music videos
  • "A 100º Heat Index" (2004)
  • "Where the Horizon Unfolds" (2006)
  • "Hollow Severer" (2007)
  • "Tired Climb" (2010)
  • "Unspoken" (2013)
  • "Low Tide" (2013)
  • "Lost and Confused" (2015)
Other appearances


Bibliography

External links

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