Kentucky's
Flaw deliver a dynamic and hard-driving amalgam of nu-metal, alternative metal, and hard rock. Citing influences like
Tool,
Pearl Jam, and
Korn, the group emerged in the late '90s. Led by vocalist, frontman, and sole constant member
Chris Volz, the band issued a handful of independent releases before moving into the mainstream in the early 2000s with the arrivals of
Through the Eyes (2001) and
Endangered Species (2004), both of which were released on Republic.
Flaw ceased operations in 2005 but re-formed in 2016 and released a third studio album,
Divided We Fall. Despite enduring periods of internal strife and myriad personnel changes, the band continued to ply their sonic wares on subsequent efforts
Vol IV: Because of the Brave (2019) and Revival (2022).
The core of
Flaw got together in 1996 when Jason Daunt placed an ad for a guitarist and
Chris Volz answered.
Volz's adoptive mother, an opera singer who had performed at the Kennedy Center, had helped develop his musical talent. After she committed suicide when
Volz was 12, he spent years in various types of psychotherapy, gaining insights that bypass most people. It was from this experience that
Volz shaped his personal style of lyrics, expressing how one gets through inner turmoil and hurt. Songs such as "Inner Strength," "Whole" (a song about his mother's death), and "Only the Strong" reflect his inner growth.
Originally calling themselves
F. Law, the bandmembers -- recognizing that everyone and everything has flaws -- dropped the period and became
Flaw. In 1997,
Ryan Jurhs (five-string bass, background vocals) joined
Volz and Daunt, while the rest of the lineup remained in flux.
Jurhs had just finished his stint with the Marines and was joining the music scene. Within a few weeks,
Flaw recorded their first indie record, American Arrogance. Two of the eight tracks, "Amendment" and "Reliance," were also on the band's official debut album,
Through the Eyes, which led
Flaw to opening for bands such as
Econoline Crush and
Fear Factory. The band put out two more independent records, Flaw in 1998 and Drama EP in 2000, both of which were well-received.
Flaw's lineup firmed up in 1999 when
Chris Ballinger (drums) and
Lance Arny (guitar) came aboard.
Arny tended toward being a technical player, while Daunt went for the impromptu odd sounds, and
Volz aimed his lyrics at the healing process in life and childhood. The combination worked.
In 2000,
Flaw showcased at New York City's CBGB, where Republic/Universal heard them and signed them up. With
David Bottrill (who had taken
Tool and
Peter Gabriel to the top) as their producer,
Flaw began recording at Sound City in Los Angeles in early 2001. Republic/Universal released
Flaw's official debut album,
Through the Eyes, in October 2001 in both clean and explicit versions. While the album had a hint of a
Tool influence, the uniqueness of
Flaw remained solid and the album received rave reviews. The album topped Billboard's Heatseekers chart, and the group participated in the 2002 Ozzfest tour. Daunt was dismissed from the band that year, and
Ballinger was replaced by
Micah Havertape in 2003.
With their revamped lineup,
Flaw recorded their second album,
Endangered Species, which appeared in 2004 and became their highest-charting effort to date. However,
Flaw's label wasn't happy with the album's performance and dropped the band, who subsequently broke up.
Volz formed
Five.Bolt.Main with early
Flaw drummer
Ivan Arnold, and Rock Ridge Music put out their debut album, Venting, in 2005.
Volz, Daunt, and
Ballinger re-formed
Flaw in 2006 and played a reunion show in March of 2007, followed by a tour.
Volz released a solo album,
Redemption, and he and Daunt briefly started an offshoot called Foundation before returning to
Flaw.
After shuffling through additional short-term bandmembers and failing to find support from a record label for their new material,
Flaw independently released their next album, Home Grown Studio Sessions, in November of 2009. The album was recorded by
Volz,
Arny,
Jurhs, guitarist Andy Russ, and drummer Sean Rued.
Flaw toured into 2010, sometimes with additional bassist/guitarist Chris Marple, but they became inactive by the end of the year.
In 2013, the
Through the Eyes lineup of
Flaw reunited and began writing new material, as well as reworking a few of their older songs. They began touring in 2019, although
Arny left the group, and
Ballinger was eventually dismissed and replaced by drummer Corey Sturgill.
Flaw worked with producer
Skidd Mills on their next album, eventually signing with Pavement Entertainment in 2015.
Divided We Fall appeared in August of 2016, and charted in the Billboard 200. Following additional lineup changes, the group released an EP of b-sides titled
United We Stand in 2017, followed closely by the full-length
Divided We Fall, which was issued by Pavement Music.
Vol IV: Because of the Brave appeared in 2019, with the covers LP Revival arriving in 2022. ~ Eleanor Ditzel