Starbomb
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Dan Avidan, Brian Wecht, Arin Hanson |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dan Avidan, Brian Wecht, Arin Hanson |
| Products | Video game-themed parody music albums |
Starbomb is a comedic musical ensemble from the United States, comprising Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht of Ninja Sex Party, alongside internet figure Arin Hanson. Their repertoire consists of video game-themed parodies, featuring Avidan as the lead vocalist, Hanson delivering rap verses, and Wecht on instrumental arrangements. All members also contribute to the popular YouTube Let's Play series Game Grumps. The group has worked in conjunction with the Canadian band TWRP, recognized for their collaborations with Ninja Sex Party.
The band’s discography includes four studio albums: Starbomb (2013), Player Select (2014), The TryForce (2019), and most recently, Starbomb Boom: Rise of Lyrics (2024). Their music videos frequently showcase prominent figures from internet and gaming communities, including Markiplier and Ashly Burch. Although Starbomb officially debuted in 2013, Hanson has mentioned that the group's origins date back earlier, without providing a specific timeline.
Origins and Debut Album Starbomb (2013)
During the summer of 2013, Avidan hinted at a collaborative music endeavor involving Wecht and Hanson. The project was publicly unveiled on December 2, 2013, accompanied by a teaser for "I Choose You to Die" on the Ninja Sex Party YouTube channel. The self-titled debut album Starbomb was announced to release two weeks later, on December 17, 2013. Prior to launch, additional previews were shared on both the Ninja Sex Party and Game Grumps channels, hosted by Avidan and Hanson respectively.
Following its release, Starbomb achieved notable positions on various Billboard charts, securing #1 spots on both the Comedy Albums and Heatseekers Albums rankings. Music videos for tracks such as "Luigi's Ballad"—which featured Rachel Bloom voicing Princess Peach—and "It's Dangerous to Go Alone" were released throughout late 2013 into spring 2014. Destructoid commended the album’s blend of high-quality production from Ninja Sex Party and comedic content, highlighting its appeal beyond just niche audiences.
Player Select (2014)
The closing track "Outro" from their debut hinted at future work. On December 16, 2014, Starbomb released their sophomore album titled Player Select. Similar to their first release, previews were posted on YouTube ahead of the official launch. This album also reached #1 on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart and placed third on the year-end US Comedy Albums list. AllMusic provided a positive critique, emphasizing its resonance with adult fans of retro gaming through humor and subtle 8-bit references.
The TryForce Era (2015–2019)
In a December 25, 2015 video titled "The Simple Plot of Metal Gear Solid," Hanson alluded to an upcoming third album. On March 31, 2017, Hanson joined Ninja Sex Party during their Rock Hard 2017 tour performing as Starbomb but exited prior to completing all scheduled dates by July.
By November 2017, Starbomb teased new material alongside plans for a third studio album. On November 28, Avidan and Hanson confirmed that recording had concluded in El Paso, Texas, revealing a new creative process where each track was written and recorded within a single day. The project included collaborations with Tupper Ware Remix Party and was initially slated for release in December 2018. In July 2018, they announced the album’s title as The TryForce, highlighting a more integrated collaboration among all three members—a departure from previous albums where Hanson's role was comparatively limited. Production duties shifted to Jim Roach—known for his work on Ninja Sex Party's Cool Patrol—replacing Wecht as producer.
Between December 2018 and early 2019, Starbomb gradually unveiled parts of the album cover art and updated release timelines. Originally aiming for a late March release, the launch was postponed to April 19, 2019, with pre-orders becoming available on April 5.
In anticipation of the album’s arrival, music videos for singles including "Blowing the Payload," "A Boy and His Boat," "Welcome to the Mario Party," and "Filling in the Name Of" were published on Egoraptor’s YouTube channel. The album release coincided with new merchandise such as t-shirts and pins.
Starbomb Boom: Rise of Lyrics (2023–2024)
On February 27, 2023, Starbomb announced they were developing their fourth studio album. A preview followed on March 22, 2024. Subsequently, on August 12, 2024, they unveiled the music video for "Pokémon Smash or Pass," which premiered August 16. Later that year on October 23, Starbomb revealed both the release date for their music video "Kiss The Elden Ring" and their forthcoming album; both were launched simultaneously on October 25, 2024.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Starbomb |
|
| Player Select |
|
| The TryForce |
|
| Starbomb Boom: Rise of Lyrics |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Essential Collection |
|
Personnel
Core members
- Dan Avidan (Danny Sexbang) – lead vocals and backing vocals; rapping (active periods: 2013–2019; resumed in 2023–present)
- Arin Hanson (Egoraptor) – rapping and vocals; production duties (active periods: 2013–2019; resumed in 2023–present)
- Brian Wecht (Ninja Brian) – keyboards and programming; production (active periods: 2013–2019; resumed in 2023–present)
Touring and session musicians
- TWRP – supporting band and opening act (active years: 2015–2019)
- Lord Phobos – guitar
- Commander Meouch – bass guitar and backing vocals
- Doctor Sung – keytar, synthesizer; modified vocal effects
- Havve Hogan – drums
Commercial performance
| Chart | Highest ranking |
Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 42 | Starbomb | 2013 |
| US Comedy Albums (Billboard) | 1 | Starbomb | 2013 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) | 1 | Starbomb | 2013 |
| US Rap Albums (Billboard) | 17 | Starbomb | 2013 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 2 | Player Select | 2014 |
| US Comedy Albums (Billboard) | 1 | Player Select | 2014 |
| US Rap Albums (Billboard) | 4 | Player Select | 2014 |
| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA) | 9 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard Canada) | 96 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| Scottish Albums Chart | 44 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Billboard 200 | 22 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Digital Albums (Billboard) | 6 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 2 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Album Sales (Billboard) | 4 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Comedy Albums (Billboard) | 1 | The TryForce | 2019 |
| US Rap Albums (Billboard) | 10 | The TryForce | 2019 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2015) | Rank | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Comedy Albums (Billboard) | 3 | Player Select | 2015 |