Don Clark (musician)
American musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Christopher Clark[1] (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician and graphic designer. He was the rhythm guitarist and bassist for the Christian metal band, Demon Hunter, which he co-founded with his brother, vocalist Ryan Clark.[2] Before Demon Hunter, Clark was a former guitarist and co-founder of Training for Utopia with Rob Dennler. He appears on Zao's The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD.
May 30, 1975
Don Clark | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Chuck Knuckles |
| Born | Donald Christopher Clark May 30, 1975 San Jose, California, United States |
| Genres | Heavy Metal, Christian metal |
| Occupations | Musician, graphic designer |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1992–2009 |
History
Before forming TFU and Demon Hunter, Clark was in a local band called Offset.[3] Offset never recorded anything and was short lived.
Clark then started Training for Utopia with Rob Dennler.[4] Clark formed the band with the Rob Dennler (vocals), Steve Saxby (bass) and Morley Boyer (drums). Dennler left the band in 1996 and Ryan joined the band. The band released an EP, a Split EP, and two studio albums.
He and his brother formed Demon Hunter in 2000 and released their debut album late the following year through Solid State Records. The group would continue to steadily gain exposure throughout the 2000s.
His grandfather, an artist, helped inspire his grandsons' work in graphic design, which is their true day job. Ryan and Don founded Seattle-based Asterik Studio[5] with their friend Demetre Arges in 2000. The design studio has created CD packaging, poster art, web design, and/or merchandise design for hundreds of artists including Poison the Well, Liz Phair, P.O.D., and The White Stripes; however, Clark also notes that he is not a fine artist and that such work is typically outsourced. Based on their design experience, Don and Ryan authored a chapter in the book New Masters of Photoshop, Volume 2 (ISBN 1590593154). In 2007, the brothers had announced that they were leaving Asterik to start Invisible Creature.[6]
Clark was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Album packaging for The Folds' Secrets Keep You Sick. He lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife and two children.
On August 12, 2009, in Seattle, Washington, at El Corazón, Demon Hunter announced that Don Clark had left the band to pursue his career in graphic design and to be with his family.
In an interview with Matt Johnson Clark stated that, he, Don & Ryan, and Nathan Burke formed a project called Deathbed Atheist.[7] Clark quit the band to focus on life and work.[7]
In 2015, Clark illustrated the book The Biggest Story: How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden, written by Kevin DeYoung.[8]
Discography
- Training for Utopia
- The Falling Cycle EP (1997)
- Plastic Soul Impalement (1998)
- Training for Utopia / Zao (1998 w/ Zao)
- Throwing a Wrench into the American Music Machine (1999)
- Technical Difficulties (2004)
- Demon Hunter
- Demon Hunter (2002)
- Summer of Darkness (2004)
- The Triptych (2005)
- Storm the Gates of Hell (2007)
List of design works
| Year | Artist | Album | Credit(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Focal Point | Neglected (EP) | Layout, design[9] |
| Focal Point | Suffering of the Masses | Layout, design[10] | |
| 1997 | Eighteen Visions | Lifeless (EP) | Layout[11] |
| Torn Apart | Nothing Is Permanent.... | Design, layout[12] | |
| Training for Utopia | The Falling Cycle (EP) | Artwork (cover concept)[13] | |
| Unconquered | You Say Moderation, I Scream Prohibition! | Layout[14] | |
| 1998 | Training for Utopia | Plastic Soul Impalement | Layout, design[15] |
| 1999 | Stretch Arm Strong | Rituals of Life | Art direction, design[16] |
| Through the Eyes of Katelyn | Your Role Model's Dead | Layout, design[17] | |
| Spitfire | The Dead Next Door | Art direction, design[18] | |
| 2000 | Embodyment | The Narrow Scope of Things | Art direction[19] |
| AP2 | Suspension of Disbelief | Art direction, layout[20] | |
| 2001 | God Forbid | Determination | Art direction, design[21] |
| The Juliana Theory | Music from Another Room (EP) | Layout[22] | |
| Various | Happy Christmas Vol. 3 | Art direction[23] | |
| 2002 | Cherryholmes | Dressed for Success | Photography[24] |
| Soul Embraced | This Is My Blood | Layout, design[25] | |
| Poison the Well | Tear from the Red | Artwork, design[26] | |
| Various | Stafcatorce Soundandculture | Design[27] | |
| Poison the Well | Tear from the Road (DVD) | Artwork, design concept[28] | |
| 2006 | Atreyu | A Death-Grip on Yesterday | Artwork, layout[29] |
| Twelve Gauge Valentine | Shock Value | Design[30] | |
| Kutless | Live from Portland | Design[31] | |
| 2007 | Drop Dead, Gorgeous | "They'll Never Get Me (Word With You)" | Art direction[32] |
| Various | Country Christmas | Design, illustration[33] | |
| Mnemic | Passenger | Design[34] | |
| John Reuben | Word of Mouth | Design[35] | |
| Jackson Waters | Come Undone | Design[36] | |
| Machine Head | The Blackening | Design (special edition package)[37] | |
| Chasing Victory | Fiends | Design[38] | |
| Chris Cornell | Carry On | Design[39] | |
| Pierce the Veil | A Flair for the Dramatic | Design[40] | |
| Seven Places | Glowing | Design[41] | |
| Drop Dead, Gorgeous | Worse Than a Fairy Tale | Design[42] | |
| Foo Fighters | "The Pretender" | Art direction, design[43] | |
| Foo Fighters | Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace | Art direction, design[44] | |
| Falling Up | Captiva | Design[45] | |
| Foo Fighters | "Long Road to Ruin" | Art direction, design[46] | |
| 2008 | Bullet for My Valentine | Scream Aim Fire | Illustration[47] |
| Advent | Remove the Earth | Design[48] | |
| The Out Circuit | Pierce The Empire With A Sound | Illustration, design[49] | |
| Our Last Night | The Ghosts Among Us | Design[50] | |
| Pennywise | Reason to Believe | Illustration, design[51] | |
| Hawk Nelson | Hawk Nelson...Is My Friend! | Illustration, design[52] | |
| P.O.D. | When Angels & Serpents Dance | Design[53] | |
| Coalesce | 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening | Design (reissue)[54] | |
| Since October | This Is My Heart | Design[55] | |
| Inhale Exhale | I Swear... | Design[56] | |
| Kutless | To Know That You're Alive | Design[57] | |
| The Living End | White Noise | Art direction, design[58] | |
| Various | Kurt Cobain: About a Son | Design (CD Packaging)[59] | |
| Starflyer 59 | Dial M | Design[60] | |
| The Red Shore | Unconsecrated | Design[61] | |
| 2009 | Coalesce | Ox | Design[62] |
| Coalesce | OXEP | Design[63] | |
| 2010 | Sing It Loud | Everything Collide | Design[64] |
| The Red Shore | The Avarice of Man | Art direction, design[65] | |
| Young the Giant | Young the Giant | Design[66] | |
| 2014 | Propaganda | Crimson Cord | Art direction, design[67] |
| Jackie Hill Perry | The Art of Joy | Art direction, design[68] | |