Asking Alexandria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria performing at Rock am Ring in 2018
Background information
Origin	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Genres	Metalcore heavy metal post-hardcore electronicore hard rock
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Better Noise Sumerian Monstercat
Members	James Cassells Cameron Liddell Sam Bettley Danny Worsnop
Past members	James Murray Robin Everett Lucas Brown Hitesh Gandhi Ryan Binns Joe Lancaster Denis Stoff Ben Bruce

Asking Alexandria is a rock band from England. They started in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and are now based in York, England. The band is made up of Cameron Liddell (guitar), James Cassells (drums), Danny Worsnop (singer), and Sam Bettley (bass guitar).

The band was first formed in 2006 by Ben Bruce. In 2008, they officially became a six-member band. This group included Bruce, Worsnop, Cassells, Liddell, Joe Lancaster, and Ryan Binns. After Lancaster and Binns left, Sam Bettley joined in 2009. They then released their first album, Stand Up and Scream (2009).

The band released two more albums: Reckless & Relentless (2011) and From Death to Destiny (2013). In 2015, Danny Worsnop left the band. Denis Stoff took his place, and they released The Black (2016). Stoff left later that year, and Worsnop came back to the band.

Their fifth album, Asking Alexandria, came out in late 2017. This album had a different sound than their earlier music. Their sixth album, Like a House on Fire, was released in 2020. It continued their move towards a more melodic hard rock sound. Their seventh album, See What's on the Inside, came out in 2021. Their eighth album, Where Do We Go from Here?, was released in 2023.

History of Asking Alexandria

How the Band Started and First Albums (2006–2009)

Ben Bruce, who played lead guitar and sang backup, first started the band in Dubai in 2006. The first version of the band had different members. They released an EP called Tomorrow. Hope. Goodbye in 2006. Then they released their first album, The Irony of Your Perfection, in 2007.

Ben Bruce realized he couldn't become famous worldwide from Dubai. So, he moved back to Nottingham, England, in 2008. There, he put together a new band with local musicians. This included singer Danny Worsnop, who moved into Bruce's apartment in York.

The band grew to six members. They added Ryan Binns on keyboards, James Cassells on drums, Joe Lancaster on bass, and Cameron Liddell on rhythm guitar. Later that year, Binns left the band. In January 2009, Lancaster also left and Sam Bettley became the new bassist.

Ben Bruce kept the old band name because he didn't want to think of a new one. He said the name "Alexandria" was chosen because it's a human name that people can connect with.

Their first album, Stand Up and Scream, was recorded in 2009. The band signed with Sumerian Records. The album was released on September 15. It became popular in the United States. Two songs from the album, "The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel)" and "Not the American Average", sold over 500,000 copies each. The band toured across America, playing with other bands.

Reckless & Relentless Album (2010–2012)

Asking Alexandria toured a lot in 2010. They played as a headlining act in March with bands like We Came as Romans. They also supported Attack Attack! and Dance Gavin Dance. They performed at The Bamboozle festival in May.

Asking Alexandria performing at Reading in November 2011

The band released a special EP and DVD called Life Gone Wild in December 2010. It included a new song and cover songs. Their second album, Reckless & Relentless, was released on April 4, 2011. This album charted in the UK and Australia. They also covered Akon's song "Right Now (Na Na Na)" for the Punk Goes... series.

Asking Alexandria played at the "Soundwave 2011 Festival" in Australia. They also headlined tours in the UK and the Vans Warped Tour 2011 in the US. In November, they toured with rap rock band Hollywood Undead.

In 2012, the band was listed as having one of the most anticipated albums. Danny Worsnop said the new album would sound like a mix of Mötley Crüe and Slipknot. They toured North America in March and April. In May, they released a short film with music videos from their second album.

Asking Alexandria performing at Mayhem Festival 2012

In August, they played at the 2012 Mayhem Festival. They also released a free song called "Run Free" from their upcoming third album. Ben Bruce said the band had grown up and would make some radio-friendly songs. However, he promised the rest of the album would still be very heavy.

In November, the band headlined the 'Outbreak Tour' across North America. Danny Worsnop hurt his vocal cord near the end of this tour. This meant he had to rest his voice.

From Death to Destiny Album (2013–2014)

After Danny Worsnop's vocal cord injury, he needed to rest. But he told fans that the third album would still be released soon. Most of the recording was done before his injury. In January 2013, they did a short tour in the UK.

In March, they released the first song from their third album, "The Death of Me". They announced the album would be out in the summer. The official release date for From Death to Destiny was August 6.

Asking Alexandria at With Full Force 2013

The band toured across America in April and June. They also played at several big festivals like Rocklahoma, Rock on the Range, Rock AM Ring, Download, and Graspop.

From Death to Destiny was a big success when it came out on August 6. It was the band's highest-charting album ever. It sold over 41,000 copies in its first week. In September, the band played at the annual Aftershock Festival. They also toured with the band Korn.

In 2014, the band played at Soundwave in Australia. They also covered the Nine Inch Nails song "Closer". Their first single, "The Final Episode (Let's Change the Channel)", was certified gold. This means it sold over 500,000 copies. Asking Alexandria headlined the Never Say Never Festival in March. They also went on another headlining tour called 'Break Down The Walls'.

In July, the band was nominated for several awards. They also performed at the ceremony, covering a Duran Duran song. In December 2014, they released their first live DVD. It showed a sold-out show in London and behind-the-scenes footage.

Danny Worsnop Leaves, Denis Stoff Joins (2015–2016)

Denis Stoff was a part of Asking Alexandria from early 2015 until his departure in late 2016.

On January 22, 2015, singer Danny Worsnop announced he was leaving the band. He wanted to focus on rock music with his new band. Lead guitarist Ben Bruce said the band would find a new singer. Fans were upset, but some weren't surprised. Bruce said he felt Worsnop had lost interest in their heavier music.

Bruce said the band's fourth album would be influenced by bands like Guns N' Roses and Van Halen. He also mentioned modern bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Slipknot. He said they had already written about 18 songs for the album.

On May 26, 2015, Denis Stoff was announced as the new lead singer. He used to be in other metalcore bands. The band released their first song with him, "I Won't Give In", on May 27. Many people thought Stoff would join because his old band sounded similar to Asking Alexandria. Ben Bruce said Stoff had a great vocal range.

Asking Alexandria live in 2016

The band planned to perform with Stoff for the first time in May. However, they had to cancel because Stoff couldn't get his visa in time. They did play at the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park Festivals in Germany in June. They also performed on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour.

In October, the band announced their new album would be released in early 2016. The album's title was The Black. It was released in March 2016.

Danny Worsnop Returns and New Album (2016–2018)

Asking Alexandria live at Rock am Ring in 2018

In October 2016, there were rumors that Danny Worsnop was coming back to the band. Pictures of Worsnop and Ben Bruce in the studio together appeared online. Two days later, it was confirmed that Worsnop had returned. Denis Stoff had left the band. Ben Bruce explained that Stoff had stopped talking to the band.

Worsnop also spoke about coming back. He said it was "something that [he] can embrace again". When the band played live with Worsnop again, they didn't play any songs from The Black album. Instead, they played older songs they hadn't performed in years.

More information about Stoff's departure came out later. It was said that Stoff had lip-synced some of the band's older songs during live shows. Worsnop said Stoff was "just keeping my seat warm". Stoff later said he left because of personal stress from the situation in his home country, Ukraine.

The band released their first new song with Worsnop back on September 21, 2017. It was called "Into the Fire". This was the first single from their new album. They released a second single, "Where Did It Go?", on October 25, 2017. On December 15, 2017, the band released their self-titled fifth studio album. This album showed a big change in their music style. It included influences from many genres, like stadium rock.

Like a House on Fire Album (2019–2020)

On July 11, 2019, the band released a new song called "The Violence". In December, they released a remix of "The Violence". The band also re-released their fifth album with six bonus tracks. These included a rock version of a song, a demo, an acoustic track, a cover, and a mash-up.

The band announced their first headline tour in two years. It was called 'Like A House On Fire World Tour'. On February 11, 2020, they announced a new single, "They Don't Want What We Want (And They Don't Care)".

On March 4, the band announced their sixth album, Like a House on Fire. It was set to be released on May 15, 2020. On the same day, they released the third single from the album, "Antisocialist". On April 15, they released the fourth single, "Down to Hell". Four days before the album came out, they released their fifth single, "House on Fire".

See What's on the Inside Album (2021–2023)

On June 7, 2021, the band announced they had signed with Better Noise Music. On August 20, they surprised fans by releasing a new single, "Alone Again". This song was from their seventh studio album, See What's on the Inside, which came out on October 1, 2021. Guitarist Ben Bruce said that "Alone Again" and the rest of the album came from the band falling back in love with making music.

On August 31, the band released the music video for "Alone Again". On September 23, they teased another song called "Faded Out". To promote the album, the band toured with A Day to Remember. On September 27, they announced a European/UK Tour for 2022. On October 1, they released the music video for "Never Gonna Learn". An EP for this single came out in January 2022. It included two songs from See What's on the Inside and two new songs. One new song, "New Devil", featured Maria Brink from In This Moment. In May 2022, they released a new version of "Faded Out" with Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation.

Where Do We Go from Here? and Ben Bruce Leaves (2023–present)

On April 29, 2023, Asking Alexandria released a video teaser for their new song "Dark Void". The song and its music video were officially released on May 12. On June 12, they announced that their eighth album would be called Where Do We Go from Here?.

On June 16, the band released two more singles, "Psycho" and "Bad Blood". They also released a music video for "Psycho". On July 7, they announced the album would be released on August 25, 2023. The music video for "Let Go" was released on the same day as the album.

On January 19, 2024, Ben Bruce announced on Instagram that he was leaving Asking Alexandria. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. With Bruce's departure, none of the original members are left in the band.

Music Style

Asking Alexandria's music has been called many things, like metalcore, hard rock, heavy metal, post-hardcore, and screamo. Their early music was also described as electronicore. Their first two albums, Stand Up and Scream (2009) and Reckless & Relentless (2011), are mostly metalcore. Their fourth album, From Death to Destiny (2013), was influenced by heavy metal and rock bands, but still had some of their metalcore sound. Guitarist Ben Bruce has said that the band likes to change their sound with each album.

Song Lyrics

Ben Bruce said that the lyrics on From Death to Destiny were more grown-up and meaningful. Danny Worsnop has said that the band's lyrics are often made up on the spot while they are recording.

Influences

Their first album was influenced by bands like The Devil Wears Prada and Bring Me the Horizon.

Lead guitarist Ben Bruce also mentioned Gary Moore, Michael Jackson, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Bullet for My Valentine, The Offspring, Blink-182, and British rock bands like Oasis or Coldplay as influences.

All the band members love 1980s rock music. They showed this by releasing EPs with covers of songs by bands like Skid Row, Journey, Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, and Def Leppard.

Singer Danny Worsnop said that Aerosmith is his "all time biggest inspiration".

Their third album, From Death to Destiny, was heavily influenced by bands like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Sebastian Bach, Skid Row, and Van Halen. They also get ideas from modern bands like Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold.

Band members

• Asking Alexandria live at Rock am Ring 2018
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  Singer Danny Worsnop

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  Guitarist Cameron Liddell

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  Bassist Sam Bettley

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  Drummer James Cassells

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

• The Irony of Your Perfection (2007)
• Stand Up and Scream (2009)
• Reckless & Relentless (2011)
• From Death to Destiny (2013)
• The Black (2016)
• Asking Alexandria (2017)
• Like a House on Fire (2020)
• See What's on the Inside (2021)
• Where Do We Go from Here? (2023)

Awards

See Also

In Spanish: Asking Alexandria para niños