The band name is derived from a combination of spiritual beliefs and numerical fact.

Yes, we play live as often as we are able to. We play anywhere they will allow us to play. We enjoy the energy of any live performance..be it ours or another band's.

It's both good and bad. It's good for unsigned bands (like us) to gain exposure....but bad for signed bands, because it's their music that get's hijacked most often.

That is one of our goals as a group, but with various ideas and requirements in mind concerning artistic control and freedom.

An Against 72 song is recognizable as such due to the combination of tastes and individual preferences that each member contributes. The music is dynamic, with brutal riffs cascading into ethereal melodic passages. The lyrics delve into a variety of topics; spirituality, personal conflict, and child abuse are all dealt with in the songs. The band in its current form has been playing shows since autumn of 2002. Having quickly built a small but loyal following shortly after their public debut, the band felt encouraged to continue. In early 2003 the band was dealt a setback: the departure of Josh Cranston and bassist Joshua Ozment. Both men were serving in the United States military at the time, and they were both assigned to duty in Iraq. With a heavy heart, the band as a public entity decided to take a break, but they had a plan. While Josh and Josh were serving in Iraq, the remaining members resolved to rehearse relentlessly and write new material. Ryan Ragsdale took a short hiatus from the band to finish out the school year and then began the writing process with Mike and Ryan. The new songs were an extension of the older material, and yet were more aggressive. The writing process was also much more collaborative, with Mike and Ryan trading riffs back and forth in an effort to achieve something truly great. As several close friends of the band can attest, the band's performance had also changed quite a bit. Even in rehearsal the band played with a tenacity and energy never before seen. Around the end of summer in 2003, Cranston returned from Iraq and was honorably discharged from the military. He began to place words to the music the guys had written, and it was at that point they knew they were on to something special. It was difficult knowing that it could be another six months before they would be able to play these songs for an audience, but they waited. After Ozment's blessing, however, the band decided to begin playing shows again. Each and every show during the time when Ozment was absent would be dedicated to him and those fighting overseas. It could be said that the band effectively started anew. The stage performance was heightened noticeably, with the members displaying a passion for the music, old and new, that had never been witnessed by a live audience. The band is currently playing full shows with the return of bassist Josh Ozment. With two high-quality demo recordings under their belt, the future looks optimistic for Against 72; they plan on destroying a stage near you.

Deftones, Tool, Meshuggah, Beloved, As I Lay Dying, The Closer, Killswitch Engage, 36 Dead, Prong, Iron Maiden, Rush, Cold, Soulfly, Project Eighty-Six, Tragic Me, Hatebreed, etc.

Anywhere is better than nowhere

Ibanez guitars, Jay Turser guitars, Warwick basses, Crate amps, Peavey power amps, Ampeg bass amps (SVT-1600 model), Clayton guitar picks, Ludwig drums (Vistalite series), Zildjian cymbals, Gibraltar racks, DW 5000 pedals, Pro-Mark sticks, Shure mics