Chris Cambra

Chris Cambra (born Christopher John Cambra, 20 August 1978, Taunton, Massachusetts is the main songwriter, lead vocalist, drummer and a founding member of the American hard rock/heavy metal band Scylus Creed.

Biography
Early life
Chris Cambra was born on August 20, 1978, in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts. His father, Robert Cambra (a local radio DJ) and mother, Maryann (a teacher’s aide) allowed Chris to express himself in music by letting him play “drums” on his mother’s overturned clothespin pail. Music always filled the Cambra household with early influences such as Elvis Presley, and many others. Eventually, Chris received his first drum set shortly thereafter from a family friend and the rest is history. On September 1, 1982, Chris father died suddenly from a ruptured aneurysm. He was only 40 years old. His death caused many emotional issues for Cambra during his adolescent years. One thing his mother never swayed Chris from was his music. Cambra was ten years old when he learned to read music. He started playing regularly when he joined his middle school band that same year. He also started taking drum lessons privately. This went on for about a year and Chris fell out of favor and just taught himself how to play the drums. Chris was influenced by the speed metal bands that his brother would listen to. His main influences at the time was Helloween, King Diamond, , and others. Cambra formed his first band, Conquest, in his early teens. The band was composed of local neighbor and guitar player Bobby Pereira, his cousin Mike Moniz on bass guitar and Cambra providing lead vocals and drums. The band spent plenty of time in Cambra’s basement rehearsing. Moniz was eventually replaced with a fellow schoolmate Anthony Ardita on bass when Moniz quit the band. After a few years recording demo tapes, the band was prepared to play live shows. Conquest’s members started to enter high school at Taunton High School in Taunton, Massachusetts. At this time the band played their first showcase gig at a club in Stoughton, Massachusetts. For their live debut, only Bobby and Chris played as Anthony couldn’t make it to the show. Even without a bassist, the band received a warm reception by the capacity crowd that night. Later on during Chris’ sophomore year in high school, Chris met guitarist Nikolay Tzolov, a Bulgarian national who moved to the United States in 1991. A friendship was struck and they both were in the high school jazz band together from 1994 through graduation in 1996. After the showcase concert, Conquest started to take a different style with music moving towards the death metal/gloom metal genre. Cambra didn’t like this new approach and the band grew more and more apart. Eventually, Chris left Conquest to pursue other musical ventures. During this time, Chris was pondering becoming a solo artist, and writing a different type of music. He remembered Nick his friend from jazz band, played guitar and approached him the next day to ask if he wanted to play music together. This led to the creation of Scylus Creed.

Scylus Creed
In the early days of Scylus Creed, the band just wanted to play local gigs for some extra money but after attending Lollapalooza 96 the “music bug” bit Chris and Nick and the pursuit of a career in music was an option. During the Winter of 1996, Chris and Nick jammed constantly learning Metallica songs that they would use to play shows around the area. In the Spring of 1996, Chris and Nick knew that they had to expand the band to include a bass player. They posted flyers around their high school, and that very day local musician Larry Quiet (yes his real name), answered the flyer. Later that afternoon, Chris and Nick joined Larry at his rehearsal space and ran through some songs. It was obvious that Larry would be the choice to become the bassist for Scylus Creed. He was offered the position and gladly accepted. The newly formed lineup of Scylus Creed now practiced in order to enter the studio in the next couple of months to record a demo to secure some shows and possibly a record deal. In August of 1996, the band stepped into Iquana Studios in Weymouth, MA and recording a six song demo of Metallica covers. After the sessions were completed, the band rehearsed relentlessly for an upcoming tour that was to take place in the Summer of 1997. The band signed a deal with now defunct California indie label Bolt Records. The label decided to release the six-song demo as an album, and set up a record release party in Cambra’s hometown of Taunton, Massachusetts at the now defunct Rock Club. After this show the band began a summer tour of the New England area that saw the band play such cities as Providence, Rhode Island, Salem, Massachusetts, New London, Connecticut and others. After the tour, the band was approached by New York City indie label Razorblade Records and the label offered the band a six album deal. At about this time, Chris and Nick stepped into the studio to revamp some of the demo songs. In March of 1999, Larry Quiet left the band citing personal issues. Unknown on their future, the label suggested that the band re-release their six-song demo as their first album, and release a single of their version of the popular Metallica song Nothing Else Matters. During this time, Nick decided to move to Mexico to pursue his studies thus removing himself that he help co-found in 1995. To add to the mounting tension, the release date for the single came and went without the single being released. Cambra sued the label and the ensuing legal battle in 2000, barred Chris from performing under the Scylus Creed name. Finally in July of 2000 the band settled with the label and all rights reverted back to the band. Fed-up with the way he was treated Chris formed Metaledge Records as a way to release the band’s albums without anymore bureaucracy. Chris decided to release the tribute album as a full length album, and added an additional six songs. Chris enlisted the help of Grammy® nominated bassist Philip Bynoe and guitarist Greg Lander to play the parts. Chris re-recorded the whole album from scratch, which upgraded the sound and made it sound more professional than the original recordings. The album appropriately titled “Frayed Ends of Sanity” is scheduled to be released sometime in 2008.

Side Projects
*Chris Cambra and Scylus Creed headlined the Station Nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island in 1997. Chris was not present when the club caught fire in February 2003. Chris has been wanting to release a tribute album to benefit the families of those who perished in the fire. Chris knew four people who died in the blaze.

*Chris is also working to put together a hard rock tribute to Neil Young. The album received the blessing of Neil Young and his management and will feature up and coming unsigned bands along with some signed independents, including Cambra's own band Scylus Creed. The album is currently in the works and will be released sometime in the near future.

Band Timeline
* (1989-1995)
*Scylus Creed (1995-Present)

Personal life
When he is not writing, singing or playing, Cambra enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including swimming, golf, hunting, shooting, bowling, watching his favorite baseball team the Boston Red Sox, and going to the movies. Aside from these pursuits, Cambra says he is often happiest spending time with his wife Autumn residing in Athens, Texas (where they moved in June 2007). Cambra married his wife Autumn in 2005.

Equipment
Drums
Cambra has been a major endorser of Mapex Drums since 1995. Chris uses two different colors in the Mapex Drums Venus series. He has an all black set which is tuned and used exclusively for recording in the studio environment. He also has the same exact set in midnight blue in which he uses for live/touring situations. Cambra is also an endorser of Sabian cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks. He is rarely seen without these brands on stage or in the studio. In 2004, Cambra was working on creating a signature drumstick with the Ayotte drum company, but this deal fell through and Cambra is currently back with Vic Firth drumsticks.

Trivia
*Chris’ first ever “performance” in front of a crowd was a rendition of “Summer Lovin” from the musical Grease for his summer camp in 1988.

*Chris met Gary Cherone and the members of Godsmack at the Boston Music Awards in 2002.

*Chris recently moved to Athens, Texas in June 2007. He still owns two houses in his hometown of Taunton, Massachusetts

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