Emerging from the depths of Hampton Roads, Faceplate Ritual has ruptured the local metal scene. Their music has fused the separate genres of metal and can only be described as “Death Core Metal”. They strike to blow away the audience at every show with aggressive metal, and to some, a disquieting stage appearance. The band comprises of Cody “The Almighty Bitchass” James, vocals; Chris Core, guitar; Koog the Destroyer, bass; and Damyon “Toadstool” Finch, drums. To make a long story short, it all started in the spring of 2008 when Bitchass, Toadstool, and Chris Core met through a MySpace bulletin. Koog came along a little later, being a past acquaintance of Bitchass. The 4 members find the time to write music, record and play shows, most of them, after working long hours in the shipyard industry. It has all been made possible by the strong support system in place by their families. Their EP, “Pissed Off Appendix” is expected to be released soon. It was all done at the local studio MidiWerks, in Norfolk, VA. Included is the standout track “The Juggernaut” written for MMA fighter Antoine Britt. The EP title came about when Chris Core “had so many riffs, his appendix burst”, and it had to be removed. Upon returning, he “came back from hell with brutal metal in his hands”. They earned a spot to share the stage with the great guys from Hell Within, a band from Boston, MA, Primer 55, and Mensrea (featuring members of GWAR). In February 2009, they are in the running for spot playing with Trivium and in the lineup for a March show with Diecast. The release of their full length album is in the planning stages for 2009. Faceplate Ritual hopes to spread their onslaught first through the US and then the rest of the world.