Memphis May Fire

A Texas-bred, Nashville-based metalcore outfit, Memphis May Fire deliver a precise and hard-hitting combination of post-hardcore, metal, and emo. Led by fiery frontman Matty Mullins, who often writes about his struggles with anxiety and depression, the band have endured numerous lineup changes over the years, with guitarist Kellen McGregor remaining the sole original member. Initially operating under the moniker Oh Captain, My Captain, the band emerged in 2009 with the punishing Sleepwalking, which was issued on Trustkill Records. They hit their stride in 2015 with the release of their fourth long-player, Unconditional, which debuted at the number four spot on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Alternative Albums chart. The band continued to see chart success with subsequent efforts This Light I Hold (2016), Broken (2018), and Remade in Misery (2022).
Founded in 2006 by Chase Ryan (vocals), Kellen McGregor (guitar and vocals), Ryan Bentley (guitar), Austin Radford (bass), and Jeremy Grisham (drums), the band began operating as Memphis May Fire the following year, and released their eponymous debut EP — it was issued in early 2007 independently, and later that year on Trustkill Records, with whom they had signed shortly after its initial release. The group immediately began to work on new material for a long-player while honing their very intricate brand of metalcore on the road. In 2009, the band parted ways with Ryan, and brought in new vocalist Matty Mullins, who made his studio debut on their first full-length effort, Sleepwalking — the track “Ghost in the Mirror” made its way onto the Saw VI soundtrack.
The EP Between the Lies arrived in 2010, and Memphis May Fire signed on with Rise Records in 2011 and released their sophomore effort, The Hollow, which launched them to the top of Billboard’s U.S. Heatseekers chart. It marked the debut of new drummer Jake Garland, who took over for Eric Molesworth, and the last studio outing for rhythm guitarist Ryan Bentley, who left the fold shortly after the LP’s release. The band brought in ex-Decoder guitarist Anthony Sepe for album number three, 2012′s chart-topping Challenger, leaving Kellen McGregor as the last of the group’s founding members. Arriving in 2014, the versatile and theatrical Unconditional debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart, and in 2016 they released This Light I Hold, which debuted at number 42 on the Billboard 200 and featured guest appearances by Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and My American Heart’s Larry Soliman.
Guitarist Anthony Sepe departed ahead of Memphis May Fire’s sixth studio long-player, 2018′s Kane Churko-produced Broken, which featured the mainstream rock hit “The Old Me.” 2021 saw the release of the punishing single “Blood & Water.” The equally punitive “Death Inside” and “Bleed Me Dry” followed in early 2022, signaling a return to the group’s heavier roots. Later that summer, all three cuts appeared on the band’s seventh long-player, Remade in Misery. ~ James Christopher Monger