Project 86
A heavy, stylistically diverse Christian rock/metal band from Orange County, Project 86's alternative/post-hardcore sound is comparable to that of Tool, Korn, Helmet, and Rage Against the Machine. Since emerging in the late '90s, the band has released a string of commercially and critically acclaimed efforts, including the Billboard-charting Truthless Heroes (2002), Rival Factions (2007), and Wait for the Siren (2012). In 2024, they issued the second installment of the double-LP Omni, an immersive sci-fi/cyberpunk concept album that paired cinematic electronics with crushing metalcore.
Founded in 1996 by vocalist Andrew Schwab in Orange County, California, Project 86's passionate and emotional blend of hardcore punk, rap, and nu-metal caught the attention of Tooth & Nail imprint BEC Recordings, adding the young band to its roster in 1997. Project 86 released its self-titled debut album the following year. The LP sold well, with tracks like "Spill Me," "Six Sirens," "Bleed Season," and "When Darkness Reigns" appearing on popular MTV shows like Road Rules and The Real World. The band inked a deal with Atlantic Records after releasing their sophomore outing, 2000's Drawing Back Lines. Produced by Garth "GGGarth" Richardson in Vancouver, the LP peaked at number 37 on the Heatseekers chart and reached 14 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart. The band conscripted Matt Hyde (Slayer) to helm their third full-length effort, 2002's Truthless Heroes. A concept album with a narrative steeped in post-9/11 American discord and music industry chicanery, it elicited acclaim for its heavy, progressive sound and anti-establishment message.
After parting ways with Atlantic the following year, Project 86 re-signed with Tooth & Nail and released Songs to Burn Your Bridges By, which marked a return to the group's mosh pit-inducing hardcore roots. The band reunited with Garth Richardson for 2005's ...And the Rest Will Follow, which trafficked in themes of adulthood and responsibility. 2007's Rival Factions, which added brooding '80s pop and goth elements to the band's oeuvre, peaked at 124 on the Billboard 200 and at number five on Billboard's Top Christian Albums and earned the group a Dove Award nomination. The album was supported by the release of the Kane Mutiny EP, which included a cover of the Sisters of Mercy's "Lucretia My Reflection." 2009's Picket Fence Cartel found the sweet spot between the dark pop predilections of its predecessor and the heavy metal might of previous outings. 2012's taut and well-received Wait for the Siren was released independently through a successful crowdfunding campaign, which they used again to help make 2014's Knives to the Future. Project 86 commemorated their 20th anniversary with the release of their tenth full-length effort, 2017's Sheep Among the Wolves.
In 2021, the band announced that their forthcoming 11th album would be their last. "Metropolis," the first single, appeared the following year, with "0 > 1" appearing in January 2023. An ambitious double album steeped in the dystopian, sci-fi narrative style of works like Blade Runner, 1984, and Atlas Shrugged, and sporting a muscular sound rooted in djent, death metal, and metalcore, OMNI, Pt.1 arrived later that March. The band concluded the story in 2024 with the release of OMNI, Pt. 2.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
Discography
23 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Truthless Heroes
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Atlantic Records on 17 sep. 2002
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Songs To Burn Bridges By
Gospel - Released by Tooth & Nail (TNN) on 1 jan. 2003
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
And The Rest Will Follow
Gospel - Released by Tooth & Nail (TNN) on 1 jan. 2005
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Picket Fence Cartel
Rock - Released by Team Black Recordings on 7 feb. 2020
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Drawing Black Lines
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Atlantic Records on 21 mrt. 2000
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Rival Factions
Gospel - Released by Tooth & Nail (TNN) on 1 jan. 2007
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Sheep Among Wolves
Rock - Released by Team Black Recordings on 21 dec. 2017
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Self-Titled
Alternative en Indie - Released by Project 86 on 16 jun. 1998
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Wait For The Siren
Metal - Released by Artery Recordings on 21 aug. 2012
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Knives To The Future
Metal - Released by Artery Recordings on 11 nov. 2014
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Industrial Bass
House - Released by Nu Groove Records on 21 sep. 1990
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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OMNI, Pt. 2 (Instrumental)
Metal - Released by Project 86 on 29 mrt. 2024
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
OMNI, Pt. 1 (Instrumental)
Metal - Released by Project 86 on 29 sep. 2023
Available in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
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Hollow Again (Online Music)
Pop - Released by Atlantic Records on 3 dec. 2002
Available in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -