WITH PASSION Sign With EARACHE RECORDS

Sacramento, California-based "technical, melodic, blackened metal-core" band WITH PASSION have inked a deal with Earache Records.

The band, who are inspired by the legends of European melodic death metal, from DISSECTION to AT THE GATES, as well as the best of the contemporary U.S.-Canada metal/hardcore crop, from CRYPTOPSY to BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, formed in the summer of 2002 from the ashes of local Sacramento bands ATHENA IN HADES, SEVERANCE and IMPULSE 120. They quickly made their mark on the Northern California scene, playing shows with a wide array of national metal and hardcore acts including AS I LAY DYING, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, HIMSA, MISERY SIGNALS, THE RED CHORD, SCARS OF TOMORROW, SIX FEET UNDER, STRETCH ARMSTRONG, TERROR, and many more.

After some line-up changes, the band arrived at its current line-up of Samuel McLeod on vocals and keyboards, Shaun Gier on guitar and backing vocals, Andrew Burt on guitar, Michael Nordeen on bass, Brandon Guadagnolo on keyboards, and Jacob Peete on drums.

WITH PASSION's latest EP, "In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil", was issued through Reflections Of Ruin Records. The group also appear on AMP magazine's "Volume 3 Metal Comp" alongside THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MASTODON, HATE ETERNAL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, and SHADOWS FALL.

WITH PASSION frontman Samuel McLeod commented on the new deal: "We are very proud to be working with Earache. We look up to the bands that this label works with and look forward to releasing our album worldwide."

Earache's Al Dawson stated: "WITH PASSION are strong in every area: these young guys have great musical talent, great style, and great management. They're a hard-working, motivated bunch of guys and they have what it takes to rise to the top of the current metal/hardcore scene."

WITH PASSION are now beginning work on their Earache debut, to be released worldwide in 2005.