Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, this US rock band was formed in 2001 by Slim B. (b. Brendan MacDonald; guitar) and Mark Castillo (drums) as an offshoot of their main band, Harmatia. With Joe Krewko (vocals) and Rich Casey (bass) completing the original line-up, they released the frantic hardcore collection You Had Me At Hello and toured nationwide before the hectic pace of life on the road resulted in a temporary hiatus. MacDonald worked with Connecticut mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed while Castillo joined North Carolina metalcore act Between The Buried And Me, but the duo soon reconvened Bury Your Dead with the returning Casey and new members Mat Bruso (vocals/guitar) and Eric Ellis (guitar). A new recording contract with the Chicago-based metalcore label Victory Records meant that 2004’s Cover Your Tracks received wider distribution. The album employed the unusual conceit of naming every track after a Tom Cruise movie, while the music indicated a move towards a more commercially orientated metalcore sound.
Aaron Patrick replaced Casey following a tour to promote the album, making his recording debut on the 2006 release Beauty And The Breakdown. Following the concept of the preceding release, the tracks were all named after children’s tales and followed the story of a woman and her abuser. The departure of Bruso the following January left the band searching for a new vocalist, and after Michael Crafter filled in temporarily a permanent replacement was found in shape of Myke Terry. He added a more restrained singing style to the band’s sound on their self-titled 2008 release.
