Following the loss of a close friend, Alan Robert -- co-founder and bassist of Brooklyn metal-hardcore outfit
Life of Agony -- began writing songs while out on tour that were neither metal nor hard rock, but more clearly inspired by punk acts like
Social Distortion,
Rancid, and
the Misfits. The music didn't exactly fit with
Life of Agony's agenda, but Robert maintained his writing on the side with longtime friend and guitarist "Junkyard" Chris Silletti (a vet of various hardcore and punk acts), who'd been with
LOA's road crew since 1993. After the completion of a European tour with
Life of Agony at the end of 2005, the friends continued meeting up to jam and eventually gave the project a name:
Spoiler NYC. Ultimately completed by drummer Tommy Clayton (formerly of pop-punkers
Houston Calls),
Spoiler NYC signed with SOS Records in the spring of 2007 and released their debut album, Grease Fire in Hell's Kitchen, that June. ~ Corey Apar