Glassjaw (sometimes stylized glassJAw or GlassJAw) is a four-piece band from . The band is fronted by vocalist and guitarist , and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception. The band has been influential in the progression of the scene in the eastern and and on the post-hardcore genre, and are known for their intense live shows and constant line-up changes.

Biography

The band formed in the summer of 1993 after Palumbo and Beck met each other at camp. Of the band name, Beck has said: "We had a list of names, and we were just like, let's pick one of these band names which ones the coolest. At the time there were a bunch of bands coming out with two names in one like that, like mouthpiece, curbjaw, stuff like that. We were going down the list, and the first name that I liked was Swiftkick. I'm all like, that’s a sick name. But for some reason Glassjaw stuck. There's really no reason behind it; it just sounded cool." The band played their first show in 1994 in Oceanside, NY. In the early days, Beck and Weinstock were also playing with band, . Sons of Abraham constitute an important influence on Glassjaw, songs such as Hurting and Shoving (She Should Have Let Me Sleep) by Glassjaw drawing particularly on earlier Sons of Abraham releases. Palumbo was in his own straight-edge band called XbustedX. The group's line-up changed constantly in their early years while they played in the local scene. Beck's primary instrument throughout this time was drums, but switched to bass guitar when Ariel Telford left the band in 1998, and then switched to lead guitar when Kris Baldwin left and Manuel Carrero joined the band in 1999. From 1994-1999 the band did several demo recordings of some songs that would eventually appear on their official releases, as well as several other compositions that would not see official release. The band recorded the five-song in 1997. The record was released independently on the label 2 Cents a Pop, and saw a re-release in 2001 without label affiliation. The line-up on this record was Daryl Palumbo, Justin Beck, Todd Weinstock, Kris Baldwin and Ariel Telford. "Star Above My Bed", from the EP, is still in the band's set lists to this day. A significant recording came in 1999 working with Don Fury (, , ), showcasing songs that appeared on their debut LP .

In 1999, the band entered the studio at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California with producer (, , , , among others) to record their first full-length album entitled , which saw release in 2000 through . On being signed: "Ross showed up at a practice," Beck recounts. "We start a song; 5-4-3-2-1. Ross stands up, waving his hands and he's like, 'It's over, it's done. I want to do this, you've got a deal!' The line-up on this record was Palumbo, Beck, Todd Weinstock, Manuel Carrero & Sammy Siegler (who left the band prior to the subsequent tour). Robinson has said of it: "Our goal at the time of that record was to destroy Adidas rock", a self-deprecating reference to the Adidas-sponsored bands (Korn, Limp Bizkit) Robinson had produced and championed as part of the nu-metal movement. The music was aggressive and unrelenting, but also included spacious songs like "When One Eight Becomes Two Zeros", "Her Middle Name is Boom", "Piano" and the epic "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence", the latter of which deals with Palumbo's problems with . The music, accompanied with Palumbo's lyrics—which were often bitter and resentful towards particular characters he was discussing—and his singing style in itself—powerful and aggressive guttural screaming along with a melodic touch—created a unique dynamic. Although EYEWTKAS is often cited as a milestone post-hardcore album, it saw little push from Roadrunner, causing the band to garner an ill-will towards the label. Matters were somewhat worsened when Palumbo started to have bouts with his Crohn's disease on tour, as his aggressive performance style sometimes triggers a relapse, which has the potential to be fatal. It is alleged that Roadrunner would not allow Palumbo to leave the tour to rest.

of officially took over drumming duties part-way through touring, which saw dates with and a six-week European tour with . The line-up continued to rotate following the conclusion of the tour when Manuel Carrero was kicked out by Roadrunner for being the only member to have date conflicts with touring.

Worship and Tribute (2001–2003)

In 2001, the band entered the studio in secret with Ross Robinson and began recording their follow-up album , which would see release the following year. The album was engineered and mixed by . They left Roadrunner, finding them problematic, and shipped the album to other labels and ended up signing a deal with . The line-up on this record was Palumbo, Beck (who also provided bass duties), Weinstock, and of and later , who provided drumming duties due to recording time constraints, as he had worked well with producer Ross Robinson in the past, although Larry Gorman was composing parts and officially the drummer of the band. Ross Robinson does not use a 'click track' (automated metronome) when recording drummers, as he believes "it takes away from the true essence of the music". This album showcased a more melodic and mature Glassjaw, as they started to further incorporate and influences, particularly in tracks like "Ape Dos Mil", "Must've Run All Day", "The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports", and "Convectuoso" (which did not appear on the official release due to a publishing dispute with Roadrunner). Palumbo said of it: "It's a mélange of influences, a collage is what this band is all about. This record pays tribute to everything from Bad Brains to Anthrax to The Cure to Squeeze and so much more." Lyrically, the more confrontational elements heard on 'Everything...' were reined in, with Palumbo taking a more cerebral approach.

Dave Allen joined the group as bassist following the recording of the album. The band then toured extensively throughout 2002-2003, playing all over the world, including festival tours such as , and . In October 2002, dates in Germany and the UK were cancelled when Palumbo was hospitalized in Paris after suffering a relapse of the Crohn's; he underwent intestinal surgery. The dates were rescheduled to December, but he suffered another relapse. On their return in April 2003 he was hospitalized again in Glasgow, Scotland, which led to cancellations including the Kerrang! Weekender and a date at the London Astoria.