Author & Punisher

Author & Punisher is a one-man band from San Diego, formed in January 2004 by American mechanical engineer and artist Tristan Shone. Shone performs in a style based on industrial metal and drone music, using self-made devices he calls "Drone Machines" and "Dub Machines".^[2][3] Shone was inspired to build his own instruments to achieve the sound he wanted that conventional instruments could not accomplish, and also due to the difficulty in finding band members.^[4]

Born

Tristan Shone

(1977-10-18) October 18, 1977 (age 48)

OriginSan Diego, California, U.S.

Genres

• Industrial metal
• drone metal
• doom metal
• art metal^[1]

Years active2004–present

Quick facts Background information, Born ...

Author & Punisher
Author & Punisher live at Roadburn Festival 2017
Background information
Born	Tristan Shone (1977-10-18) October 18, 1977 (age 48)
Origin	San Diego, California, U.S.
Genres	Industrial metal drone metal doom metal art metal[1]
Years active	2004–present
Website	authorandpunisher.com

Close

The name is a reference to a religious t-shirt that Shone wore in college. Shone said it was a way to poke fun at a bible verse that refers to Jesus as "author and finisher" (Hebrews 12:2).^[5]

Shone has released nine albums as Author & Punisher, with Melk en Honing (2015)^[6] and Pressure Mine (2017) released through Phil Anselmo's record label Housecore Records. Beastland (2018) was released on Relapse Records, which is Shone's current label. It was followed by Krüller (2022)^[7] which featured several guest musicians. For live dates after Krüller, Shone added guitarist Doug Sabolick making the first gigs he performed live with another musician as Author & Punisher. The most recent album is Nocturnal Birding (2025), which was released on October 3, 2025.^[8]