Soulbender

Soulbender
Founding members Dave Groves, Wes Hallam, Nick Pollock, and Michael Wilton
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, USA
Genres	alternative metal, hard rock
Years active	2001-present (On hiatus)
Labels	Licking Lava Records Rat Pak Records
Associated acts	Queensrÿche, Sleze, Alice N' Chains, My Sister's Machine, Peace and Silence, Second Coming, Tanks of Zen, Post Modern Heroes
Past members	See: Members

Soulbender is a heavy metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, by musicians hailing from both Seattle and Vancouver, including Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton and My Sister's Machine vocalist Nick Pollock. Other founding members were guitarist Dave Groves and drummer Wes Hallam, both of whom played in the Vancouver band Fallen Angel. This band has also featured two former members of the 1990s metal band Peace and Silence; Travis Bracht (also of Second Coming) and Chuck Miller.

Soulbender initially began as a solo project of Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton in conjunction with two longtime friends, guitarist Dave Groves and drummer Wes Hallam. Through a mutual friend, producer and engineer Eric Janko, Michael was introduced to vocalist Nick Pollock, formerly of Alice N' Chains and My Sister's Machine. Soulbender played their first live show opening for Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate's solo band at the EMP in Seattle in June 2002. They also performed at the very first Layne Staley Tribute later that August.

With the addition of bass player Marten Van Keith, who also hailed from Vancouver according to Wilton, the group released their self-titled debut album through Licking Lava Records in 2004 and they immediately began to tour in support of the album. Prior to the release of the album, Sefany Jones of KNAC was given a demo CD of six songs. In her review, she wrote, "The overall feel of this album is entrancing, inasmuch as I would describe Tool." She also likened it to Marilyn Manson, Alice in Chains, and Michael Monroe. Wilton said in an interview a year later that "a lot of people are apparently comparing it to Alice in Chains and Tool." Despite playing a couple sellout shows, the band has experienced much difficulty getting off the ground due to Wilton's Queensrÿche duties. Wilton compared this predicament to that of singer Maynard James Keenan, who pulls double duty with Tool and A Perfect Circle, saying "I'll do a little tour here with one band and a little tour there with the other band." Van Keith was replaced in 2005 by bass player Chuck Miller, formerly of the band Peace and Silence.