Nothingface were an alternative metal band which formed in 1994 in Washingt… Read Full Bio ↴Nothingface were an alternative metal band which formed in 1994 in Washington D.C., United States. For most of the band's career, the lineup consisted of Matt Holt (vocals), Tom Maxwell (guitar), Bill Gaal (bass) and Chris Houck (drums). The band released five albums - "Nothingface" (1995), "Pacifier" (1997), "An Audio Guide to Everyday Atrocity" (1998), "Violence" (2000) and "Skeletons" (2004) - before disbanding in 2004. The band reformed in 2005, but disbanded once more in 2009.

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.

Scission
Nothingface Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I could find a way
To release the day
I would start the endless night
And burn out the light
You don't need to understand
You never need to know anything
If you hear just what they say
You'll fear its all the same

Lost in the catacombs
Some how I'm feelin' at home
Not far to go
Not far at all

I love to see you cry
I always crack a smile
I crowned
Face down
With the vultures
All around

Lost in the catacombs
Some how I'm feelin' at home
Not far to go
Not far at all

Never felt any distance
Never saw any signs
I never felt I was slipping
And now I'm out of time

I need to stop right now
I cannot fake this anymore
I need control right now
And get my face off the floor

Lost in the catacombs
Some how I'm feelin' at home

Not far to go
Not far at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nothingface's song Scission are evocative and intense, with a powerful use of imagery and a sense of deep emotional turmoil. The song addresses the desire to escape from the mundane and release oneself from the burdens of reality. The singer states that if they could find a way, they would start an "endless night" and "burn out the light," implying a desire to escape or extinguish life altogether.

Throughout the song, the lyrics convey feelings of detachment or dissociation, as if the singer has lost touch with reality. They describe being "lost in the catacombs," where they feel strangely at home, and express a desire to see others in pain. However, there are moments of clarity, as when the singer acknowledges the need for control and to "get my face off the floor." The final lines of the song suggest a sense of urgency and regret as the singer declares that they are "out of time."

Line by Line Meaning

If I could find a way
If I could discover a means

To release the day
To liberate myself from the constraints of day

I would start the endless night
I would initiate an infinite darkness

And burn out the light
And extinguish any light left behind

You don't need to understand
There is no need for comprehension

You never need to know anything
You never need to acquire knowledge

If you hear just what they say
If you only listen to what they say

You'll fear its all the same
You will fear that everything is identical

Lost in the catacombs
Trapped in the underground tombs

Some how I'm feelin' at home
For some reason, I feel comfortable in this place

Not far to go
There is not much distance left to cover