Sumo Cyco is an independentpunk rock and heavy metal-based band from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The band launched in March 2011 and has released two albums, sixteen singles, and seventeen official music videos.
Biography
Sumo Cyco first appeared as a punk metal female-fronted band in Toronto, Canada in 2011. Their current members include Sever, Matt 'MD' Drake on guitars, and Ken 'Thor' Corke on bass. Touring drummers have included Andy 'THE WOLF' Joseph, Ryan "Legs" Leger, and current touring drummer Matt Trozzi
2011–2013: Formation
The trio launched as a band in March 2011 and had their first show opening, for Hollywood Undead, in April of that year, performing to a crowd of a thousand. Sumo Cyco has also shared a stage with Coal Chamber, Filter, Life of Agony, Finger Eleven, The Salads, and Raggadeath with Miche Mee. They have had songs mixed by Jag Tanna, Julius "Juice" Butty and Matt DeMatteo, amongst others. One song, "Interceptor”, was featured on YouTuber Ray William Johnson's channel, obtaining over 5 million views. Sumo Cyco has a strong presence online and direct both their own music videos and promotional films. The band mixes influences from the likes of System of a Down, Rob Zombie, and No Doubt. Musically, their sound blends heavy metal guitars, blast beats, and dancehall rhythms. The band won Best Female-Fronted Band at the Toronto Independent Music Awards of 2012. The band also won at Indie Week Toronto, Oct. 20th, 2013, and attended Indie Week Ireland in Limerick in April 2014. During this period, the band released seven singles, all of which were launched with music videos. The music video for "MERCY" is set in a bright, asylum-like cartoon prison, while the one for "LIMP" is a short zombie movie with a twist. The video genre for "Interceptor" is a clown murder mystery, while that for "Danger" is a space alien experiment gone hard rock. The video for "Who Do You Want to Be" features a day in the life of a girl with a TV for a head, while the one for "Where Do We Go?" features Sever and friends in a haunted house. Despite being made on a shoestring budget, the videos have gained hundreds of thousands of views. All were directed and produced by the band.
2014–present: Touring and ''Lost in Cyco City''
In October 2013, the band won in Indie Week Toronto and attended Indie Week Ireland in April 2014. Using the opportunity of being overseas, the band set up their first international tour, which they called Lost in Ireland & the UK, to promote their material to an international market. They toured various cities across Ireland, Scotland, and England. On June 10, 2014, the band released their first album, Lost in Cyco City. The band later toured various countries in Europe on their No Mercy tour, which took place in mid- to late April. On March 10, 2015, the band announced that they had signed with TKO / The Kirby Organization Booking Agency for worldwide representation. TKO are known for booking hard rock and heavy metal acts such as Motörhead, Anthrax, and Sevendust. In February 2016, touring drummer Andy Joseph left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by new touring drummer Matt Trozzi. In April 2016, Sumo Cyco's song "Fighter" was announced as the theme song for the World Darts Association's 2016 Merseyside Open. Then, on March 31, 2017, it was announced via Twitter that the band would release their sophomore upcoming second album, titled Opus Mar. The album has a guest appearance by Benji Webbe of Skindred on the single "Move Mountains," which was released on February 1, 2017. In 2017, Sumo Cyco replaced Ludovico Technique in its tour with The Birthday Massacre and Army of the Universe. During this tour, Oscar Anesetti of The Rabid Whole filled in for Ken Corke. In January 2020, the band announced their signing to Napalm Records.
