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A Brief (but not so brief, really) Summarization of the History of the Most Profoundly Misanthropic Worm:

Brace yourselves as we fold space. Let it be known it is the year One Nine Nine Five. Destination: the corner room of Edna Rosenblooms condominium in sunny Sunrise, FL. Two jerkoffs, namely Matt Fox and Dave Silber decided to form a hardcore band

And form a hardcore band they did. From that very corner room in Ednas (thats Matt Foxs Grandma, by the by) condo, Shai Hulud defined its initial sound, and inaugurated three more members (Oliver Chapoy / guitar, Jason Lederman / drums, and Damien Moyal / vocals) to complete the bands first active lineup. That lineup sure didnt last long, and that initial sound simply laid the foundation for the deeper, more intricate material that was yet to come. Shai Huluds first of many lineup changes came with the addition of drummer, Steven Lee Kleisath (affectionately known as Bizarro), whose incredibly unique approach to song-writing helped redefine the band his influence remaining even long after he and Shai Hulud parted company. With Steve now in the fold, Shai Hulud recorded the musical demonstration that got them signed to Crisis / Revelation Records in early 1996. Not too long after the band signed, they and Damien Moyal went their separate ways, and successfully preserved friendships and avoided fistfights. Enter Chad Gilbert - dubbed the 15 year old mighty-mite by the Revelation Records staff - new vocalist for Shai Hulud.

Prepare to fold space. Let it be known it is the year One Nine Nine Seven:

Shai Hulud recorded and released their debut EP, A Profound Hatred Of Man, and their first full-length album, Hearts Once Nourished With Hope And Compassion. Throughout the next year and a half Shai Hulud toured America with the likes of Strongarm, Bloodlet, Shadows Fall, Zao, Overcast, and Disembodied, and in 1998 released 3 songs via The Fall Of Every Man, a split CD / 10 record with the NY hardcore band Indecision. Later in the year Shai Hulud added now veteran member, Mad Matt Fletcher, who uprooted from Norman, Oklahoma and relocated to South Florida, replacing Oliver as second guitarist.

Prepare to fold space. Let it be known it is the year One Nine Nine Nine:

The music for A Whole New Level Of Sickness, a split with Another Victim - featuring the song Set Your Body Ablaze, and Never Give In, a tribute to the Bad Brains, was recorded with the help of drummer extraordinaire Spikey Chris Goldbach of South Florida's Irish Car Bomb. The tracks sat clean and pretty as deadlines came, went, and got pushed back due to Shai Huluds lack of a vocalist - although as a favor and parting effort, Chad Gilbert tracked the vocals for the bands cover of F.V.K. for Never Give In.

Yes, at this point in space and time Shai Hulud was stripped down to a dynamic duo. Matts Fox and Fletcher started to rebuild the band, but not before they fulfilled their prior commitment to tour Europe thats right, without a singer. Shai Hulud toured abroad with only one guitar player (Matt Fox), their original-but-soon-not-to-be bass player, Dave Silber, and a fine drummer named Andrummist Gormley The Whistle Blower who filled in after only knowing the songs for under two weeks. And we mustnt forget Mad Matt Fletcher doing his damnedest to handle the vocals instead of man-handling his axe known as The Texas Chainsaw. While on this tour, Shai Hulud met one flying Dutchman, Geert Van der Velde, who after 4 shows relieved Fletcher as front man, completed the tour, and afterwards joined the band as its 3rd vocalist.

Upon returning to Florida, vocals for A Whole New Level Of Sickness were finally tracked, and band-rebuilding commenced. Fletcher kept the Oklahoma connection aflow with the addition of half man, half cyborg Jared Allen joining to play bass guitar. Now all they needed was someone to pound the skins. You perverts.

At the end of 1999 / early 2000 the almost revamped Shai Hulud recorded a cover of "Damage Inc." for volume 1 of the Metallica tribute series, Crush Em All, a split 7 record with Boy Sets Fire. Bizarro Steven Lee Kleisath came back just to record drums for the occasion. The song was recorded by some guy who engineered Expose's first album. He swore he had heard of Metallica before. Sure doesn't sound like it. Anywho...

No mass computer crashes. No spontaneous combustions. Y2K quietly crept in, and Shai Hulud, all revved to go, moved to Poughkeepsie, NY to complete its new lineup. That lineup sure didnt last long, and the endless search for a drummer continued, leaving the band one hair away from buying a drum machine to provide the bands profoundly hateful backbone. Enter: Chris Cardinal, The Warhammer. After 4 years the bands second true lineup (Matt Fox / guitar, Matt Fletcher / guitar, Geert Van der Velde / vocals, Jared Allen / bass guitar, Chris Cardinal / drums) materializes. They tour a bit- most notably with One King Down, Shelter, and E-Town Concrete- and record two songs: Faithless Is He Who Says Farewell When The Road Darkens, a 46 second original epic featuring good friend, excellent Battleship player, and even better poker player, Aaron Bedard of the much revered Bane, and a cover of Negative Approachs Lost Cause.

Prepare to fold space. Let it be known it is the year Two Zero Zero One:

Mid 2001. Drummer-less yet again. Like that ever stopped the band before - Shai Hulud begins buckling down to complete the writing of their anything-but-sophomoric sophomore full-length album, That Within Blood Ill-tempered which was partially recorded twice with former drummer and longtime friend, Bizarro Steven Lee Kleisath, before seeing completion the following year. A few weeks after a horrific tragedy occurred in New York City, Chicagos Tony Tintari joins Shai Hulud as the bands drummer, and they humbly tour with hardcore progenitors Sick Of It All later that year, then again in early 2002. They also part ways with bass player Jared Allen. Mad Matt Fletcher moves to bass guitar creating a revolving door second guitarist position that more than the band cares to admit have temporarily filled. Still, That Within Blood Ill-tempered is recorded, and Shai Hulud tours consistently the whole year with the likes of Andrew W.K., Hopesfall, Atreyu, Coheed and Cambria, and From Autumn to Ashes. What a worm.

Prepare to fold space. Let it be known it is the year Two Zero Zero Three:

Shai Hulud tours with old friends Shadows Fall and Blood Has Been Shed, as well as new friends Cephalic Carnage. 80s thrash metal is discussed regularly. Matt Fox becomes officially old, and in May, after 5 years Shai Hulud releases That Within Blood Ill-tempered through Revelation Records. Some love it. Some hate it. Some are moved to create propaganda urging others not to vote for the album on a hardcore webzine poll. The band enjoys playing Frisbee on warm and sunny days.

By accepting the offer to tour with one of the bands favorite current heavy metal acts, The Haunted, Shai Hulud inadvertently causes mass unrest, and consequently makes friends with The Haunted, Bleeding Through, and Canadas death heralding Kataklysm. Summer lovin had them a blast; summer lovin happened so fast- Shai Hulud welcomed Philadelphias Matthew Canning as permanent-fill-in-second-guitar player, and third Matt within the unit- as if two Matts wasnt bad enough. They whisk themselves away for one show at the Goodlife Festival in Belgium, marking the bands first European appearance since 1999. A good time, pastries, and too much bicky saus was had by most.

On a fall tour with Rise Against and Avenged Sevenfold, the inner tensions within Shai Hulud unfortunately began to peak- yet again, and in Austin, Texas the decision was made to disband after completing their current dates, a following tour with This Day Forward and Fairweather, and the Take Action Tour with Poison The Well, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Further Seems Forever.

Also in the fall on 2003, Zombie Apocalypse- featuring the 2/3 of Huluds Matts- relase the their debut EP, This is a Spark of Life through Indecision Records.

In January 2004, after a much needed break from each other, Shai Hulud ventured to Asian soil for their first tour in Godzillas favorite stomping ground, Japan- truly a stellar and most humbling experience. Straight after the Japanese jaunt, the band, sans Geert, flew from Japan to California to play four shows with their pals in With Honor and Still Crossed; for these special shows former singer Chad Gilbert solely (no pun intended) fronted the band for the first time since 1999. A couple months later Geert once again fronted Shai Hulud at a phenomenal hometown show at the legendary Chance Theater in good ol Poughkeepsie, NY. Also on the bill were hardcore legends H2O and Madball. Yet another humbling experience.

But The Worm wouldn't die just yet. It still owed Europe a proper tour- considering what they got from the band in 1999. Grisly to say the least. A spectacular 5 week European tour ensued, once again with the help drummist supreme, Andrew Gormley - yes thee Andrew Gormley, and a large Czechoslovakian tour driver by the name of Tomas. Tomas and the band thoroughly enjoyed their 5 weeks of wine, women, and song- minus the wine and women mind you, but plenty of song- particularly the song of Queen, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, and Nuclear Assault so it seemed.

After swiftly kicking Europe in its arse, and literally rocking a couple of boats, Hulud, sick as dogs, and tired as cats(?), flew back to The U.S. and only hours later played Hell Fest on E-Town Concrete (That's Elizabeth Town, NJ by the way. E-Town Concrete played too). The 20 minute set was blistering, overwhelmingly rewarding- and not officially documented, of course.

Prepare to fold space. Let it be known it is the year Two Zero Zero Five present day:

The people that came together to deliver music as Shai Hulud parted amicably. Please, no tears little ones. Whatever the hell the band decides to call itself, we are diligently working on new material, furthering the commitment to release only intelligent and genuinely emotive music in a scene where the banal, contrived, and altogether thoughtless primarily reign supreme. Boy, do we hate that crap. Weve had all we can stand, we cant stands no more.

Onward and Upward.