Formed in 2003, Battlecross are a thrash/melodic death metal band hailing from Canton, Michigan, with a sound that recalls the feeling of old-school American thrash and classic Gothenburg death metal, bringing plenty of driving riffs, crazy solos, and relentlessness while upping the intensity to a new level. Battlecross refer to their sound as "blue collar thrash." The band was initially formed by guitarists Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala, who recruited drummer Mike Kreger, singer Kyle "Gumby" Gunther, and bassist Don Slater. Battlecross made their debut in 2010 with the self-released Push Pull Destroy, though it would be re-recorded the following year after the band signed on with Metal Blade, which released the remade version, Pursuit of Honor, in 2011. A follow-up, War or Will, arrived in 2013, a year that also saw the departure of Kreger from the band. Drummer Kevin Talley filled in live shows culminating in the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour that summer. Adam Pierce of All Shall Perish took the drum chair for a fall tour with Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, and the Acacia Strain. After the jaunt concluded, Shannon Lucas replaced him through the winter, spring and into the following summer. He remained with Battlecross during two European tours (opening for Huntress) and another North American sojourn. Their popularity among metalheads soared. After Lucas left, drummer Alex Bent played with the band for the remainder of the summer and was behind the kit for their first show in Mexico City (opening for Black Label Society) and then a tour of South America. The young band's energy and technical acumen were gaining attention and they stayed on the road, opening shows and touring with Machine Head and Children of Bodom. After coming off the road in late 2014, Battlecross immediately entered Florida's Audiohammer Studios, with producer Jason Suecof. A pre-release single entitled "Not Your Slave" appeared in May of 2015, followed by "Spoiled" in June. The full-length Rise to Power was released in August. ~ Gregory Heaney & Thom Jurek