Tommy Vext facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tommy Vext
Vext with Bad Wolves at Rock am Ring 2019
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Cummings
Born	(1982-04-15) April 15, 1982 (age 43) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres	Groove metal metalcore alternative metal hard rock nu metal
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2000–present

Tommy Vext, whose real name is Thomas Cummings, was born on April 15, 1982. He is a singer who performs heavy metal music. He used to be the main singer for bands like Bad Wolves, Divine Heresy, and Westfield Massacre. In 2024, Tommy Vext started singing for the band Ill Nino when their previous singer left.

Tommy Vext's Music Journey

Vext performing at Nova Rock 2017

Starting in Music

Tommy Vext started his music career as a teenager in Brooklyn, New York. He sang in local bands that played a style of music called hardcore. He also took part in rap battles, where people make up rhymes on the spot. Tommy was so young that he sometimes had to sneak into clubs to perform his own shows.

In 1996, he formed a band called Maniacal Disciple with his friends. They later changed their name to "Vext." This word became his nickname, and soon he was known as "Tommy Vext" in the New York hardcore music scene. His band, Vext, became popular locally. They played at famous clubs like CBGB and opened for other bands such as Biohazard. In 2005, Tommy Vext was invited to sing with Corey Taylor from the band Slipknot at a special event.

Divine Heresy

In 2006, Dino Cazares from the band Fear Factory asked Tommy Vext to be the singer for his new band, Divine Heresy. Their first album, Bleed the Fifth, came out on August 28, 2007. It was produced by Logan Mader, who used to play guitar for Machine Head.

Bleed the Fifth was well-received by fans and music critics. Many reviews praised the album. Tommy Vext wrote most of the lyrics for the songs. These lyrics were about personal struggles and how people overcome them. Some of the song themes were also inspired by the Book of Revelation and world events like natural disasters.

In May 2008, Tommy Vext left Divine Heresy after an argument with Dino Cazares. The band later stated that the decision to remove Tommy was made by the whole band, not just Dino. In September 2014, Tommy Vext returned to a new version of Divine Heresy for a short time.

Snot

Snot is an American metal band from Santa Barbara, California. The band first formed in 1995. They released their first album, Get Some, in 1997. The band broke up after their first singer, Lynn Strait, passed away in 1998.

In 2008, Snot got back together, and Tommy Vext became their new singer. Snot played many shows with Tommy Vext. They even toured the United States in 2008, opening for bands like Mudvayne. When one of their guitarists left, Snot took another break.

On February 11, 2014, Snot reunited again. Tommy Vext was once again the singer for this reunion. They played a few more shows in Southern California before taking another break. Snot later reunited again, but without Tommy Vext.

Vext (Reformed)

In 2011, Tommy Vext reformed his old band, Vext. He was joined by members of another band called Mutiny Within. They also had a talented guitarist named Angel Vivaldi. In 2012, they released an EP (a short album) called Impermanence.

By 2013, some members had left the band. They released another EP called Broke Is the New Black. After this, Tommy Vext worked as a cook on the Mayhem Festival tour in 2013. He then moved to Los Angeles.

Westfield Massacre

After his time with Snot, Tommy Vext started a new band called Westfield Massacre. He described their music as a mix of traditional American metal, power metal, melodic death metal, and metalcore. Westfield Massacre released their first album in 2016. In 2017, Tommy Vext started working on a side project with John Boecklin, who used to be the drummer for DevilDriver. Tommy Vext left Westfield Massacre while he was on tour with another band.

Singing for Five Finger Death Punch

Vext (right) performing alongside Ivan Moody at Rock im Park in 2017

Tommy Vext became the temporary lead singer for the band Five Finger Death Punch during their European tour in 2017. He filled in when their main singer, Ivan Moody, needed to take a break.

Bad Wolves

In 2016, Tommy Vext formed a new band called Bad Wolves with former DevilDriver drummer John Boecklin. They also added guitarists Doc Coyle and Chris Cain, and later bassist Kyle Konkiel. In the summer of 2016, they recorded their first album. On May 2, 2017, Bad Wolves released a song called "Learn to Live" with a music video.

In November 2017, Bad Wolves signed with Eleven Seven Music. Zoltan Bathory, a guitarist from Five Finger Death Punch, became their manager.

The band released their first album, Disobey, on May 11, 2018. The album reached number 23 on the US Billboard 200 chart. In January 2018, they released a cover song of "Zombie" by The Cranberries. This song became very popular and topped the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart. The music video for "Zombie" was watched over 170 million times. The song earned platinum awards in Canada and the United States, meaning it sold over a million copies.

Bad Wolves toured with several big bands in 2018, including Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown.

Tommy Vext left Bad Wolves on January 9, 2021. He first said he was "forced out" by the band and record label. However, he later stated on January 11, 2021, that it was his own choice to leave. He mentioned that he had spoken out against certain events in 2020 and supported then-President Donald Trump. He felt that this led to "cancel culture" affecting his band. He said he decided to go solo to protect his bandmates. The other band members later said that his departure was not related to "cancel culture" or his political views.

After he left, Tommy Vext shared that Bad Wolves had chosen Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz as their new singer. The band confirmed this a week later.

Lone Wolf (Solo Career)

After leaving Bad Wolves, Tommy Vext started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a solo album. He raised a lot of money. However, on March 15, 2021, he said he would not be releasing the original album. He claimed he was "financially bullied" and that the album might be given to another artist. He also mentioned that a covers album was still waiting to be released.

In April 2021, Tommy Vext started selling his own brand of CBD oil. In June 2021, he made some claims about his former bandmates. In July 2021, Tommy Vext filed a lawsuit against Allen Kovac, who was the manager of Bad Wolves. Tommy Vext claimed that Kovac tried to stop him from making political statements and used offensive language. Kovac later said that Vext's claims were false.

On December 18, 2023, Vext released a new album called A.N.T.A.R.C.T.I.C.A. It was first available only on his app. He later announced that the album would be on all streaming platforms on May 18, 2024.

Awards and Nominations

Tommy Vext received the Rock to Recovery 3 Service Award on September 15, 2018. This award recognized his actions.

Bad Wolves earned a platinum award in 2018 for their cover song "Zombie".

Discography

Vext

• 2004: Cast the First Stone
• 2012: Impermanence (EP)
• 2013: Broke Is the New Black (EP)

Divine Heresy

• 2007: Bleed the Fifth

Westfield Massacre

• 2016: Westfield Massacre

Bad Wolves

• 2018: Disobey
• 2019: N.A.T.I.O.N.

Solo

• 2022: Grand Theft Audio
• 2022: Uncovered, Vol. 1
• 2022: Uncovered, Vol. 2
• 2024: Antarctica

Guest Appearances

• God Forbid: Gone Forever (2004, guest vocals on "Soul Engraved")
• Jim Johnston - 2017: "I Bring the Darkness (End of Days)"
• Jelly Roll & Struggle Jennings - 2020: "Winds Of Change"
• Peyton Parrish - 2022: "Dane"

Singles

Music Videos

Filmography

• Emmure – "10 Signs You Should Leave" (music video, 2007)