Rocky Gray

William Rocky Gray (born July 2, 1974) is a drummer and guitarist who has been part of the Arkansas metal scene since the early 1990s. He has an extensive career as a musician and is best known as the former drummer for Evanescence from 2002-2007. He is the lead guitarist for Living Sacrifice and Solus Deus, and the drummer for We Are the Fallen.[1] He also plays drums for Soul Embraced, Mourningside, and Machina. Gray is also currently creating a solo album titled Accursed.

Rocky Gray
Birth nameWilliam Gray
Also known asRocky
Born (1974-07-02) July 2, 1974
Jacksonville, Arkansas, U.S.
GenresAlternative metal, Christian metal, death metal
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentsDrums, guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Years active1991-present
LabelsCrimeWave
Associated actsLiving Sacrifice, Soul Embraced, Mourningside, We Are the Fallen, Evanescence, Machina, Shredded Corpse, Kill System, Solus Deus, Bleeding Through, The Killer and the Star, Fatal Thirteen, Project 86, PainGod, Thy Pain, Believer, Austrian Death Machine, Every Knee Shall Bow, Creepy Carnival, Even Devils Die, Seminal Death, The Burning, Chalice, Sickshine, 3 For Sorrow, Inner War, At Wars End, Final Surrender, Abated Mass of Flesh, Cryptic Memoirs
Websitewww.rocky-gray.com

Career

1991–1998

In 1991, Gray joined the grindcore band Shredded Corpse with David S. The band released two albums and eventually disbanded in 1998. In 1997 he formed Soul Embraced with David S. and broke up in 1998. From 1991 to 1998, Gray played for many bands with Shredded Corpse being his main gig.

In 1998, Gray joined the legendary Christian death metal band Living Sacrifice with Arthur Green and Matthew Putman.

1999–2005

In 1999, Gray reunited Soul Embraced with his brother-in-law Chad Moore and fellow Living Sacrifice member, Lance Garvin and released their debut EP, The Fleshless. In 2000, LS released their fifth and Gray, Green and Putman's debut LS release, The Hammering Process. Later that year, Soul Embraced released their debut studio album, For the Incomplete.

In 2002, LS released their sixth, and Gray's sophomore LS release, Conceived in Fire, as well as SE's sophomore album, This Is My Blood. Gray formed the band Kill System in 2002, with Garvin, Moore, John LeCompt (Mindrage, Evanescence) and Allen Robson (Becoming Saints, Descended from Wolves), and recorded their debut, self-titled album. They disbanded in 2003. In early 2003, Gray left the band to play drums live for the Goth rock band, Evanescence; he was replaced by Cory Brandan Putman.[2]

In between Gray's leaving Living Sacrifice and joining Evanescence, Soul Embraced released their album Immune. In 2004, the band released their debut album, Fallen, which featured a cover of Soul Embraced's song, "My Tourniquet".

In 2005, Gray got together with Garvin and Bruce Fitzhugh to record three additional songs for Living Sacrifice's greatest hits, In Memoriam. Later that year, Gray joined fellow Evanescence member John LeCompt in the band Machina.

2006–2011

In 2006, Gray joined the horror-themed band Fatal Thirteen (also stylized as Fatal 13) as the drummer. Gray also formed his own solo project, 3 for Sorrow, and another project with his brother-in-law, called The Burning.[3] Both projects ended almost as abruptly they started. Gray stated that The Burning was put aside as he was focusing on other projects.

After five years of being disbanded, Living Sacrifice reunited and released their sophomore EP, Death Machine. Before LS reunited, Gray left Evanescence along with LeCompt.[4] In 2008, SE released their highly acclaimed album, Dead Alive.

In 2009, Gray and LeCompt formed a project with fellow ex-Evanescence member Ben Moody, and two other members (Carly Smithson, Marty O'Brien) called We Are the Fallen.[1]

In 2010, Living Sacrifice released their 7th, and highly acclaimed album, The Infinite Order, which featured many guest spots, including David Bunton of The Showdown and Joe Musten of Advent.

2012–present

In 2012, Gray produced an EP by then-local band Every Knee Shall Bow.[5] The band soon after signed to Rottweiler Records, which Soul Embraced signed soon after.[6] Gray joined Solus Deus soon after they started.[7] In 2012, they released their debut, self-titled EP, and in 2013 their sophomore release, The Bloodtrail as well as their third EP, The Plague in 2017, featuring Darryl McDaniels from Run-D.M.C..

In 2013, both LS and SE released albums, Ghost Thief, which featured artists such as Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter and Dave Peters of Throwdown[8] and Mythos, which featured Fitzhugh.[9]

In 2014, Fatal Thirteen broke up. Three other projects emerged, including Creepy Carnival, which Gray formed with Wretched Graverobber and Spano Graverobber of the horror punk band Grave Robber, and Jeff Bowie of Descended from Wolves, Mourningside, and Soul Embraced.[10][11] The other projects were Even Devils Die, another project with LeCompt, and his other solo project, under the name Rocky Gray.

In 2015, Gray recorded a solo album, titled Accursed, and many of the tracks appeared on the soundtrack for Killing Floor 2 (released by Tripwire Interactive; soundtrack released by Solid State Records)[12] Gray stated that he wanted Living Sacrifice and Soul Embraced to have a new release by 2016.[13] In 2015, Gray composed the score for the film The Barn and the video game based on the movie.[13]

In 2016, Gray was nominated for a "Best Scorer" award for his work on The Barn.[14] Later that year, Gray, alongside longtime friend LeCompt, joined local Arkansas gothic rock band Cryptic Memoirs.

Gray composed music for the 2017 film 10/31, and composed music for the upcoming film Cryptids.[15]

Personal life

Rocky Gray is married to Renée Gray, and they have two children, Abraham and Madison. They live in Little Rock, Arkansas. His brother-in-law, Chad Moore, plays with Gray in Soul Embraced (vocals) and played with him in Kill System (bass) and The Burning (vocals).

Bands
Current
  • Rocky Gray (solo) – guitars, drums, bass (2014–present)
  • Soul Embraced – lead guitar (1997–2009, 2014–present), rhythm guitar (1997–2006, 2014–present), bass (1997–2006), drums (2009–2014), backing vocals (1999–present)
  • Mourningside – drums (2004–present)
  • Living Sacrifice – lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–2003, 2005, 2008–present)
  • Machina – drums (2005–present)
  • Even Devils Die – guitar, keyboards, programming (2014–present)[16]
  • Creepy Carnival - guitar (2014–present)
  • Cryptic Memoirs - drums, guitar (2013–present)
Former
  • Chalice – drums (1991)
  • Shredded Corpse – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass (1991–1998)
  • Sickshine[17] – drums (1993–1995)
  • PainGod (later known as Flesh Compressor) – (1994–1995)
  • Seminal Death – vocals, guitar (1995)
  • Thy Pain – guitar, vocals (2002)
  • Kill System – guitar (2002–2003)
  • Evanescence – drums (2002–2007)
  • The Burning – guitar (2005–2006)
  • 3 for Sorrow – drums, bass and guitar (2005–2006)
  • Fatal Thirteen – drums (2006–2014)
  • We Are the Fallen – drums (2009–2012)
  • Solus Deus – lead guitar, backing vocals (2012–2017)
Touring
Timeline

Selected discography
With Soul Embraced
With Living Sacrifice
With Evanescence
With Kill System
  • Kill System (2002)
With Machina
  • Machina EP (2007)
  • To Live And Die in the Garden of Eden (2012)
With We Are the Fallen
With Solus Deus
As Rocky Gray
  • Accursed (2015)
With Cryptic Memoirs
  • Weight of the World EP (2017)
As scorer
Other credits

CrimeWave

In 2005, Rocky launched a clothing line called CrimeWave Clothing, which he has since abandoned. CrimeWave is also the name of Rocky's record label, which currently features Fatal Thirteen.

References
  1. "Carly Smithson to join forces with ex-Evanescence musicians to become the Fallen". LA Times. June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  2. Putman, Cory Brandan (August 23, 2015). "Cory Putman of Norma Jean". Interviewed by Trav Turner. As The Story Grows. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  3. Sharpe-Young, Garry (2005). New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Zonda Books Limited. p. 312. ISBN 0-9582684-0-1.
  4. Spin Staff (May 21, 2007). "Evanescence's Amy Lee Speaks Out". SPIN. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  5. Steve (March 30, 2012). "Every Knee Shall Bow EP available now". Indie Vision Music. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  6. Soul Embraced. "Soul Embraced announcement". Facebook. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  7. "Ex-Evanescence, Chimaira, and Bleed the Sky members join forces in Solus Deus". Blabbermouth. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  8. "Living Sacrifice, 'Ghost Thief'". ThePRP. October 9, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  9. "SOUL EMBRACED To Release Mythos Next Month". Blabbermouth.net. June 18, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  10. ""Creepy Carnival", a new project with Grave Robber & Living Sacrifice members". Mauce.nl. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  11. "Gray Matter: A Flame in the Dark explores dark mind of Rocky Gray". A Flame In the Dark. October 1, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  12. Campbell, Spencer (March 25, 2015). "Details on Killing Floor 2's Official Soundtrack Released". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  13. "Interview with William Rocky Gray, Shredded Corpse". Tough Riffs. December 18, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  14. "The Barn - Awards - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  15. Gelmini, David (July 25, 2017). "Exclusive: Evanescence's Rocky Gray Talks Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories". Dread Central. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  16. "Rocky Gray". Encyclopedia Metallum.
  17. "Rocky Gray Interview". Drummers Zone.
  18. Grey (2015). "Exclusive Interview w/ the Barn Composer Rocky Gray". Modern Horrors. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  19. "FATAL THIR13EN My Space Profile". MySpace. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  20. Steffens, Charlie. "The Big "LC"". HM Magazine. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  21. Eaves, Chelc. "Final Surrender". HM Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  22. "Rocky Gray - Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
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