Usurp Synapse

Usurp Synapse is a screamo band from Lafayette, Indiana. The group combines fast and frantic grindcore influenced drumming and guitar work, and raw screams.

Usurp Synapse
Origin	Lafayette, Indiana
Genres	Hardcore punk, screamo, grindcore, emoviolence[1]
Years active	1998–2001, 2004, 2023–present
Labels	Clean Plate Records Electric Human Project Happy Couples Never Last Level Plane Records Magister Ludi Records Witching Hour Records
Members	John Scott Travis Chance Don Kirkland Tony Dryer
Past members	Dustin Redington Brandon Harris Dean Duval Antonio Leiriao Mike Dixon

History

Usurp Synapse formed in 1998 in Lafayette, Indiana.^[2] Their line up changed somewhat frequently during their initial run. Antonio Leiriao, their second vocalist, originally lived in New York^[3] before he moved to Indiana in 1999 to join the group. Most of their music was released through split albums with other artists, perhaps their most famous split being their Just Do It! record with Hassan I Sabbah, which included razor blades. Unconventional marketing methods such as this was utilized by the band throughout their run.

In 2000, they toured the United States along with Jeromes Dream, who they also released a split with, and Racebannon from May to June. This would become the only major nationwide tour for the band. In 2001, they announced plans to do another tour in the United States, Europe, and Japan over the summer. They also announced plans to release a split with Pg. 99, a split with Mara'akate shaped as Indiana,^[4] and what would have been the band's first full-length album, which was under the working title of ATM Diatribe. That same year Mike Dixon (who previously worked in the band Rep Seki) joined Usurp Synapse as the keyboardist.

Later that same year it was announced that all plans, except for ATM Diatribe, had to be cancelled. ATM Diatribe was initially supposed to be released on compact disc and vinyl through Happy Couples Never Last, however that too was cancelled when the band broke up in the spring of 2001. The tracks from the ATM Diatribe sessions, along with the rest of the band's recorded discography, was eventually released on Disinformation Fix, a discography compilation released through Alone Records.

In 2008, the group released A Vile Contamina through their Myspace page for free. The EP included material recorded during their reformative period.

Former members of the band would later join other projects such as Fax Arcana and The Drago Miette, both of whom are now disbanded. Antonio Leirao would move on to the indie rock band Thin Fevers^[5] and is now a funk DJ.^[3] Chance now works as a session drummer in New York^[6] and was one of the many drummers who played in The Boredoms 2008 88 Boadrums event.^[7]

In 2019, there were talks of another reunion, and a new EP titled Adult Adoption was released, being a solo release by the band's guitarist Don Kirkland. It was released under the name of The Usurp Synapse, as that was the name used by the band for their unofficial extra releases. This event didn't mark a new reunion of the band.

In 2023, the band reunited officially, under a new incarnation made up of Antonio, Don, John, and Travis. They re-released their EP A Vile Contamina but with newly recorded vocals, and released an entirely new single titled Guitargoyles Just Wanna Have Fun which led to the release of the EP Polite Grotesqueries made up of brand new material. The band went on a tour alongside modern screamo and mathcore bands Frail Body and Meth, and then a tour with Gillian Carter and Thrull in 2024. The band also added new guitarist Brian Wyrick, from the band Mara'akate.

In 2025, they went on a tour with the band Missouri Executive Disorder 44, which led to the release of a split EP between the two bands.

Band members

Current members

• Antonio Leiriao – vocals (1999–2001, 2023–present)
• John Scott – vocals, keyboards (1998–2001, 2004, 2023–present); bass (2023–present)
• Don Kirkland – guitars (1998–2001, 2004, 2023–present); trombone (2000)
• Brian Wyrick – guitars (2025–present)
• Travis Chance – drums, percussion (1998–2000, 2004, 2023–present); keyboards (2000)

Former members

• Mike Dixon – guitars, bass (2000); keyboards (2001)
• Dean Duval – guitars (1998–1999)
• Brandon Harris – guitars (1999–2001)
• Dustin Redington – bass (1998–1999)
• Tony Dryer – bass (1999–2001, 2004)
• Jeremy King – drums, percussion (2000)
• Heather Rae – keyboards (2000)
• Jerry Atwood – keyboards (2000)
• Stephanie Shankel – keyboards, trombone, trumpet (2000)
• Christopher Williams – vocals (2000)
• David Britts – vocals (2000)

Timeline

Discography

Split releases

Year	Album Details	Notes
1999	Index For Potential Suicide/Usurp Synapse Released: 1999 Label: Witching Hour Records Format: 7"	1100 black copies, 200 orange copies. 100 copies had special tour edition covers, 20 came with xerox'd covers Split with Index For Potential Suicide.
1999	Index Of Isolation Released: 1999 Label: Happy Couples Never Last Records Format: 7"	1000 black colored copies. Split with Emotion Zero.
2000	Rep Seki/Usurp Synapse Released: 2000 Label: Magester Ludi Records Format: 5" picture disc	1000 picture disc copies, split with Rep Seki
2000	The Chilling Tale Of Usurp Synapse, As Told By Neil Perry Released: May 1, 2000 Label: Level Plane Records Format: 7"	1100 black copies, 100 copies had alternative artwork under the name Comes Around, Goes Around. Split with Neil Perry.
2000	Just Do It! Released: July 3, 2000 Label: Electric Human Project Format: 7"	1000 black copies, 100 white, 5 test pressings. All white copies came with a razor blade with "have fun!" written on it, some copies also included a bandage stuck onto the front cover. Split with Hassan I Sabbah.
2000	An Aspirin, An X-Ray Released: August 2000 Label: Clean Plate Records/Level Plane Records Format: 7"	1300 white copies, 200 black copies, 20 test pressings. 15 copies had alternative cover art. Some copies included a tour pin. Split with Jeromes Dream

Extended plays

Year	Album Details	Notes
1999	In Examination Of Released: March 4, 1999 [6"] May 1, 2000 [7"] Label: Level Plane Records/Witching Hour Records Format: 6", 7"	First released in 1999 as a 6" consisting of 666 black copies. 25 copies were sold at live shows with alternative artwork. Reissued in 2000 as a 7" consisting of 200 translucent red copies which was only available through mail-order. The first 99 copies of the 6" version came with "blood pills" (pills with fake blood in them)
1999	This Endless Breath Released: September 1999 Label: Happy Couples Never Last Records Format: CD	1000 copies were wrapped in paper, 50 copies were tour editions that came with black covers, 50 copies came with cobra covers. All copies came with stickers.
2000	The Main Ingredient Released: 2000 Label: Self-released Format: 7"	Known as "the penis 7 inch" due to its packaging: The front side of the cover included a flap designed as a penis, and the back side included a hole shaped as a vagina. The 7" only included the title track on both sides, however the second side has "Tour Release of 200" etched on it, making it impossible to play. Limited to 200 pink copies.
2008	A Vile Contamina Released: August 2008 Label: Self-released Format: DL	Intended to be released sometime in 2004, but shelved soon after completion. It was eventually released for free download on the band's Myspace page in 2008.

Compilation albums

Year	Album Details	Notes
2003	Disinformation Fix Released: 2003 Label: Alone Records Format: 2xCD	Discography compilation that included every single song Usurp Synapse recorded up to that point, including songs from the sessions for the scrapped ATM Diatribe album.

Compilation Appearances

Year	Album Details	Song
2000	Summertime Released: 2000 Label: Kordava Milk Bar Records Format: CD	"More Than Meets The Eye"
2000	HCNL Sampler V1.07.00 Released: 2000 Label: Happy Couples Never Last Records Format: CD-R	"Oh, You Are Sick"
2000	Songs Of The Dead 2: Idle Hands Released: September 2000 Label: And Heres Where My Troubles Began Records Format: CD	"Brundle Fly"
2000	Antipodes Released: October 2000 Label: Level Plane Records Format: 7"	"Good Luck With Your Book"
2001	Relics Of Ordinary Life Released: 2001 Label: Happy Couples Never Last Records Format: CD	"..."