Project 86

    Project 86

    Orange County, California25 reviews across 5 releases

    alternative metalhardcorenu metalrapcore
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    Project 86 is a Christian heavy rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996 by Andrew Schwab. The 1998 debut combined hip-hop-derived vocal cadences with eerie downtuned guitars, punishing drums, and lyrics shaped by spiritual doubt and darkness, placing the band near the hardcore edge of rap-core. Drawing Black Lines (2000) reduced the rapping and expanded the vocal range, adding shouted passages, whispered sections, harmonies, and a restrained acoustic song while retaining its forceful guitar attack. Its greater accessibility coincided with attention from Atlantic Records. By Truthless Heroes (2002), Project 86 had moved toward melodic hard-edged rock, with cleaner production and more conventional hooks; some reviewers welcomed the change, while another found the result generic.

    Randy Torres left Project 86 in late 2008, and Steven Dail followed roughly a year later, ending the long-running core lineup. Drummer Alex Albert had already departed. After Atlantic ended its arrangement with the band, Project 86 returned to Tooth & Nail for Songs To Burn Your Bridges By in 2004, then continued independently after leaving that label. The independently financed Wait for the Siren appeared in 2012, with Schwab remaining the only original member. Further releases followed, including Sheep Among Wolves in 2017 and the two-part OMNI project, begun in 2023. In 2025, the official project announced a continuation under the name P86:OMNI, with a third installment planned for November 2026.

    5 releases reviewed