Closure In Moscow

Closure in Moscow is an Australian progressive rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 2006. The band comprises lead vocalist Chris De Cinque, drummer Beau McKee, guitarist and vocalist Mansur Zennelli, bassist Brad Kimber and guitarist Michael Barrett. Only 18 months after first forming, Closure in Moscow signed to Taperjean Records and released their debut EP (self-proclaimed ‘albumette’) in 2008, titled The Penance and the Patience. They have established a name for themselves with an array of shows in their home country alongside international acts such as Saosin, Coheed and Cambria, Aiden, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, A Static Lullaby, Street Drum Corps and Unwritten Law. The band’s debut studio album, First Temple, is scheduled for release in May 2009. Formation Closure in Moscow formed in 2006, in Melbourne, Australia. The formation is said to have consisted of «high school friends, one guy stolen from another band and a dude from a hair salon».After progressively growing their reputation, in mid-2007 they were chosen to share the stage with American band, Saosin. They caught the eye of the band and word reportedly got out to American magazine Alternative Press, eventuating in a small feature on the band in issue #229. The band signed to Australian label Taperjean Records in early 2008. Along side label-mates Fifty Sixx, Limbeck, Stealing O’Neal, As Tall As Lions and Copeland, they received added support. They received «solid» radio airplay internationally, and increasing pressure to head overseas to the United States and Europe, to tend to large fan bases. Debut release On 19 April 2008, Closure in Moscow released their debut EP, The Penance and the Patience. The band advertised it as an ‘albumette’. Upon the release of the EP, the band members were an average age of only 21, and the complete line up had only been together a few months.They went to extreme lengths to record The Penance and the Patience, the band spent three to four months straight writing or doing pre-prouction, as well as quitting jobs to go on tour. It was eventually recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, with each of the band members selling their cars to get American music producer and engineer Kris Crummett out to do the album. Crummett had previously worked on albums with Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Devil Wears Prada, Fear Before The March Of Flames, Kaddisfly and Dance Gavin Dance.The albumette was completed in July 2007, nine months before its release. The Penance and the Patience was originally only released in Australia, through Taperjean Records. It was also available for import to overseas countries through Fist2Face, and through the iTunes Music Store as a worldwide digital download. The albumette debuted at #13 on the Australian Independent Record (AIR) album charts. Signing debacle and move to the United States It was reported that American independent record label, Science Records, had signed Closure in Moscow on 26 June 2008. The label had planned a digital-only release of the debut across the US on 5 August 2008. Science had also planned to send the band to the US in September 2008 to begin writing songs for and work on their debut studio album, which was tentatively set for release in late 2008 to early 2009. A US tour for September-November 2008 was also being planned. This all fell through, as Closure in Moscow stayed put in Australia, doing their own national headlining tour and supporting Scary Kids Scaring Kids. In November 2008, following the original announcement months prior, the band was confirmed to be permanently relocating to the United States. Closure in Moscow discontinued their contract with Science Records, upon which the group said, «after much deliberation, we mutually felt it would be best not to move forward with our relationship.» They then signed with Equal Vision Records.The move