Extortionist (band)

Extortionist is a deathcore and metalcore band from the United States, originally formed in Idaho in 2013. The current lineup includes vocalist Ben Hoagland, bassist Riker Morrow, and drummer Vince Alvarez. Their music is characterized by heavily downtuned guitars, aggressive growls, and a style that critics have placed at the intersection of nu-metal and deathcore.

The band signed with We Are Triumphant in 2014 and put out their debut EP, *The Black Sheep*, that same year. Their first full-length album, *The Decline*, arrived in 2017. Two years later, in 2019, they released a second album, *Sever the Cord*, through Stay Sick Records, followed shortly by a self-titled EP, *Extortionist*. After playing their final show on October 5, 2019, the group disbanded. They reunited in 2020 and immediately started writing new material, dropping the single "Once More in Torment" on October 5, 2021—exactly two years after the breakup. The band now operates out of Idaho.

The band’s history includes several lineup changes. In early 2017, they released *The Decline*, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Calvin Russell at DJSM Studios. A standalone single, "Absent Ones," came out on March 2, 2018. Later that year, on August 30, drummer Nick Mayhew and guitarist Mac Rockwell left the band mid-tour with The Last Ten Seconds of Life and So This Is Suffering, forcing them to cut the tour short.

In early 2019, the band announced *Sever the Cord*, which dropped on March 22 via Stay Sick Records. Reviews were positive, with Connor Welsh of New Transcendence giving it a 9 out of 10 and Metal Noise rating it a 7 out of 10. Mike Sahm of Dream Awake Studios handled mixing and mastering. Two months later, on May 24, 2019, they released the *Extortionist* EP, written the previous year by Hoagland and Rockwell. Despite Rockwell’s departure, the band agreed to release it, with proceeds going to suicide prevention. On July 22, 2019, they announced their breakup via social media, and their final show took place on October 5 in Spokane, Washington, with Distinguisher, Dead Crown, and Straight to our Enemies.

The band quietly reunited on July 8, 2020, and began teasing new material, asking fans for input on direction. On October 5, 2021, they released "Once More in Torment." Since 2022, they have been working on new music.