Triple Seven

Triple Seven (initially stylized as 777) is an American metal quintet. They were founded in Sandusky, Ohio in 2007; they relocated to Cleveland by the time they started recording Finding Enjoyment in Chaos. When the band came together, their namesake was derived from how Christian denominations viewed the arithmetical value "7" as a holy number: God rested on the 7th day and man was conceived on the 6th, making 777 the antithesis of 666. Later on, the band has stated that the moniker stems from the titular winning line one finds in slot machines.
So far they have a total of twelve releases: seven full-lengths, four EPs, and one compilation.
==Background information==
*Origin: Sandusky, Ohio, United States
*Genres: Extreme metal, alternative metal, avant-garde metal, deathcore (early)
*Years active: 2007–present
*Labels: Scornful VII, Relapse, Equal Vision, Stillborn
==Style and influences==
Outside their vigorous live performances, they're worth noting for their variable formula -- no two releases are mistaken for one another. Taking flight as a deathcore act The Painkiller That Committed Suicide featured pig squeals and shrieks employed by Brendon Porkart in tandem with a surplus of breakdowns, open-note chugging, staccato riffs, and blast beats. After Porkart was fired Ash Erickson joined in time for the debut album. Stylistically A Prayer for the Damned was still deathcore, but in a dissimilar vein: pig squealing was jettisoned in favor of deeper gutturals and shouts. The material introduced clean vocals, however sparse they were. With breakdowns and guitar chugs truncated Drieberg started exploring dissonant chords and the rare solo, resulting in simultaneously melodic, technical, and fluid compositions.
Triple Seven's second album Ghost Romance marked a major sea change. At this point in their career, the band gravitated toward an alternative direction with a metalcore flavor. Erickson tasked herself with higher screams and more singing, as well. The LP encouraged interludes -- these were instrumentals that had vestiges of dark ambient. A natural progression could be felt on the quintet's third full-length, Lilith's Epiphany. Ghost Romance's marriage of alt-metal and experimentation was strengthened, whereas any metalcore ingredients prior were sacked. Record #3 gave the members wiggle room for instruments previously untouched like keyboards, shamisen, and double bass. The Innocent Demons Dance saw a decrease in genre bending and heterogeneity compared to the previous two records, housing a pop-oriented progressive aesthetic on several songs all without sacrificing the band's savage sensibility. It is the first outing to feature creative input from the entire band, and the first to have Erickson supplying lyrics. Finding Enjoyment in Chaos honed in on unrelenting deathgrind. Barring "Kutchur Katela Flala!," "Arrivederci Sayonara Bye-Bye," and "The Sun Always Shines on TV" there's a glaring dearth of cleans. Emphasis was put on showmanship, specially with the percussion and guitar. Devirgination depicts the group pursuing -- for all intents and purposes -- a melting pot of nu metal and digital hardcore.
The band's classic iteration was inspired by Suffocation, Job for a Cowboy, War from a Harlots Mouth, and Despised Icon -- the latter's back catalog permeates A Prayer for the Damned's stench the most. On recent releases the guys have drawn influence from an even greater pool of artists -- a couple falling WAY outside the metal purview. They have been shaped by troupes like The Smashing Pumpkins, DIR EN GREY, Dog Fashion Disco, Mushroomhead, Waltari, Eyes Set to Kill, Deftones, Pyogenesis, King Crimson, and 36 Crazyfists. Triple Seven's music is self-described as Dumbasscore. While they're often categorized as an avant-garde metal band Erickson has rejected the tag, finding extreme or alternative to better suit their ethos.
==Band members==
;Current members
*Ray Drieberg – lead guitar (2007–present), bandleader (2015–present)
*Ash Erickson – lead vocals (2009–present), lyrics (2015–present)
*Sky Vega – bass (2012–present), keyboards, programming (2012–present studio; 2012–2021 live)
*Chance Bottings – rhythm guitar (2013–present), backing vocals (2015–present)
*Micah Trevant – drums, percussion (2015–present), co-vocals (2023–present)
;Current touring members
*Jade Billingslea – keyboards, turntables, programming (2022–present)
*Max Kendrick – third guitar (2023–present)
;Former members
*Derrick Halsey – drums, percussion (2007–2015)
*Brendon Porkart – lead vocals (2007–2009)
*Nick Manis – bass (2007–2010)
*T.J. Orr – rhythm guitar (2008–2010)
*Avery Henson – rhythm guitar (2010; died 2014)
*Paulie Schumaker – bass (2011–2012)
*Lou Killings – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
==Discography==
See also: Triple Seven discography
*A Prayer for the Damned (2009)
*Ghost Romance (2011)
*Lilith's Epiphany (2014)
*The Innocent Demons Dance (2016)
*Finding Enjoyment in Chaos (2018)
*Devirgination (2021)
*Nana (2024)
Category:Triple Seven