Illbreak: “An ‘Illbreak’ Unlike Any Other”

It is amusingly ironic (and borderline eerily coincidental) how aptly titled the band Illbreak actually is. This group’s name invariably boats a hilarious double meaning; one which refers not only to their super-fortunate and perfectly-timed big music break (details forthcoming), but also to the refreshing type of sound that they will inevitably carry with them into the rock music world. Honestly speaking, when a band manages to score the break of a lifetime relatively soon after their initial conception and furthermore, when this very band heralds with them a refreshingly new form of rock, there is no better way to express this than with the phrase, an “ill break.”

Hailing from the famously hot Atlanta Georgia, Illbreak’s story is basically that of a tireless quartet of hard-working musicians who, in just a few short years, caught a break which would serve to propel their careers forward at an incredible pace. Having formed as recently as 2002, Illbreak spent the first part of their career building a moderate fan base and developing their sound through constant practice and musical training. The group continued with these persistent efforts, until one day in mid 2004 they caught wind of a huge contest called the “Search for the Next Rock Star.”

This competition, and extremely fortunate find, was compiled by an independent music label know as Imprint Records (a company founded and owned by 3 Doors Down bassist Todd Harrell) and offered one ultra-lucky grand prize winner a guaranteed recording contract. Needless to say, Illbreak was not the only unsigned act to hear about this tremendous opportunity and within no time, Imprint Records was sifting through over a thousand hopeful entries. Nevertheless, after completing the gruelling process of having to narrow down the total number of bands to just eleven, Illbreak (obviously having impressed somebody) managed to hold on and make this massive cut.

Even though the fantastic news of having been selected to compete for the grand prize no doubt came as a relief for the group, there still remained a tremendously difficult road ahead. With the final eleven bands all chosen and informed of their good fortune, the competition was in actuality just now getting underway. For the next little while, these eleven finalists would all be forced into head to head combat, performing against each other under the scrutiny of a panel of fifteen judges comprised mostly of top industry moguls. Being sponsored by eleven various Southeastern rock radio stations and spanning across six States, it is safe to say that the competition was fierce and no doubt gruelling. In any case, after all was said and done (and all of the contestants had played their hearts out) only one band could be named the winner.

After the judges had made their final notes and collaborated on what information they had, one band seemed to unquestionably stand out above the rest. The competition was over and Illbreak was unanimously declared victorious. The end of the summer of 2004 now marked a huge turning point in the careers of this previously unsigned group of musicians. Nevertheless, now that Illbreak had proved themselves worthy of a recording contract, their lives were only going to become busier. In the time since this fateful day, the band has been extremely busy establishing themselves as a commendable rock sound. Having spent quite some time in the recording studio experimenting with their powerful and unique blend of rock, they eventually started laying down tracks for their debut disc entitled “The Flood.” With some serious help from an impressive production team including, 3 Doors Down guitarist Chris Henderson, Illbreak’s debut disc was quickly finalised and scheduled for a September 2005 release. Also, more recently, in order to support and promote this pending release, the band has been busy preparing to tour the United States. Scheduled to play with several big-name bands such as; 3 Doors Down, Staind, Breaking Benjamin, and No Address, it is evident that Illbreak’s promising career has already begun to explode.

Ironically, countless artists spend their entire careers trying to catch that one lucky break, yet for this group in particular, that break came after just a few short years. Although Illbreak was neck deep in competition with eleven other extremely talented independent bands, they were still able to persevere. This victory was in of itself quite an amazing accomplishment; however, really had noting to do with luck or good fortune. This amazing new alternative rock group possesses a highly energetic and unique sound which boasts walls of thick guitars, catchy beats, and an awfully powerful lead vocalist. Even though Illbreak might have in fact caught a lucky break, it is a combination of their awesome music and their collective unrelenting work ethic which will ultimately ignite their career and determine their future.  [ END ]