Gothic Theatre

I.R.A.T.E.

WHO IS I.R.A.T.E.?

We’ve asked ourselves this question… over and over and over. Numerous members later, we’ve finally come to a conclusion…

This band is not about WHO we are… This band is about WHAT we are!

We are a metal band from The South Bay. For those of you who don’t know the South Bay, it’s the coastal area south of Los Angeles, between the harbor and the airport. Why South Bay, and not Los Angeles? Because Los Angeles is full of fake-ass, plastic, wannabe, mother-f and we don’t want to be associated with that. (How appropriate that all of the major record labels have offices in Los Angeles.)

When this band formed in 1995, we were nothing more than a bunch of high school kids pissed off at the world for whatever reason, therefore the name seemed appropriate. What we didn’t expect was for I.R.A.T.E. to develop a “LIFE” of it’s own.

Sure, 10 years later, we have some legitimate beefs and a whole lot of reasons to be I.R.A.T.E…. Broken friendships, lawsuits, sacrifices, betrayal, blah, blah, blah, blah. If these are the stories that you want to hear, then listen to the album because we’re not talking about that s* here.

Yes, we’ve had a lot of help along the way… enough to make people question our integrity. People always ask us, “How can you guys accept sponsorships from numerous corporations, yet call yourselves “Infinite Rebellion Against The Establishment”? If these people had half a brain then they wouldn’t need to ask that question.

We do what we do, and in doing so, we try to be as honest as possible to both ourselves, and our fans.

So… What is I.R.A.T.E.?

We’re a National People’s Gang dedicated to being real, and you’re either with us or against us. We’re a society who’s not afraid to question authority every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day. Yeah… we’re a lot of things. But above and beyond all other things…

WE ARE A FAMILY…
BROTHERS OF THE SAME STRUGGLE

Sean O’Connor—bass
Erik Ulrich—vocals
Rudy Hewlett—guitar
Jason Berglund—drums