SONICFLOOD

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Sonicflood is a U.S. group of Contemporary Christian music, based in Nashville, Tennessee.

They started in 1999 with a self-titled debut album.

Sonicflood's origins can be traced back to the band Zilch, which originated from dc Talk's traveling band:

lead singer & guitarist Mark Lee Townsend, keyboardist Jason Halbert, and bassist Otto Price.

Zilch released its first Christian rock album, Platinum, in 1997 on Gotee Records and received very little publicity.

Mark Lee Townsend left the band and was replaced by then-independent artist Jeff Deyo.

After performing in various clubs for a while, Gotee Records producers saw the band perform a cover of Lord, I Lift Your Name on High and suggested that the band consider recording a praise & worship album.

The band agreed to this new direction. Because of the change in style and sound, and the departure of Townsend, the band changed its name to Sonicflood.

The group added Seven Day Jesus guitarist Dwayne Larring and drummer Aaron Blanton to its lineup, not to mention a host of additional guitarists appearing as studio guests. Otto Price played bass on the album but dropped out of the core band.

Rick Heil, Big Tent Revival bass player, took Otto Price's place in February 1999 before the band began touring. In February 1999, the band released its debut and eventually sold 900,000 units, had two #1 hits, and garnered three Dove Awards nominations and one win, for "Praise and Worship Album".

In 2000, the band went through a series of changes that ended in all members but Rick Heil leaving the band. Following the Newsboys "Love, Liberty, Disco" tour, lead singer Jeff Deyo was voted out of the band, and drummer Aaron Blanton quit. A lead singer from New Zealand and a new drummer were hired, but performed only a few tour dates before the lead singer was deported.

Following the devastating deportation of the band's new lead singer, remaining founders Dwayne Larring and Jason Halbert left the band, leaving non-founding member Rick Heil the only man left.

In 2001, following their departure from the band, Dwayne Larring and Jason Halbert produced the third praise album.

It was released by the legendary Christian Rock Group and Gospel Music Hall of Fame group, PETRA The name of the album was "Revival."

From the "Revival" DVD, Larring and Halbert both credit Petra's


first two praise albums ("Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out" and "Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus") as inspiration for the sound of the band.

Gotee Records issued a press release that the group had broken up. At the time of the break up, the band was booked for the remainder of the year, and into the next year. The member's website went down, and was replaced by a message by touring bassist Rick Heil, stating that the band had indeed broken up.

He also said that he felt sorry for the churches that had made non-refundable deposits and purchases for the band's concerts, and so he was putting together a band to honor the bands remaining tour dates. During this tour, Rick Heil decided to make this band the "new" Sonicflood, and continued to book concerts under the name.

Rick and his wife Ce Ce Heil (the group's accountant) "relieved" the original band members using a legal strong arm.

After the inevitable legal battles over Rick Heil's continued use of the name Sonicflood were over, the "new" Sonicflood was formed. Gotee Records dropped the band after Sonicpraise, stating their contract was with the members of the original band, not Rick Heil.

Sonicpraise, their live album, was recorded at the 1999 Flevo Festival in The Netherlands, but was only released in 2001 after the band split up to fulfill Sonicflood's contractual obligations to Gotee Records. The new album earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Gospel Rock Album".

Heil continued on with Sonicflood, recruiting new members and releasing Resonate (2001), Cry Holy (2003), This Generation (2005) and Glimpse (2006) with INO Records.

Aaron Blanton joined the band By the Tree, and Jeff Deyo stayed with Gotee Records as a solo artist. Former Paul Colman Trio bassist Grant Norsworthy joined the band after the Australian threesome split in 2004.

The group is credited with helping along the modern rock-worship movement that Delirious? began by putting electric guitars, distortion, and audio effects to worship lyrics.

return from Sonicflood to Christian Music Artists

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