Biography
Who is Troy Sanders?
Early life and career beginnings
Troy Jayson Sanders was born in Atlanta. During his younger years, he attended Shiloh High School. His musical path began after he borrowed a bass guitar from his older brother, Kyle. Although the instrument was strung for a left-handed player, Troy practiced on it despite being right-handed. Eventually, he convinced his father to purchase a bass for him to use.
Before achieving widespread recognition, he played in several local bands including Four Hour Fogger, Knuckle, and Puaka Balava. In 1995, he became the bass player for the grindcore group Social Infestation. This group released an EP and two full-length albums before ceasing activity around the year 2000.
Formation of Mastodon
In 2000, Troy met Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Brent Hinds at a concert. The group decided to form Mastodon. In their early days, the members worked full-time jobs during the week and focused on the band in their spare time. They toured throughout the Southern United States to build their audience.
Initially, the band included vocalist Eric Saner. After Saner departed, Troy Sanders took over lead vocal responsibilities alongside Hinds and Dailor. He maintained his position as the bass player throughout this transition. Since then, the band has released numerous acclaimed albums including Remission, Leviathan, Crack the Skye, and Hushed and Grim.
Supergroups and collaborations
Outside of his primary band, Troy has participated in several supergroups. In 2012, he joined Killer Be Killed, a project founded by Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Max Cavalera of Soulfly. Their self-titled debut was released in 2014 through Nuclear Blast Records, and they followed this with the 2020 album Reluctant Hero.
In 2016, he helped form Gone Is Gone. This group featured members from Queens of the Stone Age, At the Drive-In, and Sweethead. They released an EP in 2016 and a full album, Echolocation, in 2017. Also, he has served as a touring bassist for the rock band Thin Lizzy and has contributed guest vocals to tracks by artists like Yakuza, Metal Allegiance, and Underoath.
Musical style and influences
Troy typically plays bass using his fingers, though he occasionally utilizes a pick. He composes his own bass lines independently rather than following guitar parts. His vocal performance in Mastodon includes a mix of clean singing and harsher growls. He has noted that his harsher vocal style was more prominent on earlier records such as Remission.
His bass playing is influenced by musicians such as Cliff Burton of Metallica, Geddy Lee of Rush, Gene Simmons of Kiss, and Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. He has expressed a deep appreciation for albums like Moving Pictures by Rush and Times of Grace by Neurosis. His brothers Kyle and Darren have also pursued careers in the music industry, with Kyle playing for bands like Hellyeah.
Birthday and age
Troy Sanders was born on September 8, 1973, which makes Troy 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Troy shares the date with 46 other famous people.
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