Chris Hornbrook
Christopher Aaron Hornbrook is an American drummer and a founding member of influential Metalcore/Post-hardcore band, Poison the Well. He also is currently working with late Beatle George Harrison's son, Dhani Harrison and Killer Be Killed and The Black Queen singer, Greg Puciato.
Early life
Chris Hornbrook was born in Hollywood, Florida to French-Canadian immigrants, Donald Hornbrook and Moisette Maltais, in the early nineteen eighties. He started playing the drums around the age of twelve after a few failed attempts at pursuing electric guitar and alto saxophone. His father is also a musician, predominately playing bass with a little bit of guitar.Hornbrook started playing local South Florida punk shows at the age of fifteen with his high school garage band before being asked to join a popular local punk band called Last Minute. He would meet his future band member Ryan Primack as he was playing bass in the band. At seventeen Hornbrook was asked to join an early incarnation of Poison the Well dubbed Doubting Thomas. Not too long after the bands' formation they had to change their name to An Acre Lost due to Doubting Thomas already being a side project of industrial band Skinny Puppy.
After a brief hiatus with An Acre Lost Hornbrook rejoined the band and the name was changed to Poison the Well. During his junior year of high school, he toured with the band during breaks from school. Then during his senior year Poison the Well would play a few shows up the east coast of the United States one weekend a month. He would leave Thursday and then resume school on Tuesday.
There is footage of the band performing at the now legendary defunct CBGB's on YouTube from around this period. Once he graduated high school he started to pursue the band more seriously as a career.
Drumming style and influences
His drumming style has been described as very musical and heavy hitting with an emphasis on groove and feel. He was quoted as saying:“I think fundamentally I always strive to do what the song calls for. Whether it’s a lot, or really simple, or whatever. I think that’s the most important thing. That’s the role that the drummer has, to hold everything together. Play a beat and be really musical. Not to say that I don’t enjoy overplaying, but it has to be the right sort of environment for that. I’m not a big fan of guys that like to do a lot and it sounds like they’re trampling over the music because they’re trying to prove whatever point they’re trying to prove. Ultimately, I look to serve the song and do exactly what it needs to be effective from the drumming department."was quoted as saying "Chris is one of the most distinctive drummers in music for almost 20 years".
Hornbrook has stated that he was "obsessed" with English rock band Queen drummer Roger Taylor when he first started playing. Other early influences were Matt Cameron, Dave Abbruzezese and Dave Grohl. His later influences expanded to players like Billy Cobham and Chris Dave.
Poison the Well
Hornbrook started working with Poison the Well in the Fall of 1998. His tenure with the band spans well over twenty years, including drumming on all five of the bands' full-length records, both EPs and performing on all the touring in support of those records. Alongside being a founding member he is also considered to be a part of the core lineup alongside guitar player Ryan Primack and vocalist Jeffrey Moreira. His drumming is an integral component of the band's sound as he has a strong influence over the songwriting.In an interview he did with The Washington Post during the promotion of the bands' fourth record "Versions", he stated:
"I wanted to push the envelope. Thinking deep down I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone else, but prove to ourselves that we could make a record better than our last one and make something different and innovative.”Poison the Well is considered by many as the "fathers" of what is now referred to as contemporary "Metalcore" helping to popularize the genera. They have also been acknowledged as being a very influential band during the early 2000's Post-hardcore "boom".
Notable work outside of Poison the Well
Big Black Delta (2012 - present)
In the Spring of 2012 Hornbrook was invited to come to perform live with electronic pop artist Big Black Delta. During his time with Big Black Delta, they would tour with bands such as M83, Jane's Addiction, and Gary Numan. The group would also perform at a bunch of different noteworthy music festivals such as SXSW, Rock en Seine, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, Electric Picnic, Berlin Festival, and Boston Calling Music Festival. Big Black Delta also performed live on Last Call With Carson Daly during their time at SXSW in 2013.Hornbrooks status with Big Black Delta is unknown as the band hasn't performed live since the middle of 2016.
Senses Fail (2014 - 2018)
It was announced on June 2nd, 2014 via Alternative Press that Hornbrook would be replacing original Senses Fail drummer Dan Trapp on the bands' tenth-anniversary tour of their seminal release "Let It Enfold You". It was revealed later that year that he would also be participating in the bands' seventh studio record "Pull The Thorns From Your Heart". Hornbrook toured with Senses Fail from 2014 through 2018 before announcing his departure on January 8th, 2018. Hornbrook stated in a post from his Instagram:"So after close to three and a half years of working with Senses Fail my time has came to move on with the next chapter in my life. I’m very grateful for the time spent with band and crew traveling the world and playing music. I’ve gain a lot of insight touring with SF that I’ve realized recently reflecting back is pretty paramount. Anyway, I want to thank Buddy and company for everything and wish them the best of luck with finding a new drummer. I’m sure whomever they get will kick ass.”
Dhani Harrison (2018 - present)
Hornbrook was invited by Dhani Harrison to be in his backing band for the touring and promotion of his first solo record: "IN///PARALLEL". The bands' first show was at The Echo in Los Angeles, California on July 4th, 2017 with an additional appearance at the Panorama Music Festival on Randall's Island on July 29, 2017, in New York City. They would go on to perform live on various late-night TV shows such as Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! and Conan O'Brien. The band would also perform at such notable festivals as In Bloom Festival, Bottlerock Napa, Sasquatch! Music Festival, The RIDE Festival, and Lollapalooza Berlin.Hornbrook also makes an appearance on Dhani Harrisons' live performance film "IN///PARALIVE" alongside other notable musicians such as Davide Rossi of Coldplay, Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction, Big Black Delta, Camila Grey of Uh Huh Her and Mereki Beach. "IN///PARALIVE" was filmed and recorded at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, California in late 2017. It was produced and engineered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks. The film was also mixed by Paul Hicks and Ryan Williams. It was released via Dhani Harrisons Facebook page on June 14th, 2019.
It was announced on June 18th, 2019 that Dhani Harrison would be supporting Jeff Lynn's ELO that summer on an arena tour across the U.S. and Canada.
Greg Puciato (2019 - present)
It was announced in early 2020 that Greg Puciato's first solo record: "" would predominately feature Hornbrook's drumming. Puciato was quoted as saying:"I’ve known Chris Hornbrook since we were 23. He knows how to hit a drum. For a lot of the songs on this record, I knew he was the guy."Out of the fifteen tracks on "" Hornbrook would go on to drum on a majority of the record with Chris Pennie and Ben Koller drumming on a few other tracks. A majority were programmed by Puciato with some assistance from Rowe. The record was produced and engineered by Grammy Award-winning engineer, Nicholas Rowe. It will be released on Puciato's record label Federal Prisoner sometime on October 23rd, 2020.
On May 1st Federal Prisoner announced the premiere of Puciato's second single, "Deep Set" which features Hornbrook on drums. The single was released on two limited quantity pressings of colored vinyl.
Hornbrook was in a drum play-through feature of "Deep Set" exclusively with Modern Drummer Magazine on May 27th.
On July 9th Puciato premiered his third single "Do You Need Me to Remind You?" via Sirius Metal Liquid Metal show accompanied by a music video that premiered with Revolver Magazine on July 10th. Hornbrook is both featured on the track and in the music video alongside Puciato. The single was released on two limited quantity pressings of colored vinyl.
Hornbrook was featured in an exclusive drum play-through of "Do You Need Me to Remind You?" with DRUM! Magazine on July 17th.
Discography
| Year | Band / Artist | Format | Record / Movie | Record Label | Singles / Music Videos |
| 1998 | Poison the Well | EP | Distance Only Makes the Heart Grow Fonder | Goodlife | |
| 1999 | Keepsake | EP | She Hums Like A Radio | Eulogy | |
| 1999 | Poison the Well | LP | The Opposite of December...A Season of Separation | Trustkill | |
| 2000 | Until the End | EP | Until the End | Equal Vision | |
| 2001 | Poison the Well | EP | Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder | Undecided | |
| 2002 | Poison the Well | LP | Tear From the Red | Trustkill | "Botchla" |
| 2003 | Poison the Well | LP | You Come Before You | Atlantic | "Apathy is a Cold Body" |
| 2007 | Poison the Well | LP | Versions | Ferret | "Letter Thing" |
| 2009 | Poison the Well | EP | I/III / II/III / III/III | Ferret | "Purple Sabbath" |
| 2009 | Poison the Well | LP | The Tropic Rot | Ferret | "Exist Underground" |
| 2013 | Poison the Well | LP | The Opposite of December...A Season of Separation/Tear From the Red | RISE | "Botchla" and "Nerdy" |
| 2015 | Senses Fail | Split | Man Overboard/Senses Fail | Pure Noise | "All You Need Is Already Within You" |
| 2015 | Senses Fail | LP | Pull the Thorns from Your Heart | Pure Noise | "The Importance of the Moment of Death" |
| 2016 | The Black Queen | LP | Fever Daydream | Self-released | |
| 2017 | Dhani Harrison & Paul Hicks | N/A | Obey Giant | Hulu | |
| 2017 | The Relentless | N/A | American Satan | Sumarian | "Me Against The Devil" |
| 2019 | Dhani Harrison | N/A | IN///PARALIVE | H.O.T. | "Never Know" |
| 2020 | Poison the Well | LP | The Opposite of December...A Season of Separation 20th anniversary reissue | Self-released | |
| 2020 | Greg Puciato | LP | Federal Prisoner | "Deep Set" and "Do You Need Me to Remind You?" |