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Tonic Breed - Biography


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2014-

Biography

Tonic Breed is a Norwegian thrash/heavy metal band formed in Sarpsborg, Norway in 2006. Patrik Svendsen and Bjørn Myhren had already started playing together in 2004, with influences from bands of the American thrash metal scene. Rudi Golimo and Daniel Pettersen later joined the band. In the fall of 2008, the band got the name Tonic Breed.

Tonic Breed collaborated over a short period with producer Beau Hill on a remake of the song and the band's first single, "Death in Small Doses". The new version of the song got the title Death in Small Doses (Put to Death). As of 2018, the band has released two full-length albums, their most recent being, Outsold, on April 28, 2014. Besides the two studio albums, the band has also released two singles, four music videos and is expected to release an EP called Install Memory, on September 14, 2018.

In 2003, Patrik Svendsen and Bjørn Myhren got to know each other when they found out they shared the same interest for music. They were classmates and so was Rudi Golimo. In 2006, Patrik and Bjørn started playing together, both of them guitar. Rudi wanted to join in as well, and by Patrik and Bjørn's request, he bought a bass guitar. They had a lot of tryouts with different drummers in a period of time. It was first when the three of them met Daniel Pettersen they considered them self as a full band for the first time. The first rehearsal with this four man line up was in September, 2006. The band then started practice in Daniel's garage.

Rudi had for a long time speculated in a proper band name. He had a strong wish to name the band Roadkill, which became the band name for over a year.

Roadkill played their first time live performance ever at an audition in 2008. The winner of the audition won a gig at a local festival in Sarpsborg, called Bedemarten. The audition setlist contained of two songs: Tonic Breed's first single, "Don't Fail Again", and Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)". Roadkill was the victorious band. Roadkill's first real gig was at Bedemarten festival, August 28, 2008, in front of 200 people.

Roadkill changed their name to Tonic Breed in late 2009. Shortly after, Tonic Breed won a live competition. The first prize was a studio recording. At that point, Tonic Breed did not have enough songs to make a whole album. It wasn't before the year after that Tonic Breed could hit the studio to make their first studio album.

Recorded in Fredrikstad, Norway, Tonic Breed's first album release was On The Brink Of Destruction. It had its release November 24, 2010. The mixing and mastering was done by Lasse Jensen. Just a few days after the last recording day, Bjørn Myhren left the band. Anders Bekken replaced Bjørn as the new lead guitarist, the same month as the album was released. Anders joined numerous concerts until he had to quit in the middle of 2011 because of duty in the Norwegian army.

Tonic Breed continued playing concerts, and former guitarist Bjørn Myhren stepped in to help the band for a short time. One of the concerts Bjørn played was the Global Battle Of The Bands local semi finals. Tonic Breed with guest guitarist Bjørn Myhren managed to qualify to the national finals of the competition.

Just a few weeks later, Tonic Breed joined yet another competition. This time a local one in Sarpsborg. Tonic Breed won the competition, and the prize was a good amount of studio time in Lydlageret Studio in Sarpsborg. This is the main reason Tonic Breed ended up recording their second studio album in that particular studio. Although the studio was ready for Tonic Breed, Tonic Breed was not ready for the studio. The band had no new songs ready to record at that time and had to put the recording process on hold.

A newly mastered, and slightly remixed version of "Death In Small Doses" was made by Beau Hill in March 2012. That version of the song got the title "Death In Small Doses (Put To Death)". The deal came through after Beau contacted the band earlier the same year, wanting to do a project with them.

Thomas Koksvik took the place as the new lead guitarist in early 2012. Thomas and Patrik knew each other from Trøndertun Folk High School in Trondheim, Norway. Short after Thomas arrived, the band played the national Global Battle Of The Bands final in Oslo, Norway, which did not end in success for Tonic Breed. Daniel decided later on to move to Rena in Norway, to finish his school education.

Within this time, with a band member short, Tonic Breed did a lot of songwriting while looking for a new drummer. While writing new songs, the band did their first music video to their latest single release, Impossible Is Nothing. The drums on the song were done by Paal Johannesen, vocalist in the hardcore band Bits Between. On the music video, Tobias Lundblad from Springskalle stepped in as a guest performance.

Five different drummers were in for tryouts with Tonic Breed in 2012 and 2013. It was Mats Johansen who suited Tonic Breed the best. The audition song for all the drummers were a song with the working title "Implosion". That song later got a new name, "Fifth Estate", and ended on their upcoming album.

Tonic Breed recorded their second studio album, Outsold, in September, 2013. The album was recorded and pre-mixed by Patrik Svendsen and Lars Andresen at Lydlageret Studio in Sarpsborg. The last part of the mix was done by Børge Finstad at Toproom Studio, Norway. The album had its release on April 28, 2014.

Shortly after, the third track of the album, "Bad Company", got its own music video. The video was animated by Ole Andersen and directed by Patrik Svendsen.

By Norwegian radio program P3 Pyro, Tonic Breed was picked out as one of Norway's most promising bands of 2014.

Tonic Breed released a music video to the song "Strife", in May, 2015. This was the first project to include lead guitarist, Jørgen Abrahamsen.

In January 2016, Tonic Breed released a music video to the song "Fifth Estate", which became the third and last music video from the "Outsold" album.[7] It was directed by Oscar Birk. The video was the first project since 2012 to involve Daniel Pettersen on drums.

In November 2016, along with Meltdown and Scars, Tonic Breed's fourth-ever concert enters their hometown, Glenghuset, Sarpsborg. They performed the 10th year anniversary while wearing the business suits from the "Fifth Estate" music video.

In June 2017, Tonic Breed signed with Rob Mules records. Anders L. Rasmussen stated to Eternal Terror Magazine that Tonic Breed was a band they really wanted to sign in the future before the signing was official. In August 2017, Ole Danielsen officially replaced Daniel Pettersen on drums after rehearsing with the band for a few months.

In September 2018, along with Rob Mules Records, the band will release their first-ever EP called Install Memory. The date is set to September 14th and will feature Jørgen Abrahamsen and Ole Danielsen for the first time on a release.

(Source: Official website, 8.2.2015)