A Canadian rock/post-grunge supergroup whose membership has been pulled from bands like
Three Days Grace,
Staind,
Finger Eleven, and
Art of Dying, Toronto's
Saint Asonia made their debut in 2015. Following a four-year gap and a handful of lineup shifts, the group resumed work with 2019's
Flawed Design.
Saint Asonia came into being when
Staind guitarist
Mike Mushok and
Three Days Grace frontman
Adam Gontier began writing together just after the latter split with his flagship band. Impressed with what they had managed to conjure up, the duo enlisted
Eye Empire bassist
Corey Lowery, and former
Finger Eleven drummer
Rich Beddoe to complete their initial lineup. Heading into the studio with producer
Johnny K (
Disturbed,
Megadeth,
Sevendust), the quartet began work on their debut long-player. Released in July 2015, the eponymous full-length
Saint Asonia resembled the sum of its parts and was a success both at home, where it reached the Canadian Top Ten, and in the U.S., where it made a solid showing at number 29 on the Billboard 200.
Prior to their next release,
Saint Asonia swapped out their rhythm section, with former
Staind drummer Sal Giancarelli replacing
Beddoe and
Art of Dying bassist
Cale Gontier (who is also
Adam Gontier's cousin) replacing
Lowery. With their second lineup settled, the group recorded their 2019 follow-up,
Flawed Design, for the Spinefarm label. ~ James Christopher Monger