Hell is for Heroes biography
Hell Is for Heroes was an English post-hardcore band from London. Founder members Will McGonagle and Joe Birch (previously of Symposium) were joined by James Findlay, Tom O'Donoghue and later Justin Schlosberg. The band played their formative shows in West London throughout 2001.
After two independently released singles, Hell Is for Heroes released their debut album in February 2003 on EMI. The Neon Handshake was produced and recorded in Los Angeles at Sound City Studios and mixed in Umeå, Sweden at Tonteknik by Pelle Henricsson and Eskil Lövström. The band's A&R was managed by Duncan Illing. The band and their A&R left EMI in 2004. The band released its second album Transmit Disrupt independently, before signing a deal with Burning Heart Records, who subsequently re-released it in 2006. Their final self-titled album was released through Golf Records in 2007.
Their debut album was voted the 58th best British rock album ever, by the readers of Kerrang! magazine in the 19 February 2005 issue.
In October 2008, the band announced its indefinite hiatus.
Band line-up
- Justin Schlosberg - vocals
- William McGonagle - guitar
- Tom O'Donoghue - guitar
- James Findlay - bass
- Joe Birch - drums
History
Early days
Will McGonagle and Joe Birch were two members of the former British band Symposium. Their final release was in 1999 and, by the end of 2000, due to personal and musical differences, and problems with their record label, they had split up. Before long they joined up with their former school friends, James Findlay and Tom O'Donoghue, to form what would become with Hell is for Heroes, but they still lacked a lead singer. Justin Schlosberg was recruited through mutual friends.
In January 2001, they had performed their first gig at The Half Moon in Putney, London. In March that year they toured as support for Biffy Clyro, and at the end of that tour they had recruited a loyal fan base which meant the band caught the attention of major record labels. In July 2001, they signed with EMI. It took all that year before Hell Is for Heros released their debut single on Superior Quality Recordings. It was a double A-side, featuring two songs that would later appear on their debut album, "Sick/Happy" and "Cut Down".
The band next released "You Drove Me To It" with the B-sides "Things Fall Apart" and "Kill the Silence" in January 2002. That year saw the release of two more singles, "I Can Climb Mountains" and "Nightvision". The latter track included "Folded Paper Figures" on the B-side, which became popular with their fanbase, and was later re-recorded and used on their second album.
The Neon Handshake
The Neon Handshake was issued in February 2003, and gained a positive reviews from the
NME. It peaked at #16 in the UK Albums Chart.
Hell is for Heroes' videos appeared regularly on major music television channels, and the band continued to tour across the UK keeping up their reputation as one of the premier live bands of the day. One performance of that time at The Astoria in London was filmed, and shown by MTV2.
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