OF MICE & MEN
+ DEFECTS
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OF MICE & MEN
Of Mice & Men (often abbreviated OM&M) is an American rock band formed in Costa Mesa, California, in 2009. The band’s line-up currently consists of drummer Valentino Arteaga, guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, and bassist and lead vocalist Aaron Pauley. The group was founded by former lead vocalist Austin Carlile and former bassist Jaxin Hall in mid-2009 after Carlile’s departure from Attack Attack!. Carlile departed from the band in December 2016 citing that a long-term health condition prompted his exit. After Carlile’s departure, the band continued to pursue creating music with Pauley as the band’s bassist and lead vocalist.
Since 2009, the band has released eight studio albums: Of Mice & Men (2010), The Flood (2011), Restoring Force (2014), Cold World (2016), Defy (2018), Earthandsky (2019), Echo (2021), and Tether (2023). Of Mice & Men’s earlier music has been described as metalcore and post-hardcore. Their later material, however, has been considered to be more melodic and shifted over to genres such as nu metal, alternative metal, and hard rock, while retaining their original sound.
The band has played international music festivals including the Vans Warped Tour in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 and Soundwave Music Festival in 2013 and 2015.
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DEFECTS
In a fast-moving world, where there’s often a sensory overload, it’s easy and natural to observe things on a surface level. We watch, we listen, we indulge, and we move on. It’s only when you take a moment to stop, take a breath and really focus that you can really see. Often, those moments are forced upon us by our emotional fragility; perhaps that’s when we’re at our most open.
Modern Error is the debut album from Defects. It’s profoundly personal and breathtakingly raw with emotion. Conceptually, it is a deeply cathartic album that acts as a vessel for singer Tony Maue to organise his thoughts and views on the world. Indeed, the title itself acts as a thread, tying together the various anxieties life in the modern world can bring up.
