Unlocking the Truth

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Unlocking the Truth

| background = group_or_band

| image = UtT623.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Unlocking the Truth perform in Times Square on June 1, 2013

| alias =

| origin = Brooklyn, New York, United States

| genre = {{Flatlist|

Heavy metal{{cite web|url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/rzepme/unlocking-the-truth-breaking-a-monster-documentary|title=Unlocking the Truth's New Documentary Reveals Their Chaotic Rise Through the Music Biz|date=June 30, 2016|access-date=January 18, 2018}}
thrash metal{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2014/07/14/preteen-thrash-metal-trio-unlocking-the-truth-sign-major-label-deal/|title=Preteen thrash-metal trio Unlocking the Truth sign major-label deal|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=January 18, 2018}}
metalcore{{cite web|url=https://noisey.vice.com/da/article/6xaewr/unlocking-the-truth-is-the-most-brutal-sixth-grade-metal-band-ever-ever-ever-ever|title=Unlocking the Truth is the Most Brutal Sixth Grade Metal Band Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever|date=May 31, 2013|access-date=January 18, 2018}}

}}

| years_active = 2007–2020

| label = Independent

| associated_acts =

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members = Malcolm Brickhouse
Jarad Dawkins
Alec Atkins

}}

Unlocking the Truth was an American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2007, the group consisted of Malcolm Brickhouse (guitars, vocals, key songwriter, composer), Jarad Dawkins (drums), and Alec Atkins (bass).

History

Founding members Malcolm Brickhouse (guitar, vocals) and Jarad Dawkins (drums), then in pre-school, met each other at a birthday party in 2005. Sharing similar tastes in music, they decided to create a band.{{cite web|last1=Zimmerman|first1=Neetzan|title=Internet-Famous Preteen Metalheads Are Being Bullied for Being Awesome|url=http://gawker.com/internet-famous-preteen-metalheads-are-being-bullied-fo-513780506|publisher=Gawker.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}} They felt their band needed a bassist but none of their friends were musicians, so they taught their school friend Alec Atkins how to play bass from scratch. Their street performances in Times Square and around New York City led to people recording and uploading videos of them to YouTube and social media.

While still in their early teens, the band appeared on national television, including NBC's The Tonight Show, ABC's The View, CNN, Fuse, BET, and Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. In 2014, they were the youngest group to perform at Coachella.{{cite web|last1=Barkan|first1=Jonathan|title=Youngest Group To Ever Perform At Coachella Is A Metal Band|date=April 10, 2014 |url=http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3287792/youngest-group-to-ever-perform-at-coachella-is-a-metal-band/|publisher=Bloody-disgusting.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}} They performed at the Afropunk Festival,{{cite web|title=Unlocking The Truth|url=http://afropunkfest.com/2013/portfolio/unlocking-the-truth/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424043423/http://afropunkfest.com/2013/portfolio/unlocking-the-truth/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 24, 2014|publisher=Afropunkfest.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}} SXSW, and were the youngest band to play at the 2014 Vans Warped Tour.{{cite web|last1=Teitelman|first1=Bram|title=Preteen trio Unlocking The Truth to play Coachella, Warped Tour|date=April 11, 2014 |url=http://www.metalinsider.net/video/preteen-trio-unlocking-the-truth-to-play-coachella-warped-tour|publisher=Metalinsider.net|access-date=September 20, 2014}} They also performed at the music festivals Heavy Montréal and Bonnaroo.

Unlocking the Truth supported Guns N' Roses, Motörhead, Queens of the Stone Age, Living Colour, Slash and Marilyn Manson,{{cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/tags/unlocking-the-truth/|title=Unlocking The Truth News|work=Loudwire |access-date=December 29, 2014}} while also appearing in commercials for Airheads, AT&T, Beats by Dr. Dre, Maybelline and Verizon.{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/eighth-grade-band-unlocking-the-truth-signs-million-sony-deal-2014157|title=Eighth Grade Band Unlocking the Truth Signs $1.7 Million Sony Deal - Us Weekly|date=July 15, 2014|work=Usmagazine.com|access-date=December 29, 2014}} The band was featured in Spin,{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2013/09/unlocking-the-truth-brooklyn-metal-band-malcolm-brickhouse-mini-masters-of-reality-steve-jordan/|title=Mini Masters of Reality: Unlocking the Truth Plot Metal's Future From Their Parents' Basement|work=SPIN|access-date=December 29, 2014}} Revolver,{{cite web|url=http://www.revolvermag.com/news/teen-metal-band-unlocking-the-truth-appears-on-the-colbert-report-video.html|title=Teen Metal Band Unlocking the Truth Appears on 'The Colbert Report' — Video|publisher=Revolvermag.com|access-date=December 29, 2014}} Guitar World, Rolling Stone,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/eighth-grade-metal-band-plots-future-after-seven-figure-record-deal-20140714|title=Eighth Grade Metal Band Unlocking the Truth Plots Future After Seven-Figure Record Deal - Rolling Stone|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=December 29, 2014}} New York Daily News,{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/teen-metal-group-unlocking-truth-scores-book-deal-article-1.1872476|title=Teen metal group Unlocking the Truth scores book deal|work=NY Daily News|access-date=December 29, 2014}} Village Voice,{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-09-12/music/at-metal-school-with-unlocking-the-truth/full/|title=At Metal School with Unlocking the Truth|author=Jonah Bromwich|date=September 11, 2012|publisher=Villagevoice.com|access-date=December 29, 2014}} New York Post,{{cite web|last1=Marsh|first1=Julia|title=Tween metal trio lands $1.8M record deal|url=https://nypost.com/2014/07/11/brooklyn-metal-band-lands-record-deal-after-video-goes-viral/|work=New York Post|date=July 11, 2014 |access-date=September 20, 2014}} New York Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/arts/music/unlocking-the-truth-is-a-band-that-rocks-beyond-its-years.html?_r=0|title=A Heavy Metal Alloy, Fused With Youth : Unlocking the Truth Is a Band That Rocks Beyond Its Years|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 3, 2014 |access-date=December 29, 2014|last1=Battan |first1=Carrie }} Los Angeles Times,{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-coachella-2014-unlocking-the-truth-looks-into-future-20140412-story.html|title=Coachella 2014: junior high band Unlocking the Truth looks into future|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 12, 2014 |access-date=December 29, 2014}} Huffington Post, and Loudwire, all while attending middle school and then high school.

In 2014, the band signed a $1.8 million contract for five albums with Sony Music Entertainment.{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jan/16/teen-musicians-henry-plotnick|title = Underage against the machine: why labels are desperate to sign teens|date =January 16, 2015|website = The Guardian|last = Pattison|first = Louis}} Due to the age of the members of the band, the contract had to be approved by the New York Supreme Court.{{cite web|last1=Kaye|first1=Ben|title=8th grade metal band lands $1.7 million record contract with Sony|date=July 12, 2014 |url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/07/8th-grade-metal-band-lands-1-7-million-record-contract-with-sony/|publisher=Conseqwuenceofsound.net|access-date=September 20, 2014}} In 2015, the band successfully negotiated their release from the contract with the label.{{Cite news|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/7xvye9/why-teen-metal-band-unlocking-the-truth-broke-a-18-million-record-deal|title=why teen metal band unlocking the truth broke a $1.8 million record deal|date=2016-06-24|work=I-d|access-date=2017-12-22|language=en-us}} In April 2016, the band announced the release of their full-length debut album, Chaos. The album was released on June 17, 2016 via TuneCore. A feature-length documentary film about the band, entitled Breaking a Monster, was released in the summer of 2016. The film was directed by Luke Meyer and won Best Music Documentary at the UK Music Video Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.promonews.tv/news/2016/10/21/uk-music-video-awards-2016-all-winners/44192|title=UK Music Video Awards 2016: all the winners!|publisher=Promonews|date=October 21, 2016}} Loudwire premiered their first music video "Take Control".{{cite web|last1=Childers|first1=Chad|title=Unlocking the Truth, 'Take Control' – Exclusive Video Premiere|url=http://loudwire.com/unlocking-the-truth-take-control-exclusive-video-premiere/|website=Loudwire|publisher=Townsquare Media|access-date=April 27, 2016|date=April 27, 2016}}

They released a few more singles, "My Chains" (2017), "Come Closer" (2018), "Mama" (2018) and "Pretend" (2019). In January 2020, it was announced the band had ended and frontman Malcolm Brickhouse would be pursuing a solo career under the moniker Malxolm Brixkhouse.{{Cite news|url=https://www.unlockingthetruthband.com|title=About Us|access-date=March 27, 2020|language=en-us}}{{cite web|author=Keriena Choy|title=Artist Spotlight - Malxolm Brixhouse|url=https://www.timbredio.com/pages/artist/features/malxolm_brixhouse|publisher=Timbredio|access-date=April 18, 2020}}{{cite web|author=Spencer Kaufman|title=Unlocking the Truth Break Up as Frontman Malxolm Brixkhouse Launches Solo Career|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/06/unlocking-the-truth-break-up-frontman-solo-career/|publisher=Consequence of Sound|access-date=June 30, 2020|date=June 29, 2020}} He released the song "Rapture" in September 2021.{{Cite web |last=Neilstein |first=Viince |date=2021-09-17 |title=Malcolm Brickhouse (ex-Unlocking the Truth) Resurfaces with New Song, "Rapture" |url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2021/09/17/malcolm-brickhouse-ex-unlocking-the-truth-resurfaces-with-new-song-rapture/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=MetalSucks |language=en}}

Style and influences

Unlocking the Truth's sound has been described as "a salute to old-school metal that also blends modern influences."{{cite web|last1=Bansal|first1=Andrew|title=Motörhead, Graveyard & Unlocking The Truth Perform At Club Nokia|date=April 12, 2014 |url=http://metalassault.com/gig_reviews/2014/04/12/motorhead-graveyard-unlocking-the-truth-perform-at-club-nokia/|publisher=Metalassault.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}} In the Los Angeles Times, Randall Roberts wrote of their Coachella performance as "a hard, distorted blend of metal, speed punk and alternative rock on the main stage, they were as well-practiced as units three times their age."{{cite web|last1=Roberts|first1=Randall|title=Coachella 2014: Junior high band Unlocking the Truth glimpses future|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-coachella-2014-unlocking-the-truth-looks-into-future-20140412-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 12, 2014 |access-date=September 20, 2014}} Artist Direct says "they are the future of music."{{cite web|last1=Florino|first1=Rick|title=Interview: Unlocking The Truth|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/interview-unlocking-the-truth/10662864|publisher=Artistdirect.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}} The band has cited influences such as Metallica, Slipknot, Disturbed, Living Colour, Escape the Fate, Chelsea Grin, and Motionless in White.{{cite web|last1=Macomber|first1=Shawn|title=Key Influences: Unlocking Truth|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/unlocking-the-truth/|publisher=Decibelmagazine.com|access-date=September 20, 2014}}