The Unfourgiven

   

The Unfourgiven
The Unfourgiven performing in Superior for the World Armageddon Tour in 2014
Background information
Origin	San Francisco City, San Francisco, Sierra
Genres	Heavy metal hard rock alternative metal thrash metal
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Avocado (1990–1994) Polygon Garage Head
Members	Max Leftfield Ezekiel Dodge Addison Lynch James Montague
Associated acts	Damage Inc. Jon Berry's Jam Band Steel Clergy Marble Chapel Voyagers

The Unfourgiven is a Sierran supergroup that formed in San Francisco City in 1990. It was conceived by lead guitarist/vocalist Max Leftfield and bassist Kevin Eldridge of Damage Inc. as a tribute to their friend and former band member, the late drummer Gary Alaric, and was originally funded by Avocado Records. The lineup has featured significant changes over the decades since its conception, with its original line-up consisting of Leftfield on guitar/lead vocals, Eldridge on bass/backing vocals, Eduerd Cornel (Jon Berry's Jam Band) on rhythm guitar and Stan Kameron (Steel Clergy, Marble Chapel Voyagers) on drums. Its current line-up consists of Leftfield on vocals/rhythm guitar, Addison Lynch on lead guitar, Ezekiel Dodge on bass guitar, and James Montague on drums.

The Unfourgiven combines elements of heavy metal, hard rock, alternative and nu metal, and thrash metal. Their debut album, The Unfourgiven (1991), is the third highest-selling debut record by an artist in the 20th century with more than 21 million units sold, being behind The Red Patriot's 1976 self-titled debut and Sal's Berry's 1977 Neverland. It debuted at number one in seven countries and spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Sunset 100. The album is credited in retrospect by critics for inspiring 1990s post-grunge music and convincing the music industry to embrace heavy metal as a genre with mass appeal. This massive commercial success would lead to a highly publicized and lengthy legal battle with their label Avocado Records over master recordings and royalties, during which the band would release their second and third studio albums, Shit (1993) and Piss (1994), to fulfill their contractual obligations. The band would sign a distribution contract with Polygon while forming their own record label, Garage Head Entertainment, in 1994. In 1995, Cornel would leave the band citing creative differences, going on to join Sky Warriors, and was replaced by Addison Lynch (Quikkill) on rhythm guitar.

The band would expand their sound with Styxie rock on Scarstruck (1998), alternative and nu metal on Rock Manifesto (2002), while returning to their heavy metal and thrash roots for Some Kind of Monster (2007), Forged in Fire (2008) and Twisted Fate (2011). On 19 October 2012, Kameron would be involved in a fatal automotive accident in Porciúncula, with the band dedicating their next album, Armageddon Now (2014), in tribute. His position would be filled by James Montague (The Bleeding Roses). In 2016, while on the tour in support for Armageddon Now, Leftfield would injure his hand after one of his guitar amps fell on him during a rehearsal, leaving him to switch to playing rhythm while Lynch would play lead guitar for the band's following album Iron Fists (2019), and future releases. On 3 May 2022, Eldridge announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer after years of chronic smoking, and would be taking a leave of absence from the band. He would be replaced by Ezekiel Dodge (Sofia in Bondage, Torkbrain) for live performances soon. On 18 March 2023, Eldridge would die by circulatory shock as a result of the cancer in his home at age 59. The band's most recent album, Stairs of Babylon (2023), would be dedicated the Eldridge, and has been noted for incorporating elements of post-thrash.

Having released 11 studio albums and sold over 90 million records worldwide, the group has received several Percy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Discography

• The Unfourgiven (1991)
• Shit (1993)
• Piss (1994)
• Scarstruck (1998)
• Rock Manifesto (2002)
• Some Kind of Monster (2007)
• Forged in Fire (2008)
• Twisted Fate (2011)
• Armageddon Now (2014)
• Iron Fists (2019)
• Stairs of Babylon (2023)