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Unlocking the Truth
Unlocking the Truth perform in Times Square on June 1, 2013
Unlocking the Truth perform in Times Square on June 1, 2013
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York, United States
Genres
Years active2007–2020
LabelsIndependent
Past membersMalcolm Brickhouse
Jarad Dawkins
Alec Atkins

Unlocking the Truth was an American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2007, the group consisted of Malcolm Brickhouse (guitars, vocals, key songwriter, composer), Jarad Dawkins (drums), and Alec Atkins (bass).

History

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Founding members Malcolm Brickhouse (guitar, vocals) and Jarad Dawkins (drums), then in pre-school, met each other at a birthday party in 2005. Sharing similar tastes in music, they decided to create a band.[4] They felt their band needed a bassist but none of their friends were musicians, so they taught their school friend Alec Atkins how to play bass from scratch. Their street performances in Times Square and around New York City led to people recording and uploading videos of them to YouTube and social media.

While still in their early teens, the band appeared on national television, including NBC's The Tonight Show, ABC's The View, CNN, Fuse, BET, and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. In 2014, they were the youngest group to perform at Coachella.[5] They performed at the Afropunk Festival,[6] SXSW, and were the youngest band to play at the 2014 Vans Warped Tour.[7] They also performed at the music festivals Heavy Montréal and Bonnaroo.

Unlocking the Truth supported Guns N' Roses, Motörhead, Queens of the Stone Age, Living Colour, Slash and Marilyn Manson,[8] while also appearing in commercials for Airheads, AT&T, Beats by Dr. Dre, Maybelline and Verizon.[9] The band was featured in Spin,[10] Revolver,[11] Guitar World, Rolling Stone,[12] New York Daily News,[13] Village Voice,[14] New York Post,[15] New York Times,[16] Los Angeles Times,[17] Huffington Post, and Loudwire, all while attending middle school and then high school.

In 2014, the band signed a $1.8 million contract for five albums with Sony Music Entertainment.[18] Due to the age of the members of the band, the contract had to be approved by the New York Supreme Court.[19] In 2015, the band successfully negotiated their release from the contract with the label.[20] In April 2016, the band announced the release of their full-length debut album, Chaos. The album was released on June 17, 2016 via TuneCore. A feature-length documentary film about the band, entitled Breaking a Monster, was released in the summer of 2016. The film was directed by Luke Meyer and won Best Music Documentary at the UK Music Video Awards.[21] Loudwire premiered their first music video "Take Control".[22]

They released a few more singles, "My Chains" (2017), "Come Closer" (2018), "Mama" (2018) and "Pretend" (2019). In January 2020, it was announced the band had ended and frontman Malcolm Brickhouse would be pursuing a solo career under the moniker Malxolm Brixkhouse.[23][24][25] He released the song "Rapture" in September 2021.[26]

Style and influences

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Unlocking the Truth's sound has been described as "a salute to old-school metal that also blends modern influences."[27] In the Los Angeles Times, Randall Roberts wrote of their Coachella performance as "a hard, distorted blend of metal, speed punk and alternative rock on the main stage, they were as well-practiced as units three times their age."[28] Artist Direct says "they are the future of music."[29] The band has cited influences such as Metallica, Slipknot, Disturbed, Living Colour, Escape the Fate, Chelsea Grin, and Motionless in White.[30]

Discography

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Albums

  • Chaos (2016)

Singles

  • "My Chains" (2017)
  • "Come Closer" (2018)
  • "Mama" (2018)
  • "Pretend" (2019)

Members

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  • Malcolm Brickhouse – guitars, vocals (2007–2020)
  • Jarad Dawkins – drums (2007–2020)
  • Alec Atkins – bass (2013–2020)

References

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  1. ^ "Unlocking the Truth's New Documentary Reveals Their Chaotic Rise Through the Music Biz". June 30, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "Preteen thrash-metal trio Unlocking the Truth sign major-label deal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  3. ^ "Unlocking the Truth is the Most Brutal Sixth Grade Metal Band Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever". May 31, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  4. ^ Zimmerman, Neetzan. "Internet-Famous Preteen Metalheads Are Being Bullied for Being Awesome". Gawker.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  5. ^ Barkan, Jonathan (April 10, 2014). "Youngest Group To Ever Perform At Coachella Is A Metal Band". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  6. ^ "Unlocking The Truth". Afropunkfest.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  7. ^ Teitelman, Bram (April 11, 2014). "Preteen trio Unlocking The Truth to play Coachella, Warped Tour". Metalinsider.net. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  8. ^ "Unlocking The Truth News". Loudwire. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  9. ^ "Eighth Grade Band Unlocking the Truth Signs $1.7 Million Sony Deal - Us Weekly". Usmagazine.com. July 15, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  10. ^ "Mini Masters of Reality: Unlocking the Truth Plot Metal's Future From Their Parents' Basement". SPIN. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  11. ^ "Teen Metal Band Unlocking the Truth Appears on 'The Colbert Report' — Video". Revolvermag.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  12. ^ "Eighth Grade Metal Band Unlocking the Truth Plots Future After Seven-Figure Record Deal - Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. July 14, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  13. ^ "Teen metal group Unlocking the Truth scores book deal". NY Daily News. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  14. ^ Jonah Bromwich (September 11, 2012). "At Metal School with Unlocking the Truth". Villagevoice.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  15. ^ Marsh, Julia (July 11, 2014). "Tween metal trio lands $1.8M record deal". New York Post. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  16. ^ Battan, Carrie (August 3, 2014). "A Heavy Metal Alloy, Fused With Youth : Unlocking the Truth Is a Band That Rocks Beyond Its Years". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  17. ^ "Coachella 2014: junior high band Unlocking the Truth looks into future". Los Angeles Times. April 12, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  18. ^ Pattison, Louis (January 16, 2015). "Underage against the machine: why labels are desperate to sign teens". The Guardian.
  19. ^ Kaye, Ben (July 12, 2014). "8th grade metal band lands $1.7 million record contract with Sony". Conseqwuenceofsound.net. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  20. ^ "why teen metal band unlocking the truth broke a $1.8 million record deal". I-d. June 24, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  21. ^ "UK Music Video Awards 2016: all the winners!". Promonews. October 21, 2016.
  22. ^ Childers, Chad (April 27, 2016). "Unlocking the Truth, 'Take Control' – Exclusive Video Premiere". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  23. ^ "About Us". Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  24. ^ Keriena Choy. "Artist Spotlight - Malxolm Brixhouse". Timbredio. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  25. ^ Spencer Kaufman (June 29, 2020). "Unlocking the Truth Break Up as Frontman Malxolm Brixkhouse Launches Solo Career". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  26. ^ Neilstein, Viince (September 17, 2021). "Malcolm Brickhouse (ex-Unlocking the Truth) Resurfaces with New Song, "Rapture"". MetalSucks. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  27. ^ Bansal, Andrew (April 12, 2014). "Motörhead, Graveyard & Unlocking The Truth Perform At Club Nokia". Metalassault.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  28. ^ Roberts, Randall (April 12, 2014). "Coachella 2014: Junior high band Unlocking the Truth glimpses future". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  29. ^ Florino, Rick. "Interview: Unlocking The Truth". Artistdirect.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
  30. ^ Macomber, Shawn. "Key Influences: Unlocking Truth". Decibelmagazine.com. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
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