Five.Bolt.Main was an American nu metal band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 2004 from the remains of Flaw after that band was dropped from Universal Records following their album Endangered Species. The seeds of the project had already been planted: drummer Ivan Arnold and bassist Ben Patrick had been developing material under the name Silent Q alongside guitarists Aaron Welenken and Jason Chandler when Flaw dissolved. Vocalist Chris Volz — the recognizable voice behind Flaw's 2001 breakthrough album Through the Eyes, which had earned significant radio play with the singles Whole and My Letter — joined the Silent Q lineup, the name was changed to Five.Bolt.Main for legal reasons, and within seven months the band had secured a deal with independent label Rock Ridge Music. The chemistry was immediate and the band moved fast.
Their debut and only studio album Venting was released on September 13, 2005, produced by Jason Spiewak. Three singles were released: Pathetic (2005), The Gift (2006), which charted at number 38 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and Seem to Be Fine (2006). The album sold approximately 25,000 copies — a genuinely respectable number given their limited mainstream exposure and the absence of a major label push. Pre-production was begun on a second album with Chris Henderson, guitarist of 3 Doors Down, who co-produced the demos Just My Luck and Blackout at his Biloxi studio. The band toured and built a following on the strength of their live show and Volz's distinctive voice.
The band's internal history was turbulent from almost the beginning. Three original members departed in October 2005, with those departing citing Volz's alcohol and drug abuse. Kobie Jackson of Primer 55, Alex Cando of Darwin's Waiting Room, and Ronny Paige were recruited as replacements, with Cando and Paige becoming permanent members. In June 2006, drummer Ivan Arnold departed following a well-publicized onstage physical altercation with Volz at Club Sonar in Baltimore, ending whatever forward momentum remained. Remaining tour dates were cancelled when no replacement drummer could be found. Rock Ridge released a live album in October 2006 recorded in Louisville, and a compilation called Complete in 2008 — both releases disowned by band members who cited poor sound quality and lack of consent.
Five.Bolt.Main officially disbanded in February 2007. A brief 2009 to 2011 reformation involving Volz and Paige did not produce new studio material. The band's legacy rests almost entirely on Venting — a single album that demonstrated what the band could be when the lineup held, and left the question of a second album permanently unanswered.
Wayne Dennon photographed Five.Bolt.Main as part of an archive that documented nu metal and post-grunge during a period when the genre's commercial wave had passed but the music still had real devotees. Volz's voice was the kind that made people stop and listen, and on the nights when everything held together, Five.Bolt.Main was a genuinely compelling live act.
