Formed in the fall of 2006, Soul Control has garnered quite the reputation for themselves. Statements about “being happy not releasing a full-length and touring for the remainder of their career” were made, so when the band announced their signing to Bridge Nine Records, it was quite a shock. In the past, Soul Control had released EP’s on Rivalry Records and a series of singles on various indies, toured across the U.S., Europe and Central America and were successful doing so. Bridge Nine came knocking in winter of 2008 and the guys decided it could be time for a change. Guitarist Jim Connolly said, “Initially, we didn’t have the intentions of recording a full-length album. Bridge Nine came around and we knew they’d push it as hard as we would, so we switched the plan up.”

With a sound that started out as more straight forward mid-90's influenced hardcore, the quartet (comprised of Rory Van Grol on vocals, Eric Anagnostis on bass, Ryan Pitz on drums, and Jim Connolly on guitar) has emerged with a noisier, looser influence from bands like early Helmet, Jesus Lizard, and Unsane, but still mixed with a contemporary hardcore groove.   Connolly stated, “We didn't just want to write hardcore songs with this part here and that part there- we wanted to write great songs and we had a change and a chance to re-explore that.”

And explore they did, as evident on their Bridge Nine Debut Cycles. Recorded in May 2009 with Jay Maas at Getaway Recording (Bane, Verse), Cycles is a diverse album with tinges of both straight-ahead hardcore and the sound of old school AmRep bands. “This was the longest recording session we’ve done – we spent 14 days in the studio and we spent a lot of time finding sounds and we got it where we wanted it. It was nice to have that freedom, and Jay Maas is down to get as weird as we are”, Connolly said of the recording process. Soul Control’s Cycles is set to hit stores on August 25th, 2009.

Soul Control wears their influences on their collective sleeve and while Cycles is completely cutting edge, it still possesses the familiarity of their hardcore roots while showing the world just how loose and jazzy hardcore can really get. Connolly went on to say, “Every release of ours has sounded different from the one before it and Cycles is no different. We had been pretty mid tempo for a while and this record has some faster stuff – a little heavier, a little noisier.”

Boasting a grandiose tour history, Soul Control is THE definition of D.I.Y. touring. Connolly said, “We don’t wait around for offers, we just go. This is how we do it – we tour hard.” Soul Control has toured the U.S. with the likes of Have Heart, Verse, 108, Go It Alone, Sinking Ships, and more. The band has covered Europe solo and alongside Blacklisted and Shipwreck. Additionally, the band has played such high profile shows as The Anti-Matter book release with Snapcase, Chicago’s Burning Fight book release with Unbroken and Disembodied, two Sound and Fury Festivals, and two This Is Hardcore festivals. In support of Cycles, Soul Control will spend all of August touring throughout Europe before they cross back over the pond to spend all of September venturing to every corner of the continental US.