Brand New Sin formed in Syracuse, New York, in the early 2000s, growing out of the local metal/punk band Godbelow. Wanting to explore something more bluesy, swampy, and southern-influenced, the members formed Brand New Sin, an unusually large six-piece lineup featuring lead singer Joe Altier, bassist Chuck Kahl, drummer Mike Rafferty, and three guitarists: Slider, Kris Wiechmann, and Ken Dunham. In June 2002, the band's self-titled debut album, produced by Peter Walker, was released by the Jersey City based Now or Never Records. The album introduced the band's thick, riff-driven southern hard rock sound to underground metal audiences and set the template for the muscular, groove-heavy style that would define their career.
The band's breakthrough came as they built a reputation as a formidable live act and signed with a larger label. In 2004, the band signed with Century Media Records, which released Brand New Sin's sophomore album, "Recipe For Disaster," the following year. That release was preceded by the Black and Blue EP, released alongside the sophomore effort Recipe for Disaster in 2005. The band's momentum continued with their third album, "Tequila," produced by Joey Z of Life of Agony and featuring a guest appearance by late Type O Negative vocalist Peter Steele, in 2006. Perhaps their most widely recognized cultural moment came that same year, when the group recorded a rendition of "Crank It Up," the entrance theme music of WWE wrestler The Big Show, a song that continued to be used by WWE more than a decade later. Lineup changes marked the band's next chapter. In 2008, Altier left Brand New Sin to begin a career as an in-demand "piano man" performing in upstate New York, and the group carried on, self-releasing their fourth album, "Distilled," which featured guitarist Kris Wiechmann taking over on lead vocals, in 2009. A fifth album, "United State," arrived in 2011 via Goomba Music. Throughout these transitions the band remained rooted in Syracuse and continued to draw on the chemistry built during years of relentless regional and national touring, with founding guitarist Kris Wiechmann serving as the primary songwriter throughout the band's career while bassist Chuck Kahl provided the steady rhythmic foundation across the group's active periods and reunions. Brand New Sin was active as a touring and recording act from 2002 to 2012 , before going on hiatus. The band's legacy endured, however, and they reunited for a show on May 4, 2019, in their hometown of Syracuse, New York, with all original members, followed by a second performance on August 25, 2019, at the Great New York State Fair's Experience Stage as part of the Chevrolet Music Festival. Their enduring connection to professional wrestling also continued, as the band remained best known for contributing the theme song for wrestler Paul Wight during his WWE tenure as "Big Show," with Altier returning to provide vocals for Wight's theme when he later joined All Elite Wrestling. Today Brand New Sin is remembered as one of the defining acts of Syracuse's early 2000s hard rock scene, respected for its heavy, southern-tinged riffs and its rare six-man lineup.
For this archive, Brand New Sin holds a modest but meaningful place. Wayne Dennon photographed the band during one show back in 2007, capturing them near the height of their Century Media years, and the resulting 24 photographs remain part of his preserved body of work. Visitors to this memorial archive have viewed those images 18,064 times, a testament to the lasting fascination with a band whose sound and stage presence left a mark on everyone who saw them live.
