Introduction
"In 1998 the iconic Swedish hardcore punk band Refused begged for it, in 2011 we finally began to hear the response. New Noise. American hardcore band American Standards has managed to bring a fresh spin on a genre that has become increasingly riddled with cookie cutter breakdowns and empty messages." - Top40-Charts.com
2011-2012
Formed in 2011, American Standards plays raw, chaotic hardcore sometimes refered to as "mathcore" or "noise punk". The band released its powerhouse debut album Still Life under We Are Triumphant (distributed by Victory Records) and immediately went on to share the stage with the likes of; Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, Comeback Kid, Emery and Atreyu. American Standards quickly became known for their intense live show, tongue in cheek demeanor and relentless work ethic playing over 250+ shows to date.
2013-2014
In 2013, American Standards underwent some significant line up changes, replacing their drummer and moving their bassist to guitar. This is when the band also decided to go back to their DIY roots by independently releasing The Death of Rhythm and Blues EP. Many viewed the change as a risky move for a highly anticipated sophomore release, however the transition proved to pay off. The album was met with positive critical acclaim and landed the band on multiple respected music festivals.
2015-2016
Adjusting the the new environment, in 2015 American Standards began to partner with several international DIY labels in order to allow their international distribution to remain low cost and quickly accessible. This included Enjoyment Records in the U.K. and Nacion Libre in Mexico. It also expanded their available formats from digital and CD to include previously unreleased vinyl and cassettes. Shortly after, the band released the Hungry Hands EP which walked the line between 90s hardcore punk and early 2000s metalcore with an experimental twist.
Beyond
American Standards has announced a new full length album titled "Anti-Melody" with a release date of April 15th 2017. Based on recent interviews with the band, the release will continue to build upon sociopolitical themes, corporate greed, satire and materialism but will also have a much more personal tone.
"What started as social commentary on the growing divide in our society became very personal when our founding guitarist (Cody Conrad) passed of suicide and then soon after, my father of cancer. We went back to rewrite much of the album and in a lot of ways used it as therapy to cope with the experiences. Although intimate, at its core Anti-Melody is centered around the universal theme of separation on many levels." -Brandon Kellum (vocalist)
