Stampin' Ground

Stampin' Ground are a metalcore and thrash metal group from Cheltenham, United Kingdom, active from 1995 to 2006. Formed in 1995, they emerge from a hardcore and metal background and build a reputation through touring, recorded releases and a strong live presence.

Career and live activity

The band tour with acts including Sepultura, The Haunted, Hatebreed and Biohazard, which helps establish them with audiences across both hardcore and metal scenes. They are described as an especially active live band, with a stage approach built on audience participation, aggressive performance and a frontman in Adam Frakes-Sime who drives the crowd hard while the rest of the group cover the stage energetically.

Stampin' Ground become the first English band of their kind to tour in America, travelling to the United States in 1998 before having an album released there. They also tour across Europe, including Iceland, Spain and Greece, and appear at festivals such as Dour in Belgium, With Full Force and Pressure in Germany, Kerrang! K Fest in England, and the main stage of Download Festival at Castle Donington in 2003.

Albums and releases

The band's early releases are

Stampin' Ground

, a 1996 mini-CD on We Bite, followed by

Demons Run Amok

in 1997 and

An Expression Of Repressed Violence

in 1998. These releases lead them to move between labels as their profile grows, including Kingfisher / Century Media and then Century Media.

Carved From Empty Words

, released in 2000, is their breakthrough album and receives strong reviews in the alternative press. It is awarded full marks by Kerrang! and Metal Hammer, and Album of the Month in Terrorizer. The song “Officer Down” becomes a radio favourite and helps expand their following internationally.

A New Darkness Upon Us

, released in 2003, continues their blend of heavy, aggressive music and strong hooks. It is produced and engineered by Andy Sneap, whose credits include Arch Enemy, Killswitch Engage, Testament and Machine Head, and is described as a twelve-track album with sharp focus, varied pacing and a forceful production.

Later activity and related projects

The group end in 2006, with several members later forming Romeo Must Die. A reformed line-up is later announced for the UK leg of Sonisphere in 2014, consisting of Adam Frakes-Sime, Scott Atkins, Ben Frost, Paul Fletcher and Neil Hutton. Paul Catten is also listed among the band's members.