FAITHXTRACTOR was spawned by Ash Thomas in 2005 with the sole intention of playing savage Death Metal as an assault on the pathetic meat puppet human race. Now, 15 years later, with the "old school death metal" tag being consumed, shat out, & spewed about repeatedly like every other tired labeling scheme, the FAITHXTRACTOR would like to tell you to "CAST YOUR ASSUMPTIONS ASIDE, LISTEN TO THE MATERIAL, & NOT THE TRENDY RAMBLINGS OF OTHERS!" In other words "SHUT THE FUCK UP & HEAD BANG!" This musical entity was created as an outlet to voice thoughts & feelings on this ever-crumbling existence, to channel life-philosophy, & to praise the Metal essence that is inherently in our veins. HISTORY: After forging FAITHXTRACTOR's concept in December 2005, 2 songs were written & recorded during January of 2006. The recording was simply titled "Demo #1 2006" & was spread in very small quantities. A new upstart label called Aphotic Records, upon hearing the demo, offered to release a full-length album once FAITHXTRACTOR had completed the material. More hymns of death & disdain were written throughout 2006, & Ash enlisted the help of his trusted brother Marquis Thomas to aid in the process. Things fell into place quickly & the studio was entered in early 2007 to record "Razing the World of Myth". The recording came out just as planned containing 13 songs of blunt, raw, memorable, pissed off Death Metal Hell. The album was officially released in February of 2008, & was received very well by fans & freaks of the genre. Prior to the release of "Razing...", 2 more new tracks were recorded in July of 2007 for a split 12" LP with Cleveland's CRUCIFIED MORTALS. This release entitled "Project Trauma" was issued through Hells Headbangers Records & Reaper Metal Records. In addition to the 2 exclusive songs, the split included the "Demo #1 2006" tracks making them available to a wider audience. At the time FAITHXTRACTOR was an impulsive, inspired, non-rehearsing & non-live performing act, so 2009-2010 saw some considerable down time due to outside obligations. With an upgrade in studio/recording equipment, Ash pushed out 3 new FAITHXTRACTOR songs in very early 2011 & released a very limited demo called "Promo 2011". These songs would surface again on the 2nd full length album entitled "The Great Shadow Infiltrator". This 11 song monster holds true to the vibe set forth on the previous releases while plunging ever further into darkened territory. With a strong focus on real life horrors, infectious riffs, & haunting arrangements, "The Great Shadow Infiltrator" crushed the weak & weeded out the wimps. "The Great Shadow Infiltrator" was released in 2013 on CD by Deathgasm Records. In later 2013, the desire to perform FAITHXTRACTOR live began to take shape. Since Marquis Thomas was not interested in doing gigs, a live lineup was formed with ESTUARY vocalist Zdenka Prado on bass, Jason Pate of MACHINATIONS OF FATE on guitar, & Charlie Williams (exESTUARY bassist) on drums. This lineup did a handful of gigs throughout 2014 until both Jason & Charlie left to pursue other interests. However in late 2014, Cody Knarr was recruited on guitar with Ash moving to drums while still handling vocal duties, thus making the live lineup a solid 3 piece unit. This configuration would last nearly 4 years. During this time, many gigs were played, establishing the band as a brutal live act. In late 2015, the "Total Death Illumination" EP was recorded & released on physical format in 2016 as a 7" by Austenitized Records. More gigs followed, while material for the 3rd full-length was taking shape. In 2017, the material for album #3 was recorded, & released in July of 2018 entitled as 'Proverbial Lambs to the Ultimate Slaughter' by Hells Headbangers Records with Mark Riddick supplying the stunning artwork. The album was very well received & showcased FAITHXTRACTOR as force to be reckoned with in the Death Metal realm. All aspects of the band were taken to the next level to channel nothing but death... More gigs followed in support of the record, until the band parted ways with Cody Knarr in October of 2018. Using an unorthodox method, Ash Thomas & Zdenka Prado were able to fulfill gig obligations, & performed various gigs throughout 2019 as a 2 piece unit to great effect. The lineup is currently still operating under this configuration. 2019 also saw the proper re-issue of the first album 'Razing the World of Myth' on CD by Reaper Metal Productions & LP by Reaper Metal Productions/Redefining Darkness/Austenitized Records. The band's brand new release, 'Contempt For a Failed Dimension' is the bands most accomplished work to date, from the songwriting to the production value. It sees FAITHXTRACTOR expanding upon the success of 'Proverbial Lambs...' with a even darker and heavier approach. 2023 proves to be the year of the FAITHXTRACTOR... Bow and worship!
