Of Mice & Men

A decibel-crushing Southern California metalcore outfit with grunge and nu-metal influences, Of Mice & Men were formed in 2009 by ex-Attack Attack! vocalist and bassist Austin Carlile and New Zealand-born bass player Jaxin Hall. The group broke into the hard rock mainstream in 2011 with the release of their third full-length outing, Restoring Force, which marked the debut of clean vocalist Aaron Pauley. Pauley eventually took over vocal and bass duties from Carlile, the latter of whom left the fold in 2016 due to health issues. The group continued to dole out powerful LPs through the end of the decade, including 2019′s Earth & Sky, 2022′s Echo, and 2023′s Tether.
With a rotating cast of players featuring Carlile (lead vocals), Alan Ashby (rhythm guitar), Phil Manansala (lead guitar), Aaron Pauley (bass, vocals), and Valentino Arteaga (drums), they released their eponymous debut long-player through Rise Records in 2010. Their sophomore effort, The Flood, appeared in 2011, with a deluxe reissue following a year later. The group brought in David Bendeth (Beartooth, Bring Me the Horizon, Crossfaith) to produce third LP Restoring Force, which was released in 2014 and became their most successful outing to date, charting both at home and abroad. Their first live recording, Live at Brixton, appeared in May 2016. Their fourth studio effort, Cold World, arrived later that year, peaking inside the Top 40.
On December 30, 2016, Carlile announced that he would part ways with the band due to continued complications caused by his struggles with a rare genetic disorder. Pauley took over as vocalist and the band forged ahead, releasing the singles “Unbreakable” and “Back to Me.” Of Mice & Men issued Defy, their fifth studio album and the first without Carlile, in early 2018. Pauley remained at the helm for 2019′s Josh Wilbur-produced Earth & Sky, which saw the band deliver their heaviest batch of songs yet. Switching from Rise to the SharpTone label, Of Mice & Men issued the Timeless EP in February 2021, followed by two more EPs, Bloom and Ad Infinitum. All three releases were compiled on Echo in 2022. The hard-hitting “Warpaint” arrived in early 2023, giving fans the first taste of the band’s eighth long-player, Tether, which arrived later that October. ~ James Christopher Monger