Brown Brigade

Brown Brigade
Origin Ontario, Canada
Genres Heavy metal, reggae, breakbeat hardcore
Years active 2003, 2006–2009
Labels Aquarius
Associated acts Sum 41, Organ Thieves, Cauterize, The Quits, RPO, Blackjacket
Website brown-brigade.com (no longer registered)
Members Dave Baksh
Vaughn Lal
Johnny Owens
Chuck Coles
Cess Rock
Past members Craig Pattison
Travis Sanders

Brown Brigade was a reggae-influenced heavy metal band created by former Sum 41 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, after leaving Sum 41 in May 2006. Last members were Baksh himself, (vocals, guitar), Vaughn Lal (bass, backing vocals), Johnny Owens (drums), Chuck Coles (guitar), and Cess Rock (live percussion).

History

Formation and Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness (2003, 2006–2007)

Dave Baksh, ex-lead guitarist of Canadian punk band Sum 41, formed Brown Brigade as a side-project with his cousin Vaughn Lal in 2003. The existence of the band was brought into the spotlight on May 11, 2006, when Baksh announced he would be leaving Sum 41 to focus his full attention on Brown Brigade. Baksh noted several reasons as to why he left Sum 41, in an interview with MTV published on June 8, 2006. He stated that he was displeased with how Sum 41 was being treated by the music industry, and said he wasn't able to focus enough on simply playing music. He also noted that he found Sum 41's music relatively easy to play, while also noting he did not mean to insult their music.

Brown Brigade was said to be a heavy metal band with a classic metal sound, which is the music that Baksh has been longing to write and play since childhood. The music of the band is expected to be comparable to the sound of Iron Maiden, said Baksh then.

According to a May 2006 article in Rolling Stone, Brown Brigade also recruited drummer Johnny Owens, guitarist Craig "The Craigulator" Pattison (Baksh's guitar tech with Sum 41), and percussionist Cess Rock. Dave Baksh also stated that the band will have their own mascot much like Iron Maiden with Eddie the Head and Megadeth with Vic Rattlehead. The mascot the band chose was called "the Brown Knight" and he since then appeared in the band's music video for "Aggravation Plantation".

The band was signed to Aquarius Records in September 2006. Not long after, the band's official website was updated with the band's logo and the debut EP title Appetizer for Destruction, a reference to the Guns N' Roses album Appetite for Destruction. The EP was released in October 2006 and sold exclusively on the band's live shows supporting Pennywise on their Canadian tour.

In February 2007, Baksh announced in a blog post on MySpace that the recording of the album was done and he would go down to LA in March to help mix the album, which would have thirteen songs.

On July 5, 2007, a cover of the Iron Maiden song "Hallowed Be Thy Name" was released by a fansite to promote the band and the website's launch. The cover song was later included in the band's debut album.

On August 14, 2007, the band's debut album Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness was released in the United States and Canada exclusively through iTunes only. The album was released on a physical copy on September 18, 2007, in Canada only, through Aquarius Records.

In September 2007, guitarist Chuck Coles, formerly of pop punk band Cauterize, joined the band as a second guitarist, after the departure of guitarist Craig Pattison.

Search for vocalist and planned album and EPs (2008–2009)

As vocalist and guitarist Dave Baksh stated, the band was set to release three free online music EPs, each to feature four songs, in the genres of punk, funk and reggae. It was only known then that the punk EP will be called Buds for Life and that it was set to be dedicated to Baksh's former band mates from Sum 41. The other two EPs were left untitled. The three EPs were set to be released in Christmas 2007, all together, as a Christmas present, as Baksh said. They have yet to be released, and are said to be delayed for some time, by both Baksh and bassist Vaughn Lal.

It was announced on bassist Vaughn Lal's Facebook page that the band's second studio album, apparently entitled Guyanese Democracy will be released... "eventually". Lal himself commented on the message and said that both the name and the "eventually" are a play on Guns N' Roses' long delayed Chinese Democracy. Despite that, Lal said that the band did start work on their second album and that it will take some time to work on it and it won't be ready soon, but the expected punk, funk and reggae EPs are soon to be released. He also commented that the title is a working title only and they still might change it.

It was announced on September 12, 2008, on the band's MySpace bulletin that lead singer and guitarist Dave Baksh will quit his position as the band's singer and will remain only a guitarist, and that the band is currently looking for a new singer to take Dave's position. It was also said that the band's upcoming internet released punk, funk and reggae EPs were delayed because of the lack of a singer, and that they will be completed as soon as the band will find a proper new singer.[1]

Through 2009, the band was less active due the involvement of Chuck, Dave, and John in another band that Chuck started - The Organ Thieves.[2] Dave Baksh has said in September 2009 that the band is still looking for a singer, while he, along with Chuck are busy recording The Organ Thieves' first full-length album.

New band format and hiatus (2009)

On November 6, 2009, Dave announced that the punk, funk and reggae EPs the band intended to record were officially scrapped due to the lack of time and a singer. Dave also said that due to his and Chuck's full-time involvement in The Organ Thieves and Vaughn's involvement in his new business, the band will go on a hiatus regarding the recording of the next album, although they have some material already written for the album.[3]

On November 27, 2009, In a special chat with a fan site, Dave Baksh has announced that the band is working on a new format where they will write and record without doing much touring, staying basically a studio act, though allowing the band more freedom in collaborations with other artists and featuring guest musicians. He has also said the band will probably release song by song for free, rather than a full album, like they planned before.[4]

On November 29, 2009, Dave has confirmed on the band's Myspace as well about the band's future and new format they intend to take on, which will keep the band strictly an online presence, releasing material over the internet, as well as physical split EP releases and vinyls, but no touring. Dave has also hinted on a new recording line-up for the band, besides founding members Vaughn and himself, though the band then went on a hiatus.[5]

On November 16, 2011, Dave Baksh wrote on his Twitter that Brown Brigade is getting ready to demo new material with a full band, with the title of the upcoming album being Guyanese Democracy, a title previously announced by bassist Vaughn Lal as a joke in 2008. It was the first time the project was mentioned by Dave since going on a hiatus in 2009.[6] However, no further information were given in the next month, and eventually the band never reunited. In 2015, Baksh rejoined Sum 41, removing any doubt on Brown Brigade future.

Band members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Release date Title Record label
November 2006 Appetizer for Destruction (EP) Aquarius Records
August 14, 2007 Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness Aquarius Records

References

  1. ↑ TheresNoSolution.com • View topic - Dave stops singing for Brown Brigade Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ Invalid Friend ID Archived August 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ TheresNoSolution.com • View topic - BB to scrap the punk, funk and reggae EPs Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ TheresNoSolution.com • View topic - Chat Recap Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "New Format - Myspace-blog | van Brown Brigade". Blogs.myspace.com. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  6. ↑ https://twitter.com/davebrownsound/status/136856654556835840

Sources

External links

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