{{Short description|American hardcore punk band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Cult Leader | image = Cult Leader live 2014.jpg | image_size = | landscape = yes | alt = | caption = Cult Leader performing live in May 2014 | alias = | origin = Salt Lake City, Utah | genre = {{hlist|Metalcore<ref name="altpress" /><ref name="all" />|crust punk<ref name="cvlt" />|grindcore<ref name="punktastic" />|sludge metal<ref name="punktastic" />}} | years_active = {{start date|2013}}–present | label = Deathwish | spinoff_of = Gaza | website = {{URL|cultleadermusic.tumblr.com}} | current_members = * Casey Hansen * Anthony Lucero * Mike Mason * Sam Richards | past_members = }}
'''Cult Leader''' is an American hardcore punk band that formed in 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.<ref name="altpress" /> It was founded by three members of Gaza following the band's break-up. Cult Leader signed to Jacob Bannon's record label Deathwish Inc. and have released two studio albums, ''Lightless Walk'' (2015) and ''A Patient Man'' (2018), as well two EPs through the label, showcasing a brutal sound with prominent elements of extreme metal.
==History== In late 2012, an unnamed woman from Idaho began posting on her social media accounts alleging that a member of the Salt Lake City band Gaza had raped her, and later identified the Gaza member as its vocalist, Jon Parkin. In January 2013, Gaza posted a status update on their Facebook account denying that the rape allegations were true, calling the claims "reckless and completely slanderous," and the matter was settled privately between the two parties.<ref name="exclaim1"/> An excerpt from the woman's blog following the resolution read: "Neither of us are retracting our respective statements – instead we are deciding to not discuss it further and move on."<ref name="exclaim1"/> Despite the resolution, Gaza formally announced its break up in March 2013, and their announcement also stated: "some of us will continue to make music together."<ref name="exclaim2"/> In addition to the rape allegations, the other members of Gaza also cited tension between them and Parkin that had been building up over the course of two years.<ref name="exclaim6"/> Gaza bassist Anthony Lucero said:
<blockquote>It started to become really frustrating and tours were getting cancelled and all kinds of stuff was happening, so when that stupid, horrible shit blew up on the Internet, then it had reached the point where the three of us said that we'd had enough of this, it's done, and so we decided to actually kick Jon [Parkin] out of the band. Then we sat with Gaza for awhile, trying to figure out what we were going to do, and eventually it felt like the only right thing to do was just start from scratch.<ref name="exclaim6"/></blockquote>
In May 2013, two months after the break-up announcement, former Gaza members guitarist Mike Mason, drummer Casey Hansen and Anthony Lucero – who was Gaza's bassist, but switched to lead vocals for this project – announced they formed a new band called Cult Leader, and recruited Sam Richards on bass.<ref name="exclaim3"/> They decided on the name Cult Leader because it conjured up vivid imagery, and Lucero commented: "A friend of ours actually suggested that and my brain lit up. I loved all the references and all the meanings."<ref name="noisey1"/>
Cult Leader released its debut EP ''Nothing for Us Here'' on April 15, 2014, through Deathwish Inc.<ref name="exclaim4"/> The release "came together" in about a week, and the band was considering self-releasing the album for a while. They sent a copy to their friend Jacob Bannon of Converge to see what he thought of the music, who in turn suggested that Cult Leader release the EP through his own label, Deathwish.<ref name="exclaim6"/> The title of EP was, in part, a reference to Gaza's break up.<ref name="noisey1"/> ''Nothing for Us Here'' was met with generally favorable reviews upon release,<ref name="exclaim7"/><ref name="popmatters1"/> and Cult Leader toured the US in April–May 2014 in support of it.<ref name="bv1"/>
In November 2014, Cult Leader announced their plans to release a 7-inch EP and a full-length studio album in 2015.<ref name="exclaim5"/> The 7-inch is a three-song EP titled ''Useless Animal'' that will be released on June 16, 2015, through Deathwish.<ref name="exclaim8"/> The EP notably featured a cover of Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) and Deathshore's collaboration track "You Are Not My Blood," which originally appeared on their 2013 album ''Mark Kozelek & Desertshore''.<ref name="stereogum1"/> Before the release of the EP, Cult Leader toured across the US as they traveled from Utah to producer and Converge member Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio in Massachusetts to record their first full-length album in March 2015, and continued to tour North America through May 2015 immediately after recording was finished.<ref name="stereogum1"/><ref name="exclaim9"/> The full-length album, titled ''Lightless Walk'', was released on October 16, 2015, through Deathwish followed by an October–November 2015 supporting North American tour.<ref name="exclaim10"/>
On November 9, 2018, Cult Leader released its second studio album ''A Patient Man'' through Deathwish.<ref name="exclaim11"/> The band began promoting the Ballou-produced album with an online stream of "I Am Healed" in September 2018.<ref name="revolver1"/>
==Members== * Casey Hansen – drums (ex-Gaza) * Anthony Lucero – vocals (ex-Gaza) * Michael "Mike" Mason – guitar (ex-Gaza) * Sam Richards – bass
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''Lightless Walk'' (2015)<ref name="exclaim10"/> * ''A Patient Man'' (2018)<ref name="revolver1"/>
===EPs=== * ''Nothing for Us Here'' (2014) * ''Useless Animal'' (2015) * ''Gather & Mourn'' <small>(split with End)</small> (2022)<ref name="stereogum2"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="all">{{cite web|title=Cult Leader biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cult-leader-mn0003224634/biography|last=Monger|first=James Christopher|website=AllMusic|accessdate=October 5, 2016|quote=Formed in 2013 out of the ashes of popular underground grindcore unit Gaza, Salt Lake City, Utah's Cult Leader specialize in sludgy but tech-forward metalcore that invokes names like Trap Them, Converge, and Pig Destroyer.}}</ref>
<ref name="altpress">{{cite magazine|title=Cult Leader (ex-Gaza) sign to Deathwish Inc., announce 'Nothing For Us Here' EP|url=http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/cult_leader_ex_gaza_sign_to_deathwish_inc._announce_nothing_for_us_here_ep|last=Kraus|first=Brian|magazine=Alternative Press|date=December 11, 2013|accessdate=October 5, 2016|quote=Salt Lake City, UT's Cult Leader, a newly formed caustic metalcore unit that includes three-fourths of Gaza, have signed to Deathwish Inc. and announced their debut EP, ''Nothing For Us Here''.}}</ref>
<ref name="bv1">{{cite web| last = Moore| first = Doug| title = Cult Leader (ex-Gaza) streaming new EP; tour starts soon| work = BrooklynVegan| publisher = Spin Media| date = April 1, 2014| url = http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2014/04/cult_leader_ex-.html| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim1">{{cite web| last = Schreurs| first = Jason| title = Gaza Singer Jon Parkin Responds to Allegations of Rape| work = Exclaim!| date = January 16, 2013| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/gaza_singer_jon_parkin_responds_to_rape_allegations| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim2">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Gaza Break Up| work = Exclaim!| date = March 15, 2013| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/gaza_break_up| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim3">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Gaza Members Reunite as Cult Leader| work = Exclaim!| date = May 28, 2013| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/gaza_members_reunite_as_cult_leader| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim4">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Gaza Offshoot Cult Leader Sign to Deathwish Inc. for Debut EP, Share New Tune| work = Exclaim!| date = December 11, 2013| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/gaza_offshoot_cult_leader_sign_to_deathwish_inc_for_debut_ep_share_new_tune| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim5">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Cult Leader Set Sights on New Releases for 2015| work = Exclaim!| date = November 14, 2014| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader_set_sights_on_new_releases_for_2015| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim6">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Cult Leader: Forging Ahead| work = Exclaim!| date = April 22, 2014| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader-forging_ahead| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim7">{{cite web| last = Schreurs| first = Jason| title = Cult Leader – Nothing For Us Here| work = Exclaim!| date = April 11, 2014| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader-nothing_for_us_here| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim8">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Cult Leader Reveal 'Useless Animals' 7-inch, Cover Mark Kozelek| work = Exclaim!| date = March 6, 2015| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader_reveal_useless_animals_7-inch_cover_mark_kozelek| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim9">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Cult Leader Map Out North American Tour| work = Exclaim!| date = January 22, 2015| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader_map_out_north_american_tour| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim10">{{cite web| last = Adams| first = Gregory| title = Cult Leader Taking 'Lightless Walk' with New LP| work = Exclaim!| date = August 6, 2015| url = http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/cult_leader_taking_lightless_walk_with_next_lp| accessdate = August 8, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="exclaim11">{{cite web| last = Slingerland| first = Calum| title = Cult Leader Return with 'A Patient Man' LP| work = Exclaim!| date = September 5, 2018| url = https://exclaim.ca/music/article/cult_leader_return_with_a_patient_man| accessdate = September 6, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="noisey1">{{cite web| last = Karim| first = Alee| title = They Are Cult Leader And They Aren't Leaving Utah| work = Noisey| publisher = Vice| date = April 3, 2014| url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-name-is-cult-leader-and-they-arent-leaving-utah/| access-date = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="popmatters1">{{cite web| last = Brown| first = Dean| title = Cult Leader: Nothing For Us Here| work = PopMatters| date = May 2, 2014| url = http://www.popmatters.com/review/181210-cult-leader-nothing-for-us-here/| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="punktastic">{{cite web|title=Live: Rotten Sound / Abigail Williams / Cult Leader / Razoreater @ Boston Music Rooms, London|url=http://www.punktastic.com/live-reviews/live-rotten-sound-abigail-williams-cult-leader-razoreater-boston-music-rooms-london/|last=Lee|first=James|publisher=Punktastic|date=May 11, 2016|accessdate=October 5, 2016|quote=By far the least straightforward act of the night, Cult Leader’s harrowing cocktail of grind, sludge and hardcore was an almost overwhelming assault on the nervous system.}}</ref>
<ref name="revolver1">{{cite web| last = Pessaro| first = Fred| title = Hear Cult Leader's Claustrophobic, Utterly Terrifying New Song 'I Am Healed'| work = Revolver| publisher = | date = September 5, 2018| url = https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-cult-leaders-claustrophobic-utterly-terrifying-new-song-i-am-healed| accessdate = September 6, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="stereogum1">{{cite web| last = Nelson| first = Michael| title = Cult Leader – 'You Are Not My Blood' (Mark Kozelek & Desertshore Cover)| work = Stereogum| publisher = SpinMedia| date = May 6, 2015| url = http://www.stereogum.com/1799519/cult-leader-you-are-not-my-blood-mark-kozelek-desertshore-cover-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/| accessdate = May 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="stereogum2">{{cite web| last = Breihan| first = Tom| title = End & Cult Leader Announce Split EP, Share New Songs 'Eden Will Drown' & 'Ataraxis': Listen| work = Stereogum| date = July 7, 2022| url = https://www.stereogum.com/2192406/end-eden-will-drown-cult-leader-ataraxis/music/| accessdate = July 7, 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="cvlt">{{cite web| author = Meghan| title = Southwest Terror Fest 2015 Bulletin: Cult Leader Takes Over Tucson| work = CVLT Nation| publisher = | date = May 7, 2015| url = http://www.cvltnation.com/southwest-terror-fest-2015-bulletin-cult-leader-takes-over-tucson/| accessdate = November 14, 2016| quote = CULT LEADER will be bringing their raging crust to the desert...}}</ref> }}
==External links== * [http://cultleadermusic.tumblr.com/ Cult Leader] on Tumblr * [https://cultleadermusic.bandcamp.com/ Cult Leader] on Bandcamp
{{Cult Leader}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Metalcore musical groups from Utah Category:American crust and d-beat groups Category:American grindcore musical groups Category:American sludge metal musical groups Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Utah Category:Musical groups from Salt Lake City Category:2013 establishments in Utah Category:Musical groups established in 2013 Category:Deathwish Inc. artists Category:American musical quartets