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Heavy metal band Withered were formed by guitarist/singers Chris Freeman and Mike Thompson in Atlanta, GA, in the early summer of 2003, after the breakup of their punk group Social Infestation. Adding drummer Wes Kever (from Puaka Balava), they played as a trio at first, then added bassist Greg Hess (formerly of Leechmilk). This quartet began touring on the East Coast, opening for Mastodon and Exhumed, and made its first recording, a five-track EP that was to be called Order Born from Chaos, during 2004. Although Withered circulated a three-track demo version of the EP, it was not released as such because in April 2005 they signed to Lifeforce Records, resulting in the release of their debut album, Memento Mori, which was actually the Order Born from Chaos material plus two newly recorded tracks, on September 20, 2005. By the fall of 2006, Hess had left the band. Bassist Herb Jowett filled in for a tour before giving way to Mike Longoria, who also joined on a temporary basis, but then decided to stay. Kever left, and he was replaced by drummer Beau Brandon, with the new permanent lineup of Freeman, Thompson, Longoria, and Brandon being unveiled in February 2007. Withered signed to Prosthetic Records in January 2008, leading to the release of their second album, Folie Circulaire, on June 24, 2008. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
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