That decision turned out well; these guys were savvy enough to score a tour the summer of their senior year opening for Danzig, Prong and Chimaira. That experience provided them the opportunity of meeting and becoming friends with Jim LaMarca, bass player from Cleveland, Ohio's extreme metal band Chimaira. That association would prove to be a defining moment in what will come to be part of their musical aspirations.
Due to internal struggles and bad management, the band forged in high school proved to be beyond resurrection and soon dismantled. Johnson decided to go back to school and study music, but all the while 'kept time' by honing his drumming skills. Woodward kept the focus on songwriting and eventually found new musical avenues to explore, including teaching guitar, which he continues to do to this day.
Those explorations led Woodward to meet Tim "Fish" Sarrels (bass/backing vocals) and the two found a kinship like no other. Woodward had been conceptualizing a new musical endeavor, Darkest Grace, for months. He held out hope that he would be able to keep Fish and then ultimately bring Johnson back into the fold upon his return home from school.
"The whole idea of Darkest Grace is to mold extremely heavy music with strong melody," explains Woodward, "we want to push the limits on making accessible heavy metal. We don't write these types of songs to make money, we write catchy melodic songs because it's what we like. Essentially, it's about two extremes meeting."
Rounding out the rhythm section, they looked to one of Fish's old band mates, Tim "Timm-eye" Reel (rhythm guitars), Reel soon relocated to Seattle from Montana to be a part of Darkest Grace.
Taking a look at some of the influences of Darkest Grace, there is an inclination towards the appreciation for the craft of songwriting…the so-called singer/songwriter influences of The Beatles, The Foo Fighters and The Goo Goo Dolls. Be that as it may, these guys are quick to remind you that they are first and foremost a heavy metal band replete with all the characteristically "metal" influences one would expect. The band lists Pantera, Korn, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Cannibal Corpse, Slayer and as Woodward adds, "the list could go on and on, it is rather diverse in the rock spectrum, and we all contribute to the writing process."
After spending a considerable amount of time writing, recording and playing together, what was now completely and wholly Darkest Grace, they realized it was time to get back in touch with Jim LaMarca, "he dug the music and believed in the band," summarizes Woodward about the merge with LaMarca's entertainment company.
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