Misery Signals

Misery Signals
Misery Signals performing live in 2005
Background information
Origin	Madison, Wisconsin, Edmonton, Alberta
Genres	Melodic metalcore,^[1]^[2] progressive metalcore^[3] post-hardcore^[4]
Years active	2002–2024
Labels	Ferret, Basick
Spinoffs	Burning Empires
Spinoff of	7 Angels 7 Plagues

Past members	Jesse Zaraska Ryan Morgan Branden Morgan Stuart Ross Kyle Johnson Karl Schubach Jeff Aust Gregory Thomas Kent Wren

Website	www.miserysignalsmusic.com

Formation (2002–2003)

Misery Signals was formed after the disbanding of several bands, including 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Hamartia, and Compromise. Ryan Morgan and Kyle Johnson approached former Compromise vocalist, Jesse Zaraska, who played briefly with 7 Angels 7 Plagues, for a new project that would become Misery Signals. Jeff Aust from Hamartia joined on second guitar, and Morgan's brother Branden joined as drummer. Aust left the band and went on to join With Honor. He was replaced with Stu Ross.

In 2003, the band released its eponymous debut EP. The EP was dedicated to the memory of Jordan Wodehouse and Daniel Langlois, who were killed by a drunk driver on Interstate 20 near Heflin, Alabama while on tour with Compromise in support of 7 Angels 7 Plagues.

Ferret Music (2004–2009)

The band signed to New Jersey's Ferret Music and released their first full-length album, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart. After extensive touring resulted in friction between Zaraska and band members, he was asked to leave. The band began auditioning vocalists via Myspace, announcing Karl Schubach as Zaraska's replacement with whom they recorded the album Mirrors.

In July 2008, Misery Signals released their third full-length album, Controller. After extensive touring in support of Controller in early 2009, members of Misery Signals wanted to pursue other musical directions outside their band.^[6]

Side Projects (2009–2010)

Schubach is involved in a heavy metal side project called Solace. He is the sole member of the band, recording guitar, bass and vocals in a D.I.Y. home studio. The drums are added in digitally with a program on his MacBook. During the funding stages of this side project, he provided incentives to individuals and bands in return for financial support using crowd funding platform Kickstarter.^[7] As part of this incentive plan, Schubach provided guest vocals on a song by UK metal/hardcore band The Divided.^[8]

Hardcore/punk band Burning Empires consists of members from Misery Signals, Fall Out Boy and 7 Angels 7 Plagues, with vocalist Ryan Morgan, bassist Kyle Johnson, guitarists Stu Ross and Matthew Mixon, and drummer Andy Hurley. The quintet owns a clothing line / record label called Fuck City.

Milwaukee-based punk/post-hardcore band Lowtalker consists of Branden Morgan and Stuart Ross of Misery Signals. They joined Casey Hjelmberg and Matt Keil of Comeback Kid to complete the four-piece. Lowtalker released their EP People Worry About Everything in the spring of 2010 through FC records.

In 2010, Stuart Ross became the frontman of Vancouver, BC pop-punk band Living with Lions. Ross officially left Misery Signals on September 25, 2010, to focus on Living with Lions, and was reportedly tired of heavy metal.^[6]^[9] In October 2010, Kyle Johnson announced his departure from the band.^[10]

Absent Light (2011–2015)

After an extended period of inactivity with a focus on side projects, Misery Signals made an official statement in November 2010. The press release addressed the loss of Ross and Johnson, and announced the band had not broken up.^[6] Ryan Morgan commented, "In the next few months, we'll group back up and return."^[6] On maintaining the band's style and keeping the same name, Morgan said, "Stu and Kyle made awesome contributions, but the trajectory of the band remains the same in their absence. If the time came that our sound took a drastically different course, then it wouldn't be Misery Signals anymore, and we wouldn't pretend that it was."^[11]

The first new release from Misery Signals after this major line up change was a cover of Pink Floyd's song "Us and Them" from the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. The song was featured on the soundtrack for the video game Homefront, released free of charge for digital download on March 22, 2011.^[12]

In April 2011, Schubach posted a couple tweets mentioning band practice, writing new material in June, and said "We're focusing on bringing the new guys up to speed at the moment." The new lineup appeared on the Crush Em All tour fall 2011. In early 2012, the band stated they were working on material for a new album. Schubach stated in an interview, "I think every band aims to progress with each album they write. But sometimes progression is learning what worked really well the previous records and incorporating those elements. So far these new songs feel like a purposeful blend of our most recent, more structured Controller record mixed with the chaos and spontaneity of the earlier Of Malice and the Magnum Heart." All the members reunited in the studio and started an Indiegogo fundraiser to help pay for the recording, marketing, and pressing of the new album, as the band is currently signed to Basick Records.

On July 23, 2013, Misery Signals released Absent Light, with the first single, "Luminary", released twenty days earlier.

On May 30, 2014, news surfaced that Misery Signals planned to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Of Malice and the Magnum Heart with the "Malice X Tour" later that year. The tour featured the band's original lineup, Jesse Zaraska (vocals), Ryan Morgan (lead guitar), Stu Ross (rhythm guitar), Kyle Johnson (bass), and Branden Morgan (drums). Misery Signals performed the album in its entirety.

Ultraviolet (2016–2024)

On October 19, 2016, Zaraska confirmed rumours of an original lineup reunion tour and album. When reached for comment by Nic Huber of Metal Injection, Zaraska said, "It is the truth, sir. We are in the midst of writing new material together and will be playing some show over the coming year. It has been very cool thus far. We will definitely be doing a proper US tour in 2017."

On March 24, 2018, at Midwest Meltdown in Iowa City, Iowa, Zaraska, announced the band was holed up in Boise, Idaho over the previous few weeks. He stated they were working on a then-new album. Zaraska stated on stage he believed it would "be the BEST Misery Signals album yet." When asked about the style of the album, Zaraska replied, "It will probably be a lot like Of Malice."

On the "Death to False Metalcore Tour 2019" with Darkest Hour and Unearth, the band played "Sunlifter"^[13] from their Absent Light b-side vinyl release. Zaraska stated November 2019 as the release date for their then-new album.

On May 14, 2020, Misery Signals announced their fifth studio album, Ultraviolet, to be released on August 7, 2020, along with the release of the single “The Tempest” ^[14]

To commemorate its 20th anniversary, Misery Signals' 2003 self-titled debut EP was re-released in 2023, for the first time ever on vinyl.^[15]

On April 2, 2024, Misery Signals announced they would break up in late-2024 and embark on one final tour with both Zaraska and Schubach.^[16] The final show took place on October 19.^[17]

History

Formation (2002–2003)

Ferret Music (2004–2009)

Side Projects (2009–2010)

Absent Light (2011–2015)

Ultraviolet (2016–2024)

Members

Discography

References

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