Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
For those that are proverbially in the know, so to speak, then you are already aware that Louisville, Kentucky’s FIVE.BOLT.MAIN is inexorably linked with the ‘Ville’s FLAW.
See, both bands share the same vocalist, Chris Volz, as well as having intermingled some shared members at different points. So let’s start there, shall we? The point in time, 2004 to be precise, when popular nu-metal / hard rock band Flaw left Universal Records, after two monumental albums for the label: ‘Through The Eyes’ (2001) and ‘Endangered Species’ (2004).
With Flaw’s continuation in question, Volz re-partnered with two former, early Flaw band members, bassist Ben Patrick and drummer Ivan Arnold, both in Silent Q at the time. Volz had a multitude of songs already in various stages when he originally joined Silent Q, which also included the guitar duo of Aaron Welenken and Jason Chandler. Seeking a fresh start, the quintet adopted the name VENT, but it was short-lived due to legal reasons.
Taking the moniker Five.Bolt.Main, the crew quickly landed themselves an album deal with the indie label, Rock Ridge Music out of Nashville. In 2005, the band released their debut full-length record, ‘Venting‘, but cracks in the machine began to almost immediately appear.
Roughly a month after the album debuted, FIVE.BOLT.MAIN members Jason Chandler, Ben Patrick, and Aaron Weleken left the group. Stories and reasons for their departure varied, but their replacements soon came on board with Kobie Jackson (Primer 55), Alex Cando (Darwin’s Waiting Room), and Ronny Paige, respectively.
Remarkably, ‘Venting‘ sold around 25,000 copies, a more than respectable number when you look at the small-scale exposure the band had. However, membership problems would persist for FIVE.BOLT.MAIN, as Ivan Arnold exited in the middle of 2006. His departure would be highlighted by an infamous onstage dispute he and Volz had during a show at Club Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland. All the band’s remaining tour dates were canceled, after attempts by remaining members and Rock Ridge to find a replacement drummer fell through.
2006 also saw Rock Ridge Music issue a live release from FIVE.BOLT.MAIN, ‘Live‘, which was recorded in Louisville during the band’s 2006 tour.
It has been reported that plans to release a compilation, titled ‘Complete’, were in the works for FIVE.BOLT.MAIN next, though no substantive new material had been recorded by the band, except the pre-production demos of the songs “Just My Luck” and “Blackout“. The tracks were co-produced by Chris Henderson, guitarist of 3 Doors Down, in his recording studio in Biloxi, Mississippi. Regardless, Rock Ridge released ‘Complete’ in 2008, despite the fact that most members of the band had not consented to its release, citing poor sound quality.
In February of 2007, a PR release announced the disbandment of FIVE.BOLT.MAIN and in the years since, Chris Volz has pursued music both as a solo artist and within the reactivated FLAW. Alex Cando also participated in FLAW for a period of time but eventually left to pursue other endeavors.
Ronny Paige moved on to start the band Forever Oeuvre while taking on hired gun jobs for such bands as Rev Theory and Fuel. At points in 2009 and 2011, differing members of FBM claimed to be working on reforming the band, but as of press time now, no new material from FIVE.BOLT.MAIN has materialized… but that is not quite the end of the story.
Just this past week, an announcement came revealing that Noble Steed Music is partnering with Sofa King Vinyl to release FIVE.BOLT.MAIN‘s classic debut, ‘Venting‘ on vinyl LP for the first time. The release will be specifically re-mastered for the vinyl format and pressed on 140g black vinyl for optimal sound quality.
The rare, collectible LP item will only be available in this pre-order offer and will NOT be available in stores or via any other outlet. To reserve your copy now, visit the link below.
