Amnesiac

George Keller

Jesse Hutton

Amnesiac is an alternative metal supergroup formed in 2008 by Akiba Yasuyuki and Simon Luttrell, members of Sonic Paradise and Pipe, respectively. Ever since they released their self-titled debut album in 2010, the band has had a cult-like following, and is widely regarded as one of the best modern metal bands.

## History

Ever since the dissolution of Sonic Paradise, Akiba Yasuyuki had been looking for a band to perform with. After a few years of searching, he got in contact with Pipe guitarist Simon Luttrell. Pipe had just gone into hiatus following the decline of Skye Graham's mental health, so Luttrell was also looking for somebody to perform with. The two musicians agreed to meet up in London, where they jammed and hung out. Eventually, they made the decision to form a band together, and Amnesiac was born. Luttrell soon enlisted bassist George Keller, who had previously performed with Pipe as a touring member. Finding a drummer took a bit longer, but they eventually settled on former Transit drummer Michael Hickey. The established reputation of the band members helped get them signed to Roadrunner early on. With their new lineup, the band went to the studios to record their first album.

The recording of this album took about a year and a half, as Yasuyuki is known to be a perfectionist. Eventually, they released their self-titled debut to rave reviews in 2010, and the band went on tour in support of it. Unlike most other bands, Amnesiac do not release singles with their albums, since the albums are designed to be listened to in their entirety. Once the tour had commenced, the band returned to the studio once more to create the follow up to their highly acclaimed debut. This album, *Beyond Human*, was released in 2012 to similarly positive reviews. The band was about halfway through their tour in support of this record when Michael Hickey suddenly left the band. According to him, this was so he could work on other projects (spreading rumors of a Transit reunion). Regardless of why he left, the band began to immediately search for a replacement. They were having trouble doing so when they had a stroke of luck; former Tangerine drummer Evan Griffiths had given the band a call to discuss the production of their next record, when they mentioned the search for a new drummer. Upon hearing this, Griffiths offered to fill the role for the rest of the tour and their next album, to which they agreed.

Similarly to what they had done before, the band headed to the studio to record their third album shortly after the *Beyond Human* tour was finished. The band released their third album, *Fallen Phoenix* in 2014, which received extremely positive reception. However, unlike previous album releases, the band didn't tour immediately after it's release. This was due to Simon Luttrell joining Pipe for it's reunion in 2015, and Evan Griffiths continuing his production work. In a post on the band's website, Yasuyuki announced that Amnesiac would no longer tour consistently, at least not for the next few years. He also confirmed that Griffiths was no longer part of the band, as was previously speculated by fans.

With Griffiths' departure, the band once again had to look for a new drummer. To do this, they launched an online audition in which people could apply through email or social media. Thousands of people auditioned for the role, but one in particular stood out; a man named Jesse Hutton from the small town of Arcadia, Oklahoma. According to George Keller, he and the other band members were shocked by his talent; "I was blown away by this dude," he later recalled. "Some guy from the middle of nowhere, and he is just one hell of a drummer." Upon meeting with the band in person, Hutton officially became Amnesiac's new drummer.

Once Luttrell had returned from his tour with Pipe, the band went to the studio once again to record their fourth album, titled *Glory for the Few*. It was released in 2017 under the band's new label, Napalm. Just like the band's previous releases, it was praised by fans and critics alike. About a year later, the band began another tour, their first since 2013. In 2020, rumors began circling that the band was producing their fifth album, to be released in 2022. These rumors were confirmed when the band suddenly released *Astra Inclinant* in April of that year. For the first time in their career, they also released a single to go along with this album, *Sed Non Obligant*. According to Yasuyuki, it was "The first song we made that feels strong enough to stand on it's own, whilst still feeling like an integral part of the album"

## Members

### Current members

Akiba Yasuyuki - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (2008-)

Simon Luttrell - lead guitar, backing vocals (2008-)

George Keller - bass, backing vocals (2008-)

Jesse Hutton - drums, percussion (2016-)

### Past members

Michael Hickey - drums, percussion (2008-2013)

Evan Griffiths - drums, percussion (2013-2015)

## Discography

* *Amnesiac* (2010)
* *Beyond Human* (2012)
* *Fallen Phoenix* (2014)
* *Glory For The Few* (2017)
* *Astra Inclinant* (2022)