Most bands begin with an idea, but THIS FIRES EMBRACE began with a gunshot. On December 8, 2004, Aaron Benner was stage right at a Columbus concert venue when a crazed gunman rushed the stage and began firing. When it was all over, five people were dead including Pantera guitar player Dimebag Darrel Abbott.
This tragic event was a catalyst to a life altering change in Aaron. After months of soul-searching, Aaron felt God's calling on his life. Aaron was compelled to use his musical talents to encourage and uplift people. He began praying for musicians that shared his calling. Just a few months later those prayers were answered in the form of Marc Leist, Josh Hall, Zack Koah, and Steve Malone. This five member team then became THIS FIRES EMBRACE.
Since forming in late 2005, THIS FIRES EMBRACE have truly been blessed. In their first 3 years of performing, they've headlined and filled nearly every venue in the central Ohio area. They've traveled the region sharing the stage with National Acts such as Pillar, Decypher Down, Shinedown, Trapt, Bobaflex, Spoken, Staple, Buckcherry, Saliva, Last Tuesday, Fireflight, Eleventyseven, Inhale Exhale, Krystal Meyers, Devil Wears Prada, The Wedding, Disciple, and John Rueben. THIS FIRES EMBRACE have entered several Battle of the Bands contests and walked away with first prize at each event. They entered the Band with a Mission organizations Battle for Shout-fest contest and went all the way to the final round in Nashville, Tennessee where they placed 9th in the country. They released their first album, Redemption in May of 2006. From that album, they released two singles, "On Broken Wings" and "Home Again" to national Christian radio. In June of 2008, they released their sophomore album, Warrior Poets. They released the title track to Christian radio in 2008 and they will be releasing their second single from that album, the cover song "Love is a Battlefield", to radio in late March of 2009. In the 2 years since THIS FIRES EMBRACE added songs to their MySpace account, they've had an astonishing 525,000 plays. In 2007 and 2008, they were asked to perform at some of the biggest Christian festivals in the country, including the Ichthus, Cornerstone, Agape, Sonshine, and Pro-Life Festivals.
THIS FIRES EMBRACE are poised to become a major musical and spiritual force in the industry. They continue to win critical acclaim for their live performances in many publications, internet magazines, and local newspapers. Lord-willing, this list and their demand will continue to grow.
