A hard-hitting, emotionally and politically charged hardcore punk unit from Phoenix, Arizona, American Standards formed in 2011 around the talents of Brandon Kellum, Brennen Westermeyer, Geoff Gittleson, Cody Conrad, and Corey Skowronski. Employing a blistering blend of metal, punk, thrash, and emo that invokes names like Refused, Every Time I Die, and Gallows, the band issued a three-song EP independently (limited to 500 copies) before unleashing its debut full-length Still Life in 2012, which resulted in a record deal with We Are Triumphant, who reissued the album in 2013 alongside a new EP, The Death of Rhythm and Blues. That same year saw the departures of Conrad, Westermeyer, and Gittleson, and by 2014 the band was operating as a four-piece, which included Kellum (vocals), Skowronski (guitar), Steven Mandell (bass), and Mike Cook (drums). The year 2014 also saw the release of the band's sophomore long-player, the independently released Hungry Hands. ~ James Christopher Monger