This is the OFFICIAL Sworn Vengeance myspace page.
However, it is not run by the band. Do NOT email about shows, merch, or other questions regarding material possesions. Your wishes, wants, desires, and prayers will go un-answered.as always.
The history of Sworn Vengeance is as follows, partially taken from: Hardcore: California Style
Downshift was started in 1996 by Eric Fortner and his brother Marc Fortner. After placing ads in local music directories, Brian Baumgartner joined as guitarist. After a failed attempt with one singer, Eric again placed ads and was contacted by Ryan Encinas. Downshift played their first show in January of 1997 at the Danville Grange. More shows followed, and soon after the recording of their first demo, Flame Still Burns, Nate Olsen stepped in as second guitarist. As the music got progressively heavier, the band started to steer away from the old school sound a lot of the local bands had at the time. Around December of 1997, Downshift was approached by Full Swing Records to put out a split 7" with another local band, Strength by Strength. The Soul Stealer demo came out of those recordings, showing the bands lean towards the metallic new school feel of today's hardcore.
In March of 1998, Breakout Records wanted a track from Downshift for their compilation, California Hardcore: A Call to Arms. Along with three other songs (known as the Nineteen Ninety Hate demo), they recorded Hammer. This was the definitive step towards the metal/hardcore feel they have today. After watching the reaction towards Hammer, Downshift knew they were headed in the right direction.
In May of 98, Eric had to quit due to the pressures of having a family. Ryan's brother Adam stepped in, and Downshift decided to change their name to Sworn Vengeance. The change was due to feeling no connection with the old name, and also having a new powerful name to go along with the music they were playing.
Adam left the band in late July for personal reasons, and Bob Hookey came down from Montana to fill in as the new bassist. S.V. went back in the studio to record an 8 song demo CD entitled My Friend Violence. The tracks interested Mike Hood, who contacted S.V. about putting out a CD.
In January of 1999, a week before recording, Nate decided to quit. As a four piece, S.V. recorded a 10 track CD for Westcoast Worldwide entitled Abbadon. Even heavier and faster than before, the material took the band onto a whole new level. With a split 7" with All Bets Off, a 7" of the Nineteen Ninety Hate demo (with Hammer) out on Back ta Basics and 2 songs on the first Westcoast Worldwide compilation, crowds at shows began to grow bigger.
Soon after, Bob stepped down to take care of personal matters and Marc, Ryan and Brian auditioned new people. The band picked up Dan Coddaire on second guitarist and Carl Schwartz on bass. S.V. hit the studio again and recorded Domination at the end of 1999 for Breakout Records. International attention grew with this release and helped them establish themselves as one of the heaviest hardcorde bands on the west coast. Soon after this release, Dan was asked to step down and the band continued as a four piece, touring all over both coasts, playing with bands like NJ Bloodline, Shadows Fall, Buried Alive, Vision of Disorder, Glassjaw, Dysphoria, 25 ta Life, Drowningman, Hoods, Unconquered and Punishment, among many others. S.V. was also asked to perform and be interviewed for a foreign documentary on music, with an audience of 6,000,000 people.
Due to personal and band related disagreements, Marc was asked to step down and S.V. picked up Tony Barbier on drums and Doug Weber on second guitar. The S.V. sound took a new turn with the addition of these members, as the band felt that they had finally achieved a cohesive unit with everyone on the same page. The guys all sat down and started writing heavier material with a (at the time) new twist, which was to add harmonies to the riffs. Currently an overdone effect, at the time there were very few, if any, bands in hardcore that were merging harmonies with crushing breakdowns and dark lyrics.
Label interest developed, and S.V. were set to release their next full length on Too Damn Hype Records. S.V. went in to record a series of songs, most for the album and some for some splits and comps that were offered. But a lot of personal and internal pressures were starting to weigh on some of the members, and, on the eve of getting set to release their new album and playing some shows with Hatebreed, S.V. decided to call it quits in 2002.
Carl and Doug have gone on to form First Blood and play in Terror. Other members have settled down with their career goals, with Tony working for one of the top software developers in the world, Brian becoming a police officer in the bay area and Ryan focusing on his media firm and personal art. Recently, Brian, Ryan and Tony got back together with Adam and Neil Dahwan (who played the Don SEED memorial shows on second guitar) and played a one off show in Reno, Nevada, with the thought of playing a few shows here and there when time and careers permit.
free ringtones:
Sworn Vengeance Discography:
DEMOS
Flame Still Burns
self released 1997
Soul Stealer
self released 1998
Nineteen Ninety Hate
self released 1998
My Friend Violence
self released 1998
ALBUMS
The Blood and the Chaos
Back ta Basics 1998
Abbadon
Westcoast Worldwide 1999
Domination
Breakout Records 2000
My Friend Violence (re-issue)
A Reason Why 2001
The Outstretched Arms of Damnation
unreleased 2002
SPLITS & COMPS
The Tie That Binds
split w/ Strength By Strength
Full Swing 1998
Destroyer of Worlds
split w/ All Bets Off
One Scene 1999
.
3 Way Split w/
Settle the Score
&
NJ Bloodline
On The Rise 2001
4 Way Death Match split w/ Hostility, Existence
&
Ex Inferis
Battlescarred 2002
California Hardcore: A Call to Arms
Breakout 1998
Straight Edge: Rise of a New Era comp
Breakout Records 1999
Contenders for the Crown comp
Westcoast Worldwide1999
Worldwide comp
Westcoast Worldwide 2000
Worldwide II comp
Westcoast Worldwide 2001
Ascend from the Darkness comp
Dark Vision 2001
Covered In Blood: Slayer tribute comp
Spook City 2001
Video for "Gods of War"
