page_title: Demon Hunter
section_title: Formation and initial releases
hierarchical_section_title: Demon Hunter / History / Formation and initial releases
caption_attribution_description: English: Christian metal band Demon Hunter performing at Red Letter Rock Fest in Snyder, Texas in 2008.
context_page_description: Demon Hunter is an American Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington, started in 2000 by brothers Don Clark and Ryan Clark. Although the brothers created the band together, only Ryan remains, since Don left the band to take care of his family. As of early 2010, the band has sold over half a million albums. The band's style is known for combining nu metal sounds and qualities with ones heard in metalcore.
context_section_description: Demon Hunter was initially conceived as a project band by the Clarks, who had played together previously in the initially Coalesce and Neurosis influenced but later more experimental band Training for Utopia. Ryan had previously played guitar in hardcore band Focal Point, who released an album on Tooth & Nail/Solid State when Ryan was still in his teens.
  Demon Hunter first appeared on This is Solid State Vol. 3 with their first song "Through the Black" released in February 2002. Demon Hunter's self-titled album was released in October 2002 on Tooth and Nail Records subsidiary Solid State Records. Ryan and Don wrote all of the songs, performed the majority of the instruments (with Ryan singing as he had in TFU) and hired Jesse Sprinkle, formerly of Poor Old Lu, to record drum tracks.
  At first the members of the band chose to hide or obscure their identities in photos and in the press.  Their names were revealed when they undertook their first tour, which featured Norwegian metal heavyweights Extol and death-influenced metalcore youngbloods The Agony Scene, and saw the permanent adding of Jesse Sprinkle on drums, Jon Dunn on bass, and Kris McCaddon, formerly of Embodyment and Society's Finest, on lead guitar.
  Demon Hunter returned to the studio to record their second full-length release, Summer of Darkness, with McCaddon contributing, and again with Jesse drumming. Summer of Darkness hit stores on May 4, 2004, and was a modest success, propelling Demon Hunter into the secular scene with the addition of the music video "Not Ready to Die" on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball and Fuse TV, along with single "My Heartstrings Come Undone" being placed on the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack.  The album featured four guest vocal appearances, including Mike Williams of The Agony Scene on "Beheaded," Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists on "Beauty Through The Eyes of a Predator," Howard Jones from Killswitch Engage on "Our Faces Fall Apart" and Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch on "Coffin Builder".
  Demon Hunter hit the road that summer with McCaddon on lead and Dunn on bass, and with new touring drummer Timothy "Yogi" Watts, as Jesse Sprinkle could not make the tour. This time Demon Hunter took with them rock/post-hardcore rookies Dead Poetic, along with metalcore band Haste the Day. Post-hardcore band Staple replaced Haste the Day towards the end of the tour.
  In 2005, Demon Hunter went back to The Compound in Seattle, Washington to record their third album, entitled The Triptych. The word "triptych" centers around the concept of three, as it was the band's third album.  Included on the album is a cover of Prong's song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck". This album debuted Watts as Sprinkle's permanent replacement on drums (Jesse having joined Dead Poetic) as well as the addition of Ethan Luck as lead guitarist, replacing Kris McCaddon. The Triptych was even bigger than Summer of Darkness, selling more than twice as many records on its first week of release than Summer of Darkness had. "Undying" was the band's first single from this album, and was also made into a music video directed by Chris Sims.
  Demon Hunter's only 2006 tour took place over the summer with Zao, Becoming the Archetype, August Burns Red, and Spoken. The band shot a video for "One Thousand Apologies" after the tour was over with director Darren Doane at the helm. The Triptych was re-released on October 31, 2006 with a DVD accompanying the album and four extra songs added to the original album.
  The hard rock and heavy metal based magazine, Revolver, published a cover story on Christian metal in December 2006, featuring what the magazine called "The Holy Alliance":  Spencer Chamberlain from Underoath, Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter, Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying, and Cory Brandan Putman from Norma Jean.
  Demon Hunter entered the studio in June 2007 to record their fourth full-length album, Storm the Gates of Hell, which was released on November 6, 2007. Solid State released three versions of the album with various bonuses. "Fading Away" was the album's first single and mu
caption: Demon Hunter performing at Red Letter Rock Festival in 2008
exif: {}