A Wanted Awakening

A Wanted Awakening is a five-piece metal outfit based out of Lowell, Massachesetts. The band began in the summer of 2002 in Florida, when vocalist and then guitarist Rick Hardy formed a band by the name of Atlas Dying with various other members. The band hit the local circuit hard for the following 2 years while writing and recording their debut album, Images Inward (2004, Verified Records). Shortly after the release of Images, Hardy reconnected with childhood friend and former bandmate Jason York. York would replace the current bassist, and Atlas Dying played as a trio for nearly a year and a half until parting ways with their drummer. After the split, Rick and Jay decided to pack their things and head for New York, where the two had grown up together.
Upon arrival in New York, Atlas Dying began auditioning drummers, and after several months Evan Carney was announced as the new drummer. The newly formed Atlas Dying wrote a handful of new songs, and played out at such events as Sick Shit Fest, Emergenza, and Summer Slaugher before stumbling upon guitarist and singer, John Tree. With the addition of a second guitar and clean singing to the already established writing style of Atlas Dying, the now foursome decided that a name change was in order. And after long and careful deliberation, A Wanted Awakening was born. With a new name, and new vision, the four began to write and record their EP, From The Ruins.
A Wanted Awakening practiced, wrote, and recorded for almost an entire year, honing their craft and developing their newfound sound. But almost a year after the rebirth of the band, they decided that their fortunes lay elsewhere, and A Wanted Awakening left everything behind, and headed for Massachuetts.
After several shows in Lowell and the outlying areas, it was decided that Rick Hardy would step down from guitar to focus on a more energetic vocal performance, and that a new guitarist was needed. The band auditioned guitarist after guitarist, and almost had lost hope before discovering the final piece of their band, Derek St. Martin. With their final guitarist solidified and a rigorous practice schedule, A Wanted Awakening is headed for greater things. They've had their setbacks in the past 4 years, but they are attacking the metal scene with renewed vigor. Their gripping energetic performances connects with audiences in an unparalleled manner. A Wanted Awakening hopes to be just that, an awakening: a breath of life for the stagnating metal scene, and a force to push metal back to the forefront of the music industry.