Other bandmembers included David Gabbard (vocals, 1994-1995), Jerry Montano (2001, 2005-2007) and Tommy Sickles (2000-2004, 2005-2007).
Formed in 1994, the band's original line-up consisted of vocalist David Gabbard, guitarist Tom Maxwell, bassist Bill Gaal and drummer Chris Houck. They released three tapes with this lineup, until Gabbard left the band. At this point Matt Holt took over singing duties. The band then recorded a self-titled album featuring ten songs. DCide then discovered Nothingface, and they re-recorded the album, with six of the songs featuring on their debut album Pacifier, released February 6, 1997.
The band were often mislabeled as nu metal, however many music critics denied them as nu metal. They also are known for their extremely aggressive and heavy style.
The band's second album An Audio Guide to Everyday Atrocity was released on September 22, 1998 via DCide/Mayhem Records. The band toured in support of the album throughout the United States with Stuck Mojo,[2] Sam Black Church and Ministry.[2]
Two years later, the band released their third album Violence on October 10, 2000. It was the band's national debut, released via TVT Records. Chris Houck recorded drums for this album but had to leave the group due to medical issues that would prevent him from touring. He was replaced by Tommy Sickles of Ingredient 17 fame (Matt and Tommy's band before Nothingface).
In early 2001, Bill Gaal left the group to pursue a career in music production and engineering. He was replaced by Jerry Montano, formerly of The Deadlights. A few months later, Gaal returned.
The band released their fourth album Skeletons on April 22, 2003 via TVT Records. That summer, the band played on the second-stage of the popular Ozzfest tour.
The group disbanded on February 10, 2004, citing musical differences, inner turmoil, and label troubles. Bill Gaal went on to form Kingdom of Snakes with former members of the band Gunfighter. Their debut EP features vocal work from Matt Holt on one track. Tom Maxwell and Tommy Sickles were in the band Blessed in Black featuring ex-Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton, as well as Jerry Montano on bass.
On November 24, 2005, a posting on the Jägermeister website showed Nothingface as the opening act for Disturbed in a 2006 show. The line-up for this show was Matt Holt, Tom Maxwell, Jerry Montano and Tommy Sickles. The band released two new songs online and went on to do a small U.S. club tour that winter/spring, bringing along Crossbreed and Silent Civilian.
Later that year, guitarist Tom Maxwell and bassist Jerry Montano began a project entitled Hellyeah with Vinnie Paul, formerly of Pantera and Damageplan, as well as Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne. They released their debut album on April 10, 2007 via Epic Records. Following its release, Montano was fired from the band after allegedly assaulting HellYeah producer/engineer Sterling Winfield and making gun threats while drunk at the album release party.
During the first half of April 2008, the band sent out a Myspace bulletin and changed their default profile picture to one of the band in the studio, signaling that they were indeed working on new material. On the 20th of May, they posted a short YouTube clip which features them performing and sent out a Myspace bulletin containing said clip. Four days later, on May 24, it was announced through Blabbermouth.net that original members Bill Gaal and Chris Houck have rejoined Nothingface, with Tommy Sickles now playing drums for the L.A.-based band Noise Within. The band then released several additional "teaser" videos and on February 19, 2009, announced that "the band is at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore MD for the next 2 weeks writing and recording."
The re-release of their self-titled album with remastered songs and new artwork was released on April 8, 2009.
On August 14, 2009, it was announced via Blabbermouth.net that Nothingface would be disbanding,[3] with Maxwell citing Holt's lack of work ethic as the main reason for an unfinished album three years in the making, as well as his decision to leave. Houck would later state that this is "only one side of the story" and that "there were a lot of other factors involved in all of this beyond anything with (Holt)." In a summer 2011 interview, Bill Gaal spoke publicly about the split, stating, "It’s one of those situations where everyone’s story will be different. Broadly, what it boiled down to is that we’re all older now, we all have different responsibilities. Making everything line up time-wise is difficult– I’m in LA, Chris is out in North Carolina, Tom’s out on tour with Hellyeah most of the year, Matt stays home in Baltimore now. And me and Tom have families now, too. You don’t just get together and write a great song, especially with Nothingface. It takes a chunk of time, and we’d always rework songs hundreds of times before releasing them. We only had a couple of intense, 1- or 2-week writing sessions and really, we just ran out of time. We had to get a lot done in a short amount time before we had to get back to other things we had going on. So the timing didn’t work out, but that being said, it doesn’t rule out anything for the future. As pissed-off as Nothingface was back in the day, we’ve definitely all cooled down, and if we could just find one week where all of us were just calm enough and got together, we could do it."
On September 1, 2009, the band released "One Thousand Lies" on their official website. It is a rough "first draft" demo and was recorded in March 2008. On November 13, 2009 the band uploaded "D2" which is another rough "first draft" demo with no vocals.
In early 2011, the band launched their brand new website Nothingface.com. Videos linked to YouTube are present so is a Nothingface wiki, forum, guest book, photo gallery and a section for fans to upload their own videos of Nothingface music. Links to other bands are present also.
I Am Him
Nothingface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A kind of evil
If you're the devil
It's very simple
You never needed anyone
You never needed anything
The pinnacle of ignorance
Yeah, you're faceless
And kind of useless
But that's all pointless
Because I'm faithless
Hide away inside the dark place in my mind
Fear of God and will He take me home to fire
If you're a monster
With plans to murder
You'll find your conflict
Hangs from your shoulder
If you feel it going limp
Find your God and hold your grip
If it starts to burn your hands
Ignore the pain - stick to your plans
You feel guilty
And still you're empty
You define arrogance
Discontent and emptiness
Hide away inside the dark place in my mind
Fear of God and will He take me home to fire
I am the fire at your funeral
I am the bloody Marxist General
I'm the lonely rapist priest
And the Autocratic President
I'm the judge and inquisitor
I am the corporate funded senator
I am the stink, the shit, the hate
I am American
I am the atom-splitting scientist
And the gun-toting lunatic
I am the flag that contradicts
I am the way
I am American!
Hide away inside the dark place in my mind
Fear of God and will He take me home to fire
The song I Am Him by Nothingface is a powerful exploration of the human psyche, particularly the darker aspects of our nature. The opening lyrics, "It's like a needle, a kind of evil, if you're the devil, it's very simple" suggest the addictive and destructive nature of our worst impulses. The next lines, "you never needed anyone, you never needed anything, the pinnacle of ignorance, epitome of dissidence" hint at the isolation and defiance that often accompanies this kind of behavior.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with the fear of his own weaknesses and the potential for violence within himself. He urges listeners to hold onto their faith even in the darkest moments, describing himself as "faithless." The chorus, "Hide away inside the dark place in my mind, fear of God and will He take me home to fire" underscores this sense of inner turmoil and the desire for redemption.
The final verse of the song takes a surprising turn, listing a series of personas that the singer embodies: "I am the fire at your funeral, I am the bloody Marxist General, I'm the lonely rapist priest, and the Autocratic President." This suggests that everyone has the capacity for darkness within them, even those in positions of power or authority. Ultimately, the song suggests that we are all united in our humanity, for better or for worse.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like a needle
This situation is similar to that of a needle piercing through skin
A kind of evil
It's an unexplainable and harmful force
If you're the devil
If you are the embodiment of evil
It's very simple
It's quite easy to understand
You never needed anyone
You never relied on anyone for anything
You never needed anything
You never required any type of assistance or resources
The pinnacle of ignorance
You have reached the highest level of not knowing or abstaining from knowledge
Epitomy of dissidence
You represent the ultimate opposition to established laws or beliefs
Yeah, you're faceless
Yes, you are anonymous and unidentifiable
And kind of useless
Likewise, you are unimportant or without any practical purpose
But that's all pointless
However, none of this really matters
Because I'm faithless
Because I do not have any religious beliefs
Hide away inside the dark place in my mind
I retreat to the innermost recesses of my thoughts
Fear of God and will He take me home to fire
I'm frightened of divine judgment and if I'll be punished in the afterlife
If you're a monster
If you're a dreadful creature
With plans to murder
And the intention of killing someone
You'll find your conflict
You'll encounter conflicts or obstacles
Hangs from your shoulder
And you'll carry the burden of those conflicts or obstacles
If you feel it going limp
If you sense it losing its strength
Find your God and hold your grip
Turn to your faith and hold on tight
If it starts to burn your hands
If it causes pain or suffering
Ignore the pain - stick to your plans
Disregard the pain and remain committed to your intended actions
You feel guilty
You experience remorse or self-blame
And still you're empty
Yet, you are emotionally unfulfilled
You define arrogance
Your actions and behavior demonstrate excessive pride in oneself
Discontent and emptiness
You have feelings of dissatisfaction and unfulfillment
I am the fire at your funeral
I represent the destruction and finality of death
I am the bloody Marxist General
I am the symbol of a violent revolutionary leader
I'm the lonely rapist priest
I am the representative of a morally corrupt and disturbing figure
And the Autocratic President
I am the image of a leader who exercises absolute power and authority
I'm the judge and inquisitor
I am the person in charge of determining guilt or innocence and the one who investigates, often ruthlessly
I am the corporate funded senator
I epitomize the greed and corruption of a politician bought and paid for by big business
I am the stink, the shit, the hate
I am the foul, disgusting and malicious essence of negativity
I am American
I represent the good and the bad of America
I am the atom-splitting scientist
I am the epitome of intelligence and advanced technology
And the gun-toting lunatic
I am the emblem of a crazy person with a weapon
I am the flag that contradicts
I am the flag that fails to uphold the ideals it once represented
I am the way
I am the embodiment of the path to take
I am American!
I am the good and the bad of the United States, fully embracing and accepting it
Hide away inside the dark place in my mind
I retreat to the innermost recesses of my thoughts
Fear of God and will He take me home to fire
I'm frightened of divine judgment and if I'll be punished in the afterlife
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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