Authority Zero

Mesa, AZ based punk rock royalty AUTHORITY ZERO has managed to weather the storm of the music industry and endure living on the road away from friends and loved ones. For the release of their fourth studio album, ‘Stories of Survival’, AUTHORITY ZERO used their music as a conduit to convey not only the trials and tribulations the group has endured, but also the current economic difficulties faced across the globe.

“The album title was a no brainer, as it encompasses everything this record stands for. This record has so much to do with survival, not only as a band, but as an individual living in a crazy world,” says Jason DeVore of AUTHORITY ZERO. Founded in the summer of 1994, the band has flourished for nearly two decades. Initially their goal was simple; create a sound that paid tribute to their punk rock forefathers, but not confined by the musical barriers that typically bound the genre together. Their live show and energy on stage quickly drew comparisons to that of Rage Against the Machine, and the local independent record chain Zia Records caught on. In 2001, Zia issued AUTHORITY ZERO’s debut, self-titled EP ‘Patches In Time’, which gained significant airplay on college radio, as well as indie powerhouse The Edge 106.3. Within months, the now classic EP became one of Zia's best-selling releases.

With the band’s quick success, Lava Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records, signed AUTHORITY ZERO for the release of their iconic debut album, ‘A Passage In Time’, in 2002. The album’s diversity drew comparisons to the likes of Bad Religion and Sublime, while the band took to the road for tours with Sum 41, NOFX, Alkaline Trio, Punk-O-Rama and the Warped Tour. As word continued to spread about the group’s captivating live show, AUTHORITY ZERO released their sophomore effort, ‘Andiamo’, in 2004. The album embraced more ska and reggae influences and paired them with Latin-flavored rhythms to create their most culturally diverse record to date.

AUTHORITY ZERO then charged ahead with two other well received releases, a live album titled ‘Rhythm and Booze’ and 2007’s ’12:34’. Incredibly successful runs alongside Slightly Stoopid, H20, Pennywise and Pepper followed these releases before the band returned to the studio to begin crafting ‘Stories of Survival’. Marking the return of original bassist Jeremy Wood, as well as the addition of longtime friend Zach Vogel on guitar, ‘Stories of Survival’ is also the first release for Viking Funeral, an imprint label founded by Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, Ken Seaton of Hardline Entertainment and Suburban Noize Records.

The album begins with a sample of Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Sweat, Tears and Toil” speech as the opening chords to "The New Pollution" kick in and DeVore laments about the current state of corruption in the music industry. The band seamlessly shifts to reggae for the socio-political observations in "Big Bad World" as the album runs the gamut of musical styles from driving punk rock to ska and reggae.

AUTHORITY ZERO continues to forge their own path and cultivate a worldwide fan base of millions. Through ups and downs, trial and error, the band has overcome obstacles and presses on with a vengeance. With their June 22nd, 2010 release, AUTHORITY ZERO is ready to tell their ‘Stories of Survival’.

rise against, pennywise, bad religion, unwritten law