Ripped to Shreds
Ripped to Shreds | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Jose, California, USA |
| Genres | Death metal |
| Years active | 2016-present |
| Labels | Relapse Records |
| Members |
|
Ripped to Shreds is an American death metal band from San Jose, California. Andrew Lee formed the band as a solo-project in 2016, and the band has since expanded to feature four members. The band writes songs focusing on Chinese folklore, history, and wuxia. The band is influenced by their experiences as Asian-Americans and American-born Chinese.[1]
History
[edit]2016-2020: Founding, early years, 埋葬 (Maizang) and 亂 (Luan)
[edit]Andrew Lee formed Ripped to Shreds in 2016 and their debut album, 埋葬 (Maizang), was released in 2018. Lee recorded all of the music himself in his parents' basement, and Damian Herring of Horrendous mixed and mastered the album.[2] The album is a concept album about Chinese funeral customs with reflection throughout on Lee's Han Chinese heritage.[2] 埋葬 (Maizang) received universal acclaim on release.[3]
Lee followed this up with the 2019 EP 魔經 - Demon Scriptures, which was inspired by Lee's experiences as a Taiwanese-American.[3] 魔經 - Demon Scriptures was the start of the band's song cycle Sun Moon Holy Cult, which has had a new song featured on every release since. The cycle is inspired by novels by Chinese author Jin Yong.[4]
In 2020, the band released their second LP, 亂 (Luan) through Pulverised Records. The record was the first to feature multiple musicians, including Takafumi Matsubara of Gridlink, Phil Tougas of Chthe'ilist and Damian Herring of Horrendous.[5] Following the release of Luan, bassist Ryan Calaveras and drummer Brian Do joined the band in 2020.[6][7]
In 2020 the band recorded a cover of Unholy Grave's "No racial superiority!" for an anti-racism benefit compilation called Overgrow to Overthrow alongside a variety of metal and punk bands including Chat Pile, Krallice, and Panopticon.[8]
2021-Present: 劇變 (Jubian) and 三屍 (Sanshi)
[edit]In 2021, RTS signed with Relapse Records, who released their 2022 album 劇變 (Jubian).[9] Jubian was the first album recorded to include Ryan and Brian.[10]
Prior to the release of their forth studio album, Ripped to Shreds toured North America in April 2024.[11] In September 2024, they released their most recent studio album, 三屍 (Sanshi), through Relapse Records. This was the first album to feature guitarist and vocalist Michael Chavez.[12]
In 2025, the band released their first live album, No Glory Here To Be Found - Live at Bandcamp. The album was recorded live at Bandcamp's studios in Oakland, California and features songs from their albums 劇變 (Jubian) and 三屍 (Sanshi). The cover art for the album is a reference to the compilation album Grind Madness at the BBC.[13][14]
Lyrical themes
[edit]Andrew Lee aims to increase the visibility of Asians in Eurocentric extreme metal "by being very blatantly Chinese" in his lyrics and album art.[15][16] Lyrical themes explore Chinese folklore while being anti-war, anti-racist and anti-imperialist.[17] The majority of the songs are performed in English, with some in Mandarin.[18][17]
For their debut album, 埋葬 (Maizang), Lee was inspired to explore the subject of Chinese funeral rites after attending his grandfather's Buddhist funeral in 2017. The album's title has a double meaning, translating to "burial", it represents both the Chinese burial customs as well as how Lee views Asian-Americans as being "buried" and invisible in American discourse.[2] The cover art for the album references Qingming Festival, where families clean the graves of their ancestors. Lyrically, the album focuses on different aspects of Chinese culture and history, including funeral customs, jiangu, jiangshi, and the KMT's anti-communist massacre of 1927.[2][19]
The cover art for 劇變 (Jubian) features the Taiwanese sea goddess Mazu. From the album, the song "Reek of burning freedom" is about America's bombing campaign on North Korea.[20] "Violent Compulsion For Conquest" is about the Mukden Incident, and "漢奸 (Race Traitor)" is about "the experience of existing as a minority in a country where any action is seen as representative of their whole race".[21][22][17][4] Other songs on the album explore the historical figure Lao Ai and wuxia.[17]
The cover art for their 2024 album 三屍 (Sanshi) depicts god of death Yan Luo Wang and the album lyrically focuses heavily on Diyu. The title of the album references the Taoist belief of three demons living inside every human.[23] Songs featured on the album include a song about Chinese ghost marriage, Meng Po’s “Elixir of Forgetfulness”, and another about the Taiwanese tradition of funeral strip dancing.[24][25]
Influences
[edit]Ripped to Shreds is strongly influenced by old-school death metal,[2] including bands like Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Nile, and Autopsy.[17] Andrew Lee has stated that his guitar solos are influenced by guitarists Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Allan Holdsworth. Additionally, Lee stated that he was influenced by Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, particularly on the song Race Traitor.[14][17] The band is named after two songs of the same name by Terrorizer and Horrendous.[2]
Members
[edit]Current
[edit]- Andrew Lee – Everything (studio) (2016–2020), Guitars, Vocals (live) (2019–2020), Guitars, Vocals (studio and live) (2020–present)
- Ryan – Bass (2020–present)
- Brian Do – Drums (2020–present)
- Michael Chavez – Guitars, vocals (2020–present)
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- 埋葬 (Maizang) (2018)
- 亂 (Luan) (2020)
- 劇變 (Jubian) (2022)
- 三屍 (Sanshi) (2024)
Live albums
[edit]- No Glory Here To Be Found - Live at Bandcamp (2025)
EPs
[edit]- 魔經 - Demon Scriptures (2019)
Split albums
[edit]- Exhumed from Eastern Tombs (Brain Corrosion / Ripped to Shreds) (2020)
Music videos
[edit]| Year | Title | Album | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Reek Of Burning Freedom" | 劇變 (Jubian) | Kevin Burleigh[1] |
| 2024 | "Perverting The Funeral Rites, Stripping For The Dead" | 三屍 (Sanshi) | 施捷睿 JR Shih[24] |
| 2024 | "殭屍復活 (Horrendous Corpse Resurrection)" | Joe Berlinger[26] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ripped To Shreds Share New Song "Reek Of Burning Freedom": Listen". Stereogum. August 16, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Pearce, Dutch (March 23, 2018). "Demo:listen: Ripped To Shreds". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "Get to Know Taiwanese-American Death-Metal Machine Ripped To Shreds". Bandcamp Daily. July 17, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ripped to Shreds: Andrew Lee on Anti-Asian Rhetoric & Digging Deeper Than Horror/War Lyrics | Features". www.noecho.net. October 12, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Nubel, Ted. "Ripped to Shreds' "亂 (Luan)" is Chaotic Death Metal Made Coherent (Album Stream)". Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Rose, Jonathan. "Ripped to Shreds". The Cabrillo Voice. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Asia, Unite (October 23, 2022). "INTERVIEW: "I Used To Be Into Hip Hop and Then I Heard In Flames" Andrew of Ripped To Shreds". Unite Asia. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew. "Panopticon, Thou, Ripped To Shreds, Woe, Krallice, Falls of Rauros & more on anti-racism benefit comp". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "RIPPED TO SHREDS Sign with Relapse Records". lambgoat.com. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Simms, Kelley. "Ripped To Shreds Tears Into Death Metal's Blind Spots on "劇變 (Jubian)" (Interview)". Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Okazawa, Ben (January 14, 2024). "Ripped to Shreds Eye Montreal, Ottawa for 2024 North American Tour │ Exclaim!". Ripped to Shreds Eye Montreal, Ottawa for 2024 North American Tour │ Exclaim!. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ^ "Interview: Andrew Lee of Ripped to Shreds Talks 'Sanshi'". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ "RIPPED TO SHREDS premiere 'No Glory To Be Found: Live at Bandcamp' performance and converation". lambgoat.com. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ a b RelapseRecords (April 8, 2025). RIPPED TO SHREDS - No Glory Here To Be Found: Live at Bandcamp [Full Show and Conversation]. Retrieved April 21, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Terich, Jeff (October 25, 2022). "Ripped to Shreds : Jubian | Album review". Treble. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Scythe, Mandy (October 15, 2022). "Ripped to Shreds Set to Tear Up Europe with Newly Announced Tour Dates". MetalSucks. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Kennelty, Greg (October 21, 2022). "RIPPED TO SHREDS' ANDREW LEE Goes Track-By-Track Through The New Album 劇變 (Jubian)". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ Deaux, Jon (February 26, 2018). "One-Man OSDM Band RIPPED TO SHREDS to Release Debut Album 'Mai-zang' March 27". All About The Rock. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "PREMIERE: Ripped to Shreds – Red Annihilation". The Toilet Ov Hell. March 13, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Kennelty, Greg (August 17, 2022). "RIPPED TO SHREDS Does What Their Band Name Says On New Single "Reek Of Burning Freedom"". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "Band To Watch: Ripped To Shreds". Stereogum. October 4, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ "Ripped To Shreds Share New Song "漢奸 (Race Traitor)": Listen". Stereogum. September 15, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Campagna, Tom. "Ripped to Shreds Deliver Humanity's Judgement and Eviscerating Riffs on "三屍" (Sanshi) (Interview)". Invisible Oranges - The Metal Blog. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ a b "Ripped To Shreds Announce New Album 'Sanshi', Share New Song "Perverting The Funeral Rites, Stripping For The Dead": Listen". Stereogum. July 30, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ Keenan, Hesher (August 15, 2024). "Open Wide for Ripped to Shreds' New Single "Force Fed"". MetalSucks. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ^ Keenan, Hesher (September 17, 2024). "Watch Ripped to Shreds' Michael Chavez and Andrew Lee Tear Through "Horrendous Corpse Resurrection"". MetalSucks. Retrieved February 12, 2025.