Ben Koller Explained

Ben Koller
Birth Date:29 July 1980
Origin:Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation:Musician
Instrument:Drums
Years Active:1997–present

Ben Koller (born July 29, 1980)[1] is an American drummer who has played with Converge, Mutoid Man, Killer Be Killed and All Pigs Must Die. He started playing a full drum kit at age 14.[2]

Musical career

Early bands (1997–1999)

Koller played in the bands Where's Ben? and Bastian, before playing in the grindcore band Force Fed Glass.[3] He started playing for the band in 1997.[2] Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, who is also a successful producer, recorded an album for Force Fed Glass. Ballou later started a side project called Blue/Green Heart and selected Koller as his drummer having already been familiar with his talent from Force Fed Glass. Blue/Green Heart only released one demo album, Self Esteem Through Modern Science.[4]

Converge (1999–present)

See main article: Converge. Koller joined Converge in late 1999, replacing John DiGiorgio.[5] Kurt Ballou selected Koller to temporarily fill-in while Converge searched for a more permanent replacement for Bellorado, as he was familiar with his work in previous bands, Force Fed Glass and Blue/Green Heart, a band that Ballou and Koller played in together.[6] [7] After working well with the band during some local shows in Boston, Converge made him an official member.[8] [9] Koller's first studio release with Converge was 2001's Jane Doe released through Equal Vision Records.

All Pigs Must Die (2009–present)

See main article: All Pigs Must Die. All Pigs Must Die is a heavy metal band composed of Kevin Baker of The Hope Conspiracy and Ben Koller in addition to Adam Wentworth and Matt Woods of Bloodhorse.[10] The former of which is also a part of Acid Tiger. All Pigs Must Die is signed to Nonbeliever Records, an imprint label of Shirts & Destroy. Their debut EP, which was recorded at Ballou's GodCity studios, was released in October 2010.[11] In 2011, they released their first full-length called God Is War.

Mutoid Man (2012–present)

See main article: Mutoid Man. Koller recorded some songs as a two-piece band with Stephen Brodsky of Cave In in mid-2012 under the name Mutoid Man. The project was properly announced in March 2013,[12] and its debut EP, Helium Head, was released in November 2013 through Magic Bullet Records.[13] Describing the sound of the new project, Brodsky said, "The material picks up from where we left off with the Cave In Shapeshifter/Dead Already cassingle, written with Ben in the band. The two of us ran with that sound and formula and took it as far as we could go."[14] Koller and Brodsky were later joined by bassist Nick Cageao to form a three-piece band, and released their first full-length album Bleeder on June 30, 2015 through Sargent House.[15] The band released their second full-length album, War Moans, in June 2017.

Additional projects and contributions

In 2005, Cave In drummer John-Robert Conners left the band after a wrist injury that prevented him from being able to play.[16] Ben Koller became his temporary replacement during Cave In's tour in support of their fourth studio album, Perfect Pitch Black. Before the group went on hiatus in 2006, the band recorded two songs with Koller. The two songs, "Dead Already" and "Shapeshifter", were released together on a limited edition cassette single sold during 2005 and 2006 tours.[17] Conners returned to Cave In when they reunited in 2009.

Acid Tiger is Koller's psychedelic punk side project with Lukas Previn (The A.K.A.s), Adam Wentworth (Bloodhorse / All Pigs Must Die), and J Rattlesnake. Previn described the band as having, "no plan or guideline for us other than getting our friends in a room and playing all the riffs we had that didn't work for the other bands we are in."[18] Acid Tiger signed to Deathwish Inc. in July 2009,[19] and released their self-titled debut on April 27, 2010.[20]

In 2010, Koller became the temporary touring replacement for John-Robert Conners in his side project Doomriders.

He filled in for Killer Be Killed's drummer Dave Elitch for their 2015 Soundwave performance. He later became the full time drummer on July 30, 2015.[21]

Koller recorded drums for the 2017 album "Only Love" with The Armed.

Koller recorded drums for the Carpenter Brut song "Leather Terror" in 2022.

Discography

With Force Fed Glass

With Blue/Green Heart

With Converge

See main article: Converge discography.

With Cave In

With United Nations

With Acid Tiger

With All Pigs Must Die

With Mutoid Man

With Killer Be Killed

Collaborations

YearArtistReleaseAdditional information
2018The ArmedOnly LoveDrums on album.[26]
2020Greg PuciatoChild Soldier: Creator Of GodDrums on "Roach Hiss"[27]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CONVERGE wish a Happy 30th Birthday to Ben Koller! Underworld, London, July 29, 2010 - YouTube . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/uCPGKn7mtVk . 2021-12-21 . live. M.youtube.com . June 27, 2014.
  2. Web site: Interview: Ben Koller. Sick Drummer Magazine. September 14, 2008. July 28, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827173959/http://www.sickdrummermagazine.com/index.php/the-drummers/hall-of-fame/86-ben-koller.html. August 27, 2016.
  3. Web site: Bennett . J. . Who's That Girl? The Making of Converge's Jane Doe . . January 2008 . July 28, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100206003151/http://decibelmagazine.com/Content.aspx?ncid=103066 . February 6, 2010 .
  4. Web site: Blue/Green Heart. Iodine Recordings. September 6, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110526232800/http://www.effection.net/clients/iodine/bands/bg_heart.html. May 26, 2011. dead.
  5. Web site: Converge - Interview. August 11, 2016. October 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006122253/http://www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk/MagSitePages/Article/6698/Converge. dead.
  6. Web site: Iodine Recordings: Blue/Green Heart. effection.net. February 11, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20110526232800/http://www.effection.net/clients/iodine/bands/bg_heart.html. May 26, 2011. dead.
  7. Web site: Sick Drummer Magazine Ben Koller. Administrator. sickdrummermagazine.com. en-gb. February 11, 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202032501/http://www.sickdrummermagazine.com/index.php/the-drummers/hall-of-fame/86-ben-koller. February 2, 2017.
  8. Web site: Converge Biography & History AllMusic. AllMusic. July 9, 2016.
  9. Web site: Sick Drummer Magazine Ben Koller. Administrator. sickdrummermagazine.com. August 11, 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827173959/http://www.sickdrummermagazine.com/index.php/the-drummers/hall-of-fame/86-ben-koller.html. August 27, 2016.
  10. Web site: Pratt. Greg. Members of Converge, the Hope Conspiracy and Bloodhorse Become All Pigs Must Die. Exclaim!. April 9, 2010. November 3, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20121003073115/http://exclaim.ca/News/Members_of_Converge_Hope_Conspiracy_Bloodhorse_Become_All_Pigs_Must_Die. October 3, 2012. dead.
  11. Web site: All Pigs Must Die set to release debut. LambGoat. September 17, 2010. November 3, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100924143140/http://www.lambgoat.com/news/view.aspx?id=15095. September 24, 2010 . live.
  12. Web site: Adams. Gregory. Cave In's Stephen Brodsky and Converge's Ben Koller Team Up as Mutoid Man. Exclaim!. March 14, 2013. March 15, 2013.
  13. Web site: Wingerschmidt. Kip. New Supergroup Mutoid Man (members of Cave In, Converge, All Pigs Must Die, Bröhammer) Debuts TONIGHT in Brooklyn!. Metalsucks. September 23, 2013. September 23, 2013.
  14. Web site: Macomber. Shawn. Listen to Mutoid Man 'Scrape the Walls'. Decibel. Red Flag Media. September 24, 2013. September 25, 2013.
  15. Web site: Adams. Gregory. Mutoid Man Announce 'Bleeder' LP, Stream New Single. Exclaim!. April 23, 2015. April 28, 2015.
  16. Web site: Cave In part ways w/ drummer. LambGoat. July 27, 2005. July 28, 2010.
  17. Web site: Harris. Chris. Cave In Survive Major-Label Divorce, Want To Revive The Cassingle. MTV. September 20, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051130214248/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1509978/20050920/cave_in_boston_.jhtml. dead. November 30, 2005. May 9, 2010.
  18. Web site: Acid Tiger Play 'Without the Borders of a Scene'. Debenedictis. Matt. July 19, 2010. Noisecreep. AOL Music. July 28, 2010.
  19. Web site: Deathwish signs Acid Tiger (Converge). Paul. Aubin. July 17, 2009. Punknews.org. August 9, 2010.
  20. Web site: Acid Tiger (members of Converge, Thursday) detail debut LP. Yancey. Bryne. March 8, 2010. Punknews.org. July 28, 2010.
  21. Web site: CONVERGE Drummer Ben Koller Has Officially Joined KILLER BE KILLED. July 30, 2015. Metal Injection. August 13, 2015.
  22. Web site: Label Discography. Ebullition Records. September 6, 2010.
  23. News: Ben Koller - Sick Drummer Magazine. September 14, 2006. Sick Drummer Magazine. October 2, 2018. en-US.
  24. Web site: Koller. Ben. January 11, 2020. "Twitter". live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114230935/https://twitter.com/BenKoller/status/1216078039513063424 . January 14, 2020 . Twitter.
  25. Web site: November 2020. Stephen Hill 16. Killer Be Killed's Reluctant Hero: stellar return from modern metal's greatest supergroup. November 16, 2020. Metal Hammer Magazine. en.
  26. News: America's Most Unpredictable Band, THE ARMED, Are Back With CONVERGE's Ben Koller Smashing The Drums!. February 15, 2018. Metal Injection. October 4, 2018. en-US.
  27. Web site: Greg Puciato - Child Soldier: Creator Of God. November 16, 2020. Discogs. en.

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