Theory of a Deadman | |
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 Theory of a Deadman performing atFestival of Friends 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | North Delta, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | theoryofficial |
Theory of a Deadman (abbreviated asTheory orT.O.A.D) is a Canadianrock band fromNorth Delta, British Columbia. Formed in 1999, the band is currently signed toRoadrunner Records as well as604 Records. The band's music has hints of various music styles, such ascountry andacoustic, in addition to theirpost-grunge andalternative rock foundation. Nine of their singles have entered the top ten of the USBillboardMainstream Rock chart, including four songs that peaked at number one: "Bad Girlfriend", "Lowlife", "Rx (Medicate)" and "History of Violence".
Theory of a Deadman was initially formed in 1999 by lead guitarist/vocalist Tyler Connolly and bassist Dean Back.[1] They later became the first act to sign withNickelback frontmanChad Kroeger's604 Records imprint in 2001 after Connolly convinced Kroeger's ex-girlfriend Jodi to send him a copy of their first demo recording. Shortly afterwards; Kroeger invited Connolly to a barbecue and discussed giving his band a record deal soon after. They released their eponymous debut albumTheory of a Deadman on September 17, 2002, co produced by Kroeger. The name of the band comes from a song from their first album, whose lyrics describe a man preparing to commit suicide. That track was later renamed "The Last Song".[2] The album was a large success for the band in North America, peaking at #4 in Canada and #85 in the US. The band would later tour in support of the album as an opening act for Nickelback throughout 2002 and 2003. The album was certified platinum in the United States and Canada on May 12, 2006.
On March 29, 2005, Theory of a Deadman released their second album,Gasoline. After the release of the album, the band toured withShinedown andNo Address. Starting on March 1, 2005, Theory began a promotional tour, headlined byBreaking Benjamin andThe Exies. Songs fromGasoline appeared in the soundtrack of the 2005 video gameFahrenheit, which was released under the titleIndigo Prophecy in the United States.
The band performed thetheme song toWorld Wrestling Entertainment'sNo Way Out 2006 pay-per-view, a cover version of "Deadly Game" from theWWE Anthology album. The song was released on theWWE Wreckless Intent album. They also did a cover of "No Chance In Hell", the theme song for WWE chairmanVince McMahon. The song was released onWWE The Music, Vol. 8 on March 25, 2008.[3][4] They also performed the theme song for the 2011 edition of the WWE pay-per-viewSummerSlam.
On April 1, 2008, Theory of a Deadman released their third album,Scars & Souvenirs, from which they released eight singles: "So Happy", "By the Way", "Little Smirk", "Bad Girlfriend", "All or Nothing", "Hate My Life", "Not Meant to Be", and "Wait for Me". The song "By the Way" features vocals fromChris Daughtry and Robin Diaz. On April 6, 2008, they appeared at theJuno Awards inCalgary, Alberta, after making various stops across Canada in a promotion known as Journey to the Junos.
Theory also performed in the96th Grey Cup halftime show, along withSuzie McNeil and Andree Watters, on November 23, 2008.[5] Along withHinder, they supportedMötley Crüe during the 2008/2009 tour. They also played atCrüe Fest 2.[6]
Total Nonstop Action used Theory of a Deadman's song "Got it Made", from the albumScars & Souvenirs, for their special 2008 year review video.[7] The song later went on to be used bySun Sports forMiami Heat post-game video recaps during the2010-11 season. It was also used in theNASCAR 09 video game.
On April 9, 2009,Scars & Souvenirs was certified gold by the RIAA, with sales reaching 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone.[8]
In late 2010, it was announced that the band would start recording their fourth studio album, which was projected to be released in mid-2011.[9][better source needed] It was then confirmed by Tyler Connolly that the band's fourth album would be released on July 12, 2011.[10] The first single from the album, "Lowlife", was released on May 17, 2011.[11][better source needed] The title of the upcoming album was announced to beThe Truth Is...[12]
In 2011, Theory co-headlined the second annual Carnival of Madness Tour withAlter Bridge. The supporting bands wereBlack Stone Cherry,Adelitas Way, and Emphatic. The band contributed a new song, which was co-written withThe Exies singer Scott Stevens, called "Head Above Water", to theTransformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack, which was released on June 14, 2011. Another track titled "Drag Me to Hell" was made available for free through the officialRoadrunner Records website on June 16, 2011.[13] The second official single, "Out Of My Head", was released on June 14, 2011. On July 1, 2011, the unreleased single, "Let Me Go", featuringPop Idol'sCveta Majtanović, was also released via CloudMusic and for the parted collaboration music video.
On November 9, 2013, it was confirmed via Theory'sTwitter page that pre-production on their fifth album had started. In January 2014, they stated that they were "finishing up record number 5 next week" with release dates and news soon to come. In April 2014, Theory of a Deadman announced that a new single titled "Drown" would be released in April, with their new albumSavages released in July.[14] The song "Panic Room" from the album would serve as thetheme song for WWE's October pay-per-viewHell in a Cell.[15]
On April 28, 2015 the band released a 5 track acoustic EP titledAngel. On November 11, 2016, the band released a cover of the song "Hallelujah" byLeonard Cohen, a tribute in recognition of his death on the seventh of the same month.[16]
In January 2017, the band announced that they were recording their sixth studio album. They released two cover singles shortly after—Sting's "Shape of My Heart" in February andMajor Lazer's "Cold Water" on March 17.[17][18] Instead of working with the same production team in Los Angeles that they had used for their previous four albums, they decided to work with Swedish music producerMartin Terefe, and spent seven weeks recording in London at Terefe's Kensaltown Studios.[19][20] The group announced the name of their upcoming album—Wake Up Call—on July 27, 2017, with the release of its lead single, "Rx (Medicate)". The song, which handles the topic ofprescription drug addiction, topped theBillboard USMainstream Rock Songs chart for six consecutive weeks later that year,[21][22] and earned the band a "No. 1 Song Award" from theSociety of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).[23]
With the release of the new album, the band decided to undergo a name change, shortening it to Theory. The group cited that discussions involving the name of their band with people who are unfamiliar with their music was challenging. Connolly equated it to rock bandRed Hot Chili Peppers frequently abbreviating their name to Chili Peppers.[24]
Wake Up Call has been described by critics as a departure from Theory of a Deadman's usual hard rock foundation, moving intopop andpop rock territory.[25][26] To promote the album, the band launched a 33-city tour in the United States during the fall of 2017.[27] The tour was extended into 2018 to include shows throughout western Canada and Europe,[19] and the group toured in Australia for the first time in their career in June 2018. Connolly toldThe Music, "There's a real dichotomy of Theory now, two very different sides. Not that we want to get away from our old songs, but the new songs are so diverse, such a juxtaposition. We're really working on building a big show, and trying to make it all more visual, as well."[28]
The band returned to London in April 2019 to begin work on their seventh record with Terefe.[29] In August 2019, Connolly informed the public that the group would continue their 2019 headlining tour efforts in September.[30] On September 25, Theory of a Deadman announced their seventh album,Say Nothing, which was released on January 31, 2020; the news coincided with the release of the first single, accompanied by its music video, "History of Violence", a song that addressesdomestic violence.[31][32] "Strangers" was the second song to be released fromSay Nothing and was released on November 8; the track examines the polarizing effect of politics on society and how current events are creating a new generation of activists. It was released simultaneously with an official animated music video.[33]
The band headlined a Canadian tour, beginning on January 31, 2020, to coincide with the release of the album.[34] Two North American tours were scheduled in 2020—one with American band10 Years, and the second withBreaking Benjamin,Bush,Saint Asonia, andCory Marks. Both were canceled due to the restrictions on large-scale gatherings on account of thecoronavirus global pandemic.[35][36]
On October 20, 2022, the band released a new single, "Dinosaur", which marked a return to their hard rock sound. The band would release their 8th album titledDinosaur on March 17, 2023.[37]
Theory of a Deadman's music style has generally been regarded aspost-grunge,[38][39][40]hard rock,[38][41]alternative rock,[39][40] andpop rock.[41] The band also mixescountry,pop, andacoustic elements into their sound.[40][38]
| Organization | Year | Category/award | Nominee/work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Pop Awards | 2010 | Award-Winning Song(shared with co-writerKara DioGuardi) | "Not Meant to Be" | Won | [42] |
| Canadian Radio Music Awards | 2009 | Fans' Choice Award | Theory of a Deadman | Nominated | [43][44] |
| 2010 | Fans' Choice Award | Theory of a Deadman | Nominated | [45][46] | |
| SOCAN Song of the Year | "Not Meant to Be" | Nominated | [45][47] | ||
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2018 | Rock Song of the Year | "Rx (Medicate)" | Nominated | [48] |
| Juno Awards | 2003 | New Group of the Year | Theory of a Deadman | Won | [49] |
| 2006 | Group of the Year | Theory of a Deadman | Nominated | ||
| Rock Album of the Year | Gasoline | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Fan Choice | Theory | Nominated | ||
| Rock Album of the Year | Wake Up Call | Nominated | |||
| MuchMusic Video Awards | 2012 | MuchLOUD Rock Video of the Year | "Chick Came Back" | Nominated | [50] |
| SOCAN | 2010 | Pop/Rock Music Award(shared with co-writerKara DioGuardi) | "Not Meant to Be" | Won | [51] |
| 2012 | No. 1 Song Award(shared with co-writer Christine Connolly) | "Lowlife" | Won | [52] | |
| 2017 | No. 1 Song Award | "Rx (Medicate)" | Won | [53] | |
| Western Canadian Music Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Rock Recording | Theory of a Deadman | Nominated | [54] |
| 2005 | Outstanding Rock Recording | Gasoline | Nominated | [55] | |
| 2009 | Rock Recording of the Year | Scars & Souvenirs | Won | [56] |
| Preceded by | Grey Cup Halftime Show 2008 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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