36 Crazyfists

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merican metalcore band 36 Crazyfists (36CF) formed in Anchorage, Alaska in 1994. The band's name comes from the Hong Kong martial arts film The 36 Crazy Fists (1977). The original members were vocalist Brock Lindow, guitarists Steve Holt and Ryan Brownell, bassist JD Stuart, and drummer Thomas Noonan. Holt is from Kenai, and Lindow spent much of his childhood there. Lindow, Brownell, Stuart, and Noonan are all from Anchorage.

The membership of 36 Crazyfists originated from the remains of three local bands: Grin, Hessian, and Broke. JD Stuart was former of Grin, Brock Lindow of Hessian, and Steve Holt and Ryan Brownell ex-of Broke. One of the circumstances influencing the formation of the band was the murder of Broke's drummer Duane Monsen. The story goes that on January 28, 1994, Broke played a set at the Underground bar in Anchorage. Later that night there was an altercation between Monsen and a drunken soldier who was stationed locally at Ft. Richardson. According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, Monsen tried to apologize and defuse the situation, but was fatally stabbed in the neck. He was 27 years old. In the wake of this tragedy, Monsen's friends organized a benefit concert to raise funds for his family. Monsen's protégé Thomas Noonan played the drums at this show and the musicians decided that they were an excellent match. Since that time the members have considered it the de facto first 36CF performance.

The debut EP, Boss Buckle (1995) would arrive on cassette. At that time the band's local popularity was rising quickly and the tape became a rarity, with the entire printing sold or given away as promos. On May 13, 1996, 36CF opened for Primus. This was one of the first times 36CF performed before an audience of thousands. This was also the last show of Primus' Punchbowl tour and the last show for drummer Tim Alexander before his first hiatus from Primus.

36CF were planning to relocate to Tacoma, Washington, in search of professional recording contracts when another tragedy struck. On June 16, 1996, JD Stuart died in a car accident at age 23. Soon after, Brownell retired from the band and the remaining members recruited bassist Mick Whitney. 36CF then relocated to the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area.

The second EP, Suffer Tree (1997) followed.

Signed by 'Roadrunner Records' in 2000, the band recorded their major debut album Bitterness the Star (2002). After touring America and Europe, the band re-emerged two years later with their second album A Snow Capped Romance (2004), with the third, Rest Inside the Flames, arriving in 2006. That third album was delayed due to 'Roadrunner' refusing to release it; it ultimately appeared on the 'DRT Entertainment' label. The next follow-up would arrive in May 2008 on the 'Ferret Music' label titled The Tide and Its Takers.

Collisions and Castaways was released in the US by 'Ferret Music' on July 27, 2010 and a day earlier in the rest of the world via 'Roadrunner Records'. The album featured guest appearances by Twelve Tribes front man Adam Jackson (who also featured on their previous two albums), Raithon Clay of Plans to Make Perfect, and Brandon Davis from Across the Sun.

After the Time and Trauma (2015) and Lanterns (2017) releases, news began to emerge from the band on a split up. Despite news that it would resume without Lindow and that a new album had been half-way recorded, no official confirmation or new news followed since and the band therefore are considered disbanded.