Meticulosa Veritatis
In 2014, Rob Kay and Mike Stoker decided to start a new band based out of Detroit, MI. Both were getting tired of the cover-band bar scene rut they were beginning to feel they were stuck with in with their band 'Ded By Dezine' at the time, and wanted to stretch out, creatively. Hiring Kyle Mikolajczyk of 'Black Feather' and 'Hazardhead' to play bass, 'The Creeping Chaos' was officially founded December 5th, 2014. Thrash, Hard Rock, and Dark Alternative Experimentation mixed with the Cthulhu Mythos of the controversial yet celebrated Horror/Sci-Fi author H.P. Lovecraft would be swirled together with modern thematic lyrics... laced with tongue-in-cheek sociological mockery.
After about 7 months of writing and rehearsing, the band hit the Detroit circuit. Two gigs in particular at Harpos, (one with Puddle of Mudd and another with Michael Schencker) would set the gears turning... However, Kyle was replaced (due to scheduling/transportation conflicts,) on bass by Derek "D-Unit" Samp, formerly of 'Strummer.' Both Mike and Rob had jammed with him many times before and were now confident in the dynamic. The lineup was now solidified, and the trio spent the remainder of 2015 recording their debut album, "Meticulosa Veritatis," (in Latin: "Frightening Truth.") The album was released at The Token Lounge, in Westland, MI and was so well received that a second pressing was necessary within the year. "Up To The Neck" would be the first official music video the group produced, followed shortly by two music videos for the song "If I'm Goin' Down" (one live, and one using studio with additional live audio.) However, with the arrival of these videos, the fans would notice something had changed...
The Alignment
Unfortunately, shortly after the release of the first album, life threw a wrench in things for Stoker playing drums with the group. However, David Warren stepped in, and brought a new flavor to what was an already eclectic brew. This mutation was amplified even further by the addition of longtime friend and stage performer Chad Kovach, who would stalk about the stage and venues either as a human-flesh bedecked butcher, or as a hulking, shambling Priest of Cthulhu. To this day, Chad's monstrous squid-headed appearances remain an unforgettable show highlight.
By this time, Rob and D had begun writing new material and felt that another guitarist would only improve the already thunderous act. At a now infamous show when 'Chaos' opened for 'Dokken,' Donny Stanfill made his live debut with the band. Donny was also an alum/original member of 'Ded By Dezine' and as such, fit in flawlessly.
Now a foursome, and with improved stage theatrics to boot, 2017 saw the release of the bands sophomore effort, 'The Alignment.' The album has received international airplay and has led to a handful of video productions including "Dead In The Water," "Beg For Mercy" and "Ladyhide Jacket" to name a few. The next few years would bring a slew of supporting spots for some fantastic and varied headliners, including several repeat engagements with bands like John 5, Faster Pussycat, Hed PE, Kissing Candice, Goatwore, Doyle, Saving Abel, Psychostick and A Killer's Confession.
Pandemic / ICP / Pine Knob / Current Plans
As it was for the rest of humanity, the year of 2020 was not much fun for the group. Shows dwindled and productivity sagged, but there were still goals to be reached... remote interviews, private performances and Emails to radio shows, both terrestrial and otherwise, would prove to be the groups' ace in the hole. New fans from England, Germany and particularly in Australia began engaging with Chaos, and the noise continues to build. It was also around this time that construction of a new rehearsal space and personal studio for the band was beginning to commence. There was downtime, but the downtime was utilised to maximize productivity once the world could enjoy some congregating again.
As restrictions loosened, some performers began hosting small events through various platforms and formats, which brought a surprise for the group in late February of 2021... and this is a pretty weird one, so it bears detail... Rob ended up being a guest on Insane Clown Posse's "Juggalo Gong Show," performing a freestyle solo on guitar, ( earning an 8 from Violent J, a 7 from Shaggy 2 Dope, and another 7 from the one and only Jumpsteady.) A few weeks later, ICP asked The Creeping Chaos to be the guest band for their "Late Night Funhouse Talk Show," playing intro and outro music for the guests. Dave Warren was unavailable for this show, so Mike Stoker was kind enough to fill in, as he had been doing here and there for the past few years. The band seemed to make an impression, as the Clowns would mention both Rob and Chaos multiple times during discussions on other unrelated Patreon events. One conversation in particular revolved around the Chernobyl Meltdown Disaster, leading Violent J to jokingly say "'Meltdown.' That sounds cool, there should be a song. That one guitar kid, what's his name? (...) Rob K! He should do that. Rob-K's 'Meltdooowwwn!'" ...a sentiment he repeated several times, followed by Shaggy saying "If Rob K don't come out with a record called 'Meltdown' he ain't SHIT. F'real." A short time later, as a guest on their "ICP Theatre" show, the challenge was officially made and accepted.
(If you'd like to see some of the adventure for yourself, click the following link: https://youtu.be/l-N9LBRMAvg )
Not many days after beginning the writing efforts for "Meltdown," the band was contacted to play Riff Fest at Pine Knob, closing out the second stage ( alongside Shadow People and Black Note Graffiti ) in support of Hatebreed, Atreyu, Lamb of God and Megadeth. Not only that, but they would be played on Midnight Metal and Motor City Riffs on 101 WRIF. This was, and is, one of the highest benchmarks of the bands' career, as well as one of the most successful. This would, however be the last public performance with David Warren on Drums. Dave had been working very hard ( and successfully ) on his own group, "Salvation's End," so rather than straining to maintain a complex schedule between both groups, an amicable decision to seek a new drummer was reached. Dave finished up a drum track for "Meltdown" with the help of T.J. Richardson, and with that, the search began.
They didn't have to wait long.
Stacy Jean Binelli had been involved in more than a few events with The Creeping Chaos in the past few years, both in Mercy Beach and Sugar Punk Fairies. In the midst of "drummer Limbo" Chaos was offered a touring opportunity with Nita Strauss, and Stacy was the first person to express an interest in helping out. As it turned out, the start of 2022 was a strong one, since Nita Strauss was in need of an opener for the Token Lounge... It was at this show that Stacy made her official debut as the drummer for The Creeping Chaos.
The rest of 2022 was a slew of fantastic experiences... WRIF continued to feature Creeping Chaos songs on Midnight Metal and on Motor City Riffs... there were several outdoor festivals... three new venues... a show with Jackyl, and TWO engagements with Wednesday 13. Even with all these great shows under the belt, the most rewarding event was the Rock 4 Tots event hosted by WRIF's own Screamin' Scott Randall. A new song, called "Ossuary" off the upcoming third album was played and it was a perfect way to close the year out.
2023 was spent predominantly on work for album #3, and several of the new tracks had a trial run at live shows. one of the benchmarks of these being a sold out performance at The Machine Shop with Powerman 5000, (one of Rob's favorite groups!) The gang entered the studio on August 14th, 2023... and it finally wrapped production on Halloween 2024. The Self-Titled album was released on November 9th, and can be enjoyed on platforms everywhere!
