Artist Biography
by Ryan Downey
Into Another's music was not easily categorized. At
once hard rock, grunge, alternative, and post-punk, the band's arresting
melodies collided with their stop-and-go rhythms. They added to that a
guitar wizardry steeped more deeply in classic heavy metal bands like
Iron Maiden than the New York City hardcore scene that nurtured half of
the band's membership early on, and an esoteric, far-reaching lyrical
scope delivered skillfully by Richie Birkenhead's silky banshee wail.
Through several indie albums and one major-label offering, fans and
critics got to know Into Another as an intriguing, soulful quartet
capable of transporting listeners with their adventurous soundscapes and
other-worldly approach to guitar-based rock & roll. Into Another
came together in 1990. Birkenhead, one-time guitar player for seminal
straightedge flag bearers Youth of Today and vocalist for the
reggae-tinged Bad Brains-inspired Underdog (who released an incredible
album through Caroline), hooked up with drummer Drew Thomas, who he had
known for years through the New York City scene. Thomas -- himself a
hardcore alumni who spent time bashing the drums for Revelation Records
recording artists Bold -- shared Birkenhead's desire to abandon the
limiting conventions of the hardcore music style and explore other types
of songwriting. The pair found exactly what they were looking for in
Lower East Side musician Peter Moses, a longhaired guitar player who had
never performed in a band before. His wild and uninhibited playing
style greatly impressed Thomas and Birkenhead, who next recruited
bassist Tony Bono. Bono had done a tour of duty in proto-thrash act
Whiplash -- a band about as unlike Bold as one could imagine. Into
Another performed their first show at New York's Pyramid, sharing the
stage with a budding White Zombie. They were soon after offered a
recording contract by Revelation. The following year, they released
their debut, a self-titled album displaying Into Another's sharp musical
chops and tripped-out spiritual vision, encapsulated by the band's
multi-pointed star logo which adorned the album's cover artwork. In
1992, Into Another released the playfully titled Creepy Eepy EP -- four
songs that reflected their increasing range. One of them was a lamenting
ballad for a fallen friend laced with beautiful acoustic playing and
heart wrenchingly honest and poetic lyrical prose. The band grew in
popularity, with the press, fans and major labels taking an interest in
this odd band comprised of a shorthaired hardcore singer with a
high-pitched range, a mod-looking drummer, and two longhaired guys in
bell-bottom pants. 1994 saw the release of what many consider to be
their masterstroke -- the epic Ignaurus opus, filled to the brim with
spectacular songs that venture into deep, dark, and progressive rock
territory while still being firmly anchored in melody, groove, and
abrasive angst. This album catapulted Into Another into the ranks of
much-heralded "buzz" bands. Many proclaimed them to be the proverbial
"next big thing" to arise out of the hardcore scene alongside one-time
labelmates Orange 9mm, Quicksand, and Civ -- all of whom went on to sign
with major labels. Into Another left the indie world in 1995, signing a
deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records, who at that time was best
known for releasing the Crow soundtrack. They gave Revelation one last
EP, a benefit release for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
as the band was made up of three vegans and one vegetarian. Into Another
entered Seattle's London Bridge Studios with producer Rick Parashar, a
man who had previously worked with Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, to mix
their next full-length album. They emerged with Seemless, an album that
reigned in the excesses of previous works in favor of shorter
compositions and more direct, straightforward lyrics, without
sacrificing Into Another's unique and well-established musical identity.
They supported the album's release with several dates on the Warped
Tour alongside L7, labelmates Seaweed, New York hardcore veterans Sick
of It All and, more yet, the public never quite warmed up to the band.
They released one more record through Hollywood, the T.A.I.L. single
(featuring incredible non-album B-sides). Sometime after they recorded
another album's worth of material -- weird, trippy songs steeped in
electronica and drenched in effects that strayed far away from the
band's barn-storming guitar rock. But the recording was never released
and the band broke up. Thomas went on to enjoy a short stint with New
Rising Sons while Birkenhead reformed Underdog and embarked upon a
reunion tour.