Tallah is an Americanheavy metal band fromPennsylvania. They are currently signed toEarache Records. The band consists of vocalistJustin Bonitz, lead guitarist Derrick Schneider, rhythm guitarist Alex Snowden, bassist Max Portnoy, drummer Joel McDonald and turntablist Ivan Little.
Tallah was formed inPennsylvania in 2017 by drummer Max Portnoy (son ofDream Theater's drummerMike Portnoy), Next to None lead guitarist Derrick Schneider, and bassist Andrew Cooper.[1] They added rhythm guitarists Nick Malfara and AJ Wisniewski later that year,[2] while looking for a vocalist to front the band. Portnoy knew of future singer Justin Bonitz through Bonitz'sYouTube channels, Hungry Lights,[3][4] and through Bonitz winning a competition created byJared Dines.[1] Bonitz joined the band on January 1, 2018.[1] At the end of 2017, the band had already recorded instrumental demos for their EPNo One Should Read This, and within six days Bonitz had written lyrics and self-recorded vocals for each track.[1] Their first live performance was on January 7, 2018.[5]
After playing their first few shows as a six-piece, Malfara left Tallah in March 2018. One month later, the band announced their first tour, "The Ontology Tour", to begin in May.[6] While on tour, the band released a music video for their first single, "Placenta."[7][8] In June 2018, Wisniewski left the band, and they picked up Eric Novroski as their new rhythm guitarist. In August 2018, Tallah released a music video for their song "Cottonmouth".[9][10] The band then held the supporting slot forA Killer's Confession on tour,[11] after which they announced Novroski as their new permanent guitarist.
On April 25, 2019, the band announced that they had signed toEarache Records.[12][13] On July 16, the music video for "We, the Sad" was released.[14] Two days later, the band played a show at The Lizard Lounge inLancaster, Pennsylvania, during which Bonitz climbed onto the ceiling of the venue.[15][16] A security guard told him to get down, leading to Bonitz punching and kicking the guard.[15][16] Bonitz claims he did not know the person was a security guard and that they violently grabbed him first while he was still hanging from an I-beam.[15][16] He was subsequently arrested before being released on bail.[15][16]
Matriphagy,Talladdin and line-up changes (2020–2022)
After releasing a music video for the song "Red Light" on January 21, 2020, Tallah announced they were entering the studio with Josh Schroeder to produce their debut album,Matriphagy.[17] The album's first single, "The Silo", was released on June 5,[4][18] followed by "We, the Sad" on July 2,[19] and "Red Light" on July 23, 2020.[20] On August 6, 2020, the fourth single, "Placenta" was released.[21][22] On August 20, 2020, "Overconfidence" was released as the fifth single.[23][24] On September 11, 2020, "L.E.D." was released as the sixth single.[25]Matriphagy was released on October 2, 2020.[26] On October 15, 2020, the band released a music video for the seventh single, "No One Should Read This".[27][28] On February 18, 2021, the band released a music video for the eighth and final single, "Cottonmouth".[29] The music videos of all EP songs were also re-released with remixed audio.[30]
Tallah released a live shot concert on October 1, 2020, in which they played their debut albumMatriphagy in its entirety.[31] In 2020, Alizé "Mewzen" Rodriguez joined as the band's DJ,[32] and they also debuted their new rhythm guitarist, Alex Snowden fromDoll Skin.[33] On April 1, 2021, Tallah announced theTalladdin EP alongside the first single "Friend Like Me".[34][35] This EP consists of five covers from theAladdin soundtrack exclusive to their Patreon page.[34] On August 17, 2021, they released the single and music video "Vanilla Paste", featuring guest vocals from Grant Hood of Guerilla Warfare, AJ Channer ofFire From the Gods, and Tom Barber ofChelsea Grin.[33][36][37]
The Generation of Danger andPrimeval: Obsession // Detachment (2022–present)
On March 9, 2022, they released the single and music video "Telescope", and announced their upcoming album entitledThe Generation of Danger, along with a temporary release date of September 9, 2022.[38][39] The band supportedAll That Remains on their spring 2022 US tour that began on March 12, 2022, inWorcester, Massachusetts.[38] On April 19, 2022, they released the second single off the album, "The Impressionist" with a music video.[40][41] In August 2022, they announced that the album's release would be pushed back to November 18.[42] On September 1, 2022, they released "Shaken (Not Stirred)" as a single with a music video.[42][43] On October 13, 2022, they released the single "For the Recognition" with a music video.[44][45][46] On November 10, 2022, they released the fifth and final single, "Dicker's Done".[47]The Generation of Danger was released on November 18, 2022.[42][47][44]
Tallah spent the first half of 2023 touring in support of their sophomore album. In August 2023, grooming allegations were brought up against the band's DJ Alizé "Mewzen" Rodriguez, which resulted in his immediate removal from the band.[32][48][49] A tour byLeft to Suffer was announced in October 2023, with Tallah as one of the supporting acts.[50][51] Thomas Cucé, who had previously played with Portnoy and Schneider in Next To None, became a touring replacement for Mewzen. On October 11, 2023, the band released the song "Hard Knock".[52][53] In January 2024, it was announced that the band would supportKim Dracula on a March 2024 tour.[54] They spent the year touring in support ofThe Generation of Danger, playing select shows in Europe and the UK and participating in theSummer Slaughter Tour in July and August.[55]
On April 2, 2025, the band released the song "What We Know" as the lead single from their third studio album,Primeval: Obsession // Detachment, along with a release date of September 5, 2025.[56][57] The album will be their first with Portnoy moving from drums to bass guitar, with Joel McDonald taking over on drums.[57] It will also be their first album with DJ Ivan Little.[58] On May 7, 2025, the second single, "A Primeval Detachment" was released.[59] On June 11, 2025, the third single, "Augmented" was released.[60] On July 15, 2025, the fourth single, "As Fate Undoes" was released.[61] The fifth single, "Undone By Fate", was released on August 22, 2025.[62] On the same day, it was announced that the band would supportKing 810 on their U.S. fall tour[62] from November 3 to November 25.[62] On the same day as the release of their third album, a music video for the song "Depleted" was released.[63] On September 12, 2025, the band was featured on theAudiotree Live studio performance release uploaded to YouTube. The performance was recorded on April 4.[64]
Tallah has been referred to as anu metalcore or "nu-core" band, and more specifically asnu metal,metalcore,alternative metal, andrap metal. The band's music also contains elements ofdeathcore,death metal,hardcore,extreme metal,mathcore,electronic, andindustrial.[note 1] John D. Buchanan ofAllMusic described Tallah as a "nu-core" quartet...[that brings] back the spirit of early-2000s nu-metal with gnarly riffs, whipcrack drums, electronic textures, and tortured vocals."[1] AllMusic also noted influences from "contemporary hardcore".[1] According toNext Mosh, "[Tallah's music includes]...screaming vocals [mixed] with melodic choruses and driving bass guitar with deep and dirty tones, syncing up effortlessly with the thunderous bellow of drums and the screeching ping of the snare."[76] Phillip Trapp ofRevolver described their second album,The Generation of Danger, as "a ferocious fusion of earlySlipknot intensity — spitfire vocals and grooves that dig deep...and modern hardcore savagery à laVein.fm andKnocked Loose."[67]
The band's vocalist, Justin Bonitz, writes the lyrics and tends to focus on themes and writing concept albums.[5] The band's debut album,Matriphagy, is about a "man who is trapped in a house, under the thumb of his mother, and begins to lose his mind and touch insanity as he scrambles to escape. The album touches on oppression, society’s social engineering, nature vs. nurture, metaphysics, and all kinds of psychological themes."[5] Their second album,The Generation of Danger, follows amad scientist who works on behalf of a large corporation. He becomes increasingly frustrated due to his inventions being credited to the company rather than himself, eventually leading him to force the company to take part in "the greatest experiment the world of science has ever seen".[78] The story of their third album,Primeval: Obsession // Detachment, takes place on an alien planet and centers on a nurse "Ana" and an assassin "Sheelah"—a group of beings tasks Ana and Sheelah with performing tasks meant to test their morals and values. The themes include morality, personal beliefs, and determining how to fit within a society.[56]
