Rival Schools
315 Shouts - 1,692,866 Scrobbles
Biography
Born out of a hearty hardcore pedigree, the members of Rival Schools stepped to the plate with a phenomenal history and the qualities that would point towards an amazing future. Singer and guitarist Walter Schreifels began making waves as the guitarist for '80s hardcore pioneers Gorilla Biscuits and then went on to influence the entire post-hardcore movement with his influential work in Quicksand, as well as production for acts like CIV and Hot Water Music. Drummer Sam Siegler has seen almost as much in his day, performing with an impressive list of bands that includes Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Judge, Shelter, CIV, and Glassjaw before finding his place in Rival Schools. Guitarist Ian Love honed his chops in NY's Burn and Die 116, and bassist Cache "Utah Slim" Tolman is an alumni of exploratory jazz metalloids Iceburn, as well as a former bandmate of Siegler in CIV. With such an expansive amount of experience, it was only natural that these musicians would find their common bonds and create a new group that took their collective talents to even greater heights.
Read More...Coming together in the first year of the new century, the group quickly gained a reputation for powerful rock before they even started to record. Combing the live intensity of Quicksand with more exploratory guitars and a newly melodic singing approach from Walter Schreifels, Rival Schools took the urgency of the new metal trend and gave it a solid heart and a thoughtful mind. In an age when music was becoming dominated by completely unbelievable faux rock, the band disposed of clichés and focused on unbiased creativity. In an even more adventurous move, the group decided to make their first release something of a concept record and turned to Walter Schreifels' own label, NY's Some Records, for the project. The idea was to start up a series of EPs wherein multiple groups would combine to create a single band, and Rival Schools looked no further than former FAR frontman, current Onelinedrawing member, future New End Original singer, and sometimes touring partner Jonah Matranga to complete the equation. The resulting EP, Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing, saw the band's initial excitement explode onto record with tracks like "Take One for the Team" and "Contraire," but the best was still to come. With allegiances to Island Records still existing from Walter Schreifels' Quicksand days, the label scooped up the band's upcoming music, and summer 2001 saw the release of their first full-length LP, United By Fate. The record is a powerful document with adventurous songwriting, explosive energy, and melodically abrasive guitars, results that anyone who was paying attention should have been expecting all along.
The wheels began to come off shortly afterwards in 2002 when Ian Love left the group to focus on his side-project, Cardia. The rest of the band plugged away on a second album, but the group dissolved the following year amidst rumors that a second album was on the way. After going their separate ways, Rival Schools reunited again in 2008 and hit the European festival circuit before heading back into the studio to begin working on their sophomore effort in earnest. After a decade of anticipation, Pedals finally arrived in 2011. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, Rovi
Music Videos
Top Songs
Total plays on Last.fm over the last 6 months-
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
Used For Glue - (3:18) - 10,824 playsLyricsDays of the conflicts you've been in
Traces of conscience you don't want to hear
You hear it now
You listen, hear a sound
You missed it
-
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
Travel By Telephone - (2:47) - 8,415 playsLyricsMust have been a mistake
While you make things hard for me
I wouldn't hurt you at all if I didn't have to
Give in it's our first fight
But now that I see this side
- Wring It Out - (3:28) - 8,970 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital1.49 USD
iTunes1.29 USD- Ringtone
-
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
Good Things - (3:44) - 6,188 playsLyricsAnd I, I long to be
Inside your company
Good things are coming our way
I know they always have
In time, go far away
- eyes wide open - (3:00) - 6,100 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital1.49 USD
iTunes1.29 USD- Ringtone
- Undercovers On - (5:31) - 6,116 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- High Acetate - (1:53) - 5,556 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP3
7digital
iTunes- Ringtone
- 69 Guns - (3:12) - 6,352 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP3
7digital
iTunes- Ringtone
- World Invitational - (3:35) - 4,445 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP30.99 USD
7digital0.99 USD
iTunes0.99 USD- Ringtone
- Shot After Shot - (3:13) - 5,368 plays
- Download This Track
Amazon MP3
7digital
iTunes- Ringtone


