The Breathing Process

The Breathing Process is an American deathcore band, formed in 2003 as one of the first bands of the genre to incorporate symphonic elements into their music, along with standard death metal and black metal. The band has released four albums and two EPs.

The Breathing Process
Origin	Connecticut/Pittsburgh, U.S.
Genres	Deathcore, blackened death metal, symphonic black metal, metalcore (early)
Years active	2003-2013, 2017-present
Labels	Siege of Amida, Unique Leader
Members	Jordan Milner Sara Loerlein Bryan James Bever Alexander Verschoor Christopher Rabideau Dan Patton
Past members	Chris Sansone Ian Van Opijnen Brian Varney John LaFreniere Alana Potocnik Alan Cassidy Jared Sloan Tormentahl Julian Parker Cody Harmon Jake Staley Mark Bellofatto

History

Since forming, The Breathing Process released three EPs, two of which were demos,^[1] after which they were signed to Siege of Amida Records, known for their work with bands like Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage, and All That Remains, releasing their debut album In Waking: Divinity via the label in October 2007.^[2] The album was noted for showing the band departing from their earlier metalcore sound by mixing the genre with blackened death metal, a style compared to fellow symphonic deathcore pioneers Winds of Plague.^[3] The band began to tour, but on April 22, 2008, their touring van and most of their belongings were destroyed in a massive fire.^[4] The band resumed touring in Canada in March 2009, with bands The World We Knew, The Analyst, and Whisteria Cottage.^[5]

The band's second full-length album Odyssey (un)Dead was released on March 8, 2010.^[6] The album received some positive reviews.^[7][8] The band has released a music video for "Vultures".^[9] The band toured in the U.S. in April and May 2010,^[10] and took part in Diskreet's American tour from August to October 2010, alongside Antagonist and Wretched.^[11][12] The band has also spoken their views against illegal downloading of music.^[13]

After several years of inactivity, the band toured in the U.S. in late July 2018 with Through the Eyes of the Dead.^[14] The Breathing Process released its first full-length album, Samsara on August 31, 2018.^[15] The band's fourth album Labyrinthian was released on October 8, 2021, their first album with Unique Leader Records, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero, known for his work with Cattle Decapitation and Rivers of Nihil.^[16] The album received some mildly positive reviews.^[17][18] The band has released singles and music videos for "Wilt",^[19] "Shroud",^[20] "Heir to None",^[21] and "Shadow Self".^[22] The band promoted the album with a U.S. tour in 2022 with Worm Shepherd.^[23]

Labyrinthian features guest vocals by David Simonich (Signs of the Swarm) in "Wilt" and Jamie Graham (Viscera, ex-Sylosis) in the title track. Speaking about the guest vocalists, founding guitarist Jordan Milner stated, "Dave was just the easiest collaboration as we sent him a message and he just turned up to the studio. We had a pre-production demo of the song we wanted him to guest on and it was very much bare bones with the tempo maps done so we could slot it in when the final recording was done. Chris and Dave were just sat there like whisper screaming ideas at each other which was quite funny without music. I’ve known Jamie Graham since like 2007 as he actually has us signed to Siege Of Amida. We’ve wanted to do a song with him forever because I love his voice and the projects he’s done. We literally sent him the song and got it back within a week. Personally it’s my favourite song on the album! It’s been great to continue that relationship into Unique Leader. Lightning really did strike twice. We just sent him a couple of demos and he signed us up!"^[24]

The band released a new EP titled Todeskrone on November 24, 2023.^[25] A music video was released for "Empty, Not Alone".^[26] Keyboardist Alexander Verschoor has guest appeared in the songs "Misery" by Eternal Bloom^[27] and "Devil's Tongue" by Enthogen.^[28]

Musical style

The Breathing Process started off as a metalcore band,^{[29][1][3][17]} but since then, the band and its material have been described as deathcore,^{[7][17][18][24]} blackened deathcore,^{[16][20][21][25]} blackened death metal,^[29][3][16] death metal,^[1][12][18] black metal,^[1][18] symphonic black metal,^[17][18] and symphonic deathcore.^[29]

Members

Source:^[29]

Current members Jordan Milner - guitars (2003–present) Sara Loerlein - guitars, additional clean vocals (2009–present) Bryan James Bever - drums (2017–present) Alexander Verschoor - keyboards (2019–present) Christopher Rabideau - vocals (2019–present) Dan Patton - bass (2019–present)

Past members Chris Sansone - drums, keyboards (2003–2008) Ian Van Opijnen - guitars (2003–2009) Brian Varney - bass (2003–2009) John LaFreniere - vocals (2003–2013) Alana Potocnik - keyboards (2008–2009) Alan Cassidy - drums (2008–2009) Jared Sloan - keyboards (2009–2013) Tormentahl - drums (2009–2013) Julian Parker - bass (2009–2013) Cody Harmon - vocals (2017–2019) Jake Staley - bass (2017–2019) Mark Bellofatto - keyboards (2017–2019)

Guests Dave Otero - vocals (on "Vultures" and "The Opaque Forest (Part II)") Julianne Dowell - vocals (on "Metamorphosis" and "Wind Ritual") David Simonich - vocals (on "Wilt") Jamie Graham - vocals (on "Labyrinthian")

Discography

Source:^[30]

• Dialog Analysis for the Heartless (EP) (2003)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dead Air Frequency"	3:02
2.	"Adulteration"	2:11
3.	"Nectar"	4:23
4.	"Forbearing"	3:20
5.	"Dissecting Conversations for the Misanthrope"	3:12
6.	"Nightly Dreams of Impossible Love"	3:12
Total length:		21:45

• In Waking: Divinity (October 2007)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Hunter"	1:04
2.	"In Waking: Divinity"	3:37
3.	"Lament Configuration"	0:44
4.	"Blessed, Be Thine Martyr"	3:15
5.	"Pandora's Rebirth"	3:29
6.	"Oceans"	0:21
7.	"The Harvesting"	3:40
8.	"Prey"	4:09
9.	"Legion's Prayer"	0:50
10.	"Dear Antigone"	4:14
11.	"Somnium"	4:05
12.	"The Treasonist (bonus track)"	4:56
Total length:		34:24

• Odyssey (Un)Dead (March 8, 2010)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hours"	1:42
2.	"Grimoire"	4:29
3.	"Leveler"	4:32
4.	"Vultures"	4:05
5.	"Pantheon Unraveling"	3:43
6.	"Starless:Eternal"	1:10
7.	"Odyssey (un)Dead"	4:19
8.	"Metamorphosis"	4:21
9.	"Hordes"	6:06
10.	"The Living Forest (Part I)"	4:05
11.	"Wind Ritual"	2:46
12.	"The Opaque Forest (Part II)"	4:25
13.	"Decaying (Form)"	5:07
Total length:		50:50

• Samsara (August 31, 2018)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Et Hoc Est Infernum"	1:35
2.	"The Traveler"	5:24
3.	"Into the Night"	4:54
4.	"Supervoid"	4:29
5.	"The Conscious Observer"	5:19
6.	"Servile"	4:26
7.	"Dethroned"	4:38
8.	"The Nothing"	5:18
9.	"Sungrazer"	3:43
10.	"Absolute Truth"	5:31
Total length:		45:17

• Labyrinthian (October 8, 2021)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Terminal"	5:33
2.	"Shadow Self"	4:23
3.	"Wilt"	4:22
4.	"A Savage Plea"	5:09
5.	"Labyrinthian"	5:24
6.	"I Sleep, I Wake"	7:04
7.	"Heir to None"	4:55
8.	"Shroud"	5:01
9.	"Atlas"	4:53
10.	"We, the Drowned"	6:54
Total length:		53:38

• Todeskrone (EP) (November 24, 2023)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Empty, Not Alone"	4:35
2.	"Hell Is Almost Heaven"	5:24
3.	"Clawed"	5:02
4.	"Todeskrone"	5:23
Total length:		20:24