Becoming the Archetype is an American heavy metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999. They have released six albums on Solid State Records. Dichotomy, which was released in November 2008, sold around 2,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The CD debuted at No. 18 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the top 100 of the Billboard 200. The band was part of the new wave of American heavy metal. After 2012's I Am, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. In 2022, however, the band reunited with the lineup of Jason Wisdom, Seth Hecox, and Brent “Duck” Duckett.
History
The band formed in 1999 with two vocalists, including Jason Wisdom, guitarists Jon Star and Sean Cunningham, bassist Wes Gaither, and drummer Brent "Duck" Duckett under the moniker Nonexistent Failure.
The band's second vocalist left the band before they recorded a demo. The band recorded their first demo in 2001, before joining Solid State Records, the band changed their name to The Remnant and released an independent self-titled album.
The band was approached by the members of Demon Hunter at Cornerstone Festival in 2004, who told the band to change their name, as there was punk band named The Remnants.
The band changed to Becoming the Archetype. Wisdom claims that he came up with the name.
In December 2004, the band signed with Solid State and released their first nationwide album, Terminate Damnation, a banger named after a song by Christian death metal band Mortification, mixed by Tue Madsen. The album blended elements of progressive metal, death metal and metalcore.
In 2006, the band's longtime lead guitarist, and one of the primary songwriters Jon Star decided to leave the band for personal reasons, but on good terms.
The band's first tour of 2006 was a 24-date run in Europe with The Chariot and Shaped by Fate with lead guitar replacement, Alex Kenis from progressive death metal group, Aletheian. In July 2006, original guitarist Sean Cunningham left the band for his last semester in college and to pursue a full-time career. Determined to press on, in the fall of 2006, the band went back into the studio with producer Andreas Magnusson (The Agony Scene, Scarlet, The Black Dahlia Murder, Calico System, Twelve Tribes); The Physics of Fire, was released May 2007. The band promoted the album on "The Trilogy of Hairs" (Bring Your Own Beard, Peel Your Wig Back, Born With a Mustache) tour. The bearded skull artwork for the Bring Your Own Beard has been dubbed "Clifton", named after Aletheian/Solamors drummer Clifton Travis Turner, and is BTA's mascot, according to Jason Wisdom. Also, Brent Duckett took an indefinite break from the band in late 2007 for personal reasons.
In 2008, there were some important personnel changes. Alex Kenis left and was replaced by the band's former lead guitarist, Jon Star. In the spring of 2008 The band wrote the material for its 3rd studio album and recorded the project with stand-in drummer Brandon Lopez (Broken Flesh) in Summer '08 with producer Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad). In November 2008, the band released Dichotomy. The album's concept was inspired by the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis and uses the same themes of biology vs technology, and man vs machine. The sixth song on the album, "Ransom" is, for instance, named after the main character of the trilogy. On October 31, 2008, Brent "Duck" Duckett returned. The band was featured in the 2008 Nov/Dec issue of HM Magazine and tour support also followed. In October 2009, the band released a new single titled "Necrotizing Fasciitis". The single was packaged with a Necrotizing Fasciitis-themed shirt. "Clifton", the bearded skull, returned on the single's artwork.
In 2010, Becoming the Archetype's lead guitarist Jon Star left the band once again and was replaced with guitarist Daniel Gailey.