Hemi Artist Bio

Armed with loud guitars, aggressive vocals, and thunderous drums this Chicago based group sets its attack on the heavy metal world by incorporating old school influences with modern day style and storytelling.

Since the band’s inception in 2003, HEMI has always been determined to be a group that carried the torch of the true heavy metal sound pioneered by the legendary acts of the 1970’s and 1980’s that influenced them so greatly. Taking such influence and blending it with a unique, modern approach, HEMI has produced a sound that places them in a category that they have dubbed “Strong Style Heavy Metal.”

Formed in their hometown of Chicago, the band set its goals early and cut several demos with various lineups throughout the years before recording and releasing their debut album “Fire in the Sky” in 2007. Met with an overwhelming response, “Fire in the Sky” quickly catapulted HEMI into an underground mainstream which caught not only the eyes and ears of thousands of new fans, but also, critics and industry professionals alike such as famed producer Michael Wagener (Ozzy, Metallica, Dokken, Skid Row, Accept) who gave the band very positive reviews on their work. “Fire in the Sky” was consequently distributed digitally to every major downloadable channel, and is also famous for being the only independently released LP to be distributed by Hot Topic stores across the country.

In 2008, HEMI teamed up with RavensFilm Productions to contribute the title track of the album to an upcoming motion picture called “The Fixer.” Director Nick Michalak saw a unique opportunity to work with HEMI further documenting the film’s release and their involvement by producing a music video for the album’s title track. The video was an instant success, and it helped expose HEMI even further to a worldwide audience.

The band launched their official YouTube channel in 2010. It received a global welcome that not only furthered their exposure to a worldwide audience, but also, future touring offers across Europe and South America. With weekly updates for their fans, music videos, backstage highlights, and complete show videos, HEMI is determined to bring a full scale media experience of the band and its members to all of their fans around the world.

A live album highlighting the band’s 2011 tour titled “The Chosen Ones: Live in the Fire” was released in 2012 as well as a companion DVD in 2014 featuring enhanced audio and video with live tracks not included on the album.

In late 2014, the band released the highly anticipated album “Undivided Intentions” featuring the newly established 3-piece lineup of the group. The first single from the album, “Nevermore,” was released to outstanding reviews and has set the tone for the newest direction in HEMI’s music.

In 2016 the band released MotorHEMI: A Tribute to Motorhead as an honor to of their biggest influences which was not only met with very favorable reviews from HEMI & Motorhead fans alike but also received the blessing and approval from the surviving members of Motorhead.

Early 2018 saw HEMI release Avalon, a collection of songs not only produced with a completely different approach than their previous albums but also a storyline companion to it’s predecessor, Undivided Intentions. With Tim Wilkens as primary composer and co-producing alongside head producer, AJ Kolar the two were able to capture a sonic experience that narrated the lyrics of Trent Zuberi and the intensity of Mike Cieplik’s drumming perfectly. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.