Echolyn

Echolyn is an American progressive rock band based in eastern Pennsylvania.

History

Origins and first phase (1989–1995)

Echolyn was formed in 1989 when guitarist Brett Kull and drummer Paul Ramsey, members of a recently split cover band called Narcissus, joined with keyboardist Chris Buzby to form a new band to focus on original songs. They were soon joined by fellow Narcissus veteran Ray Weston on vocals and bassist Jesse Reyes, and quickly began playing live and recording their eponymous debut album, which was released in 1991. During the recording of that album, Reyes was replaced on bass by Tom Hyatt.

With this lineup, Echolyn recorded a second album, Suffocating the Bloom, and a four-song EP, ...And Every Blossom, and with these releases attracted the attention of Sony Music. In 1994, Echolyn was signed to a multi-album deal on Sony's Epic Records label with their major-label debut, As the World, released in March 1995.

However, the label did not provide support for the band to tour in promotion of the album, therefore the band was forced to promote As the World on their own. Later in 1995, Sony dropped Echolyn from the label due to poor sales of As the World. Disillusioned, the band split up, but an album of demos and live tracks was released in 1996 called When the Sweet Turns Sour (featuring a cover of the early Genesis track "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet", which Sony refused to allow to include on a Magna Carta Genesis tribute album entitled Supper's Ready).

Interim (1996–2000)

Ray Weston, Brett Kull and Paul Ramsey formed a new, semi-progressive rock band called Still and released a disc called Always Almost in early 1996, on the independent Pleasant Green label.