Draft:Into the Deep (band)

• Comment: Ultimately I think this is WP:TOOSOON; they just had their first album with coverage in a WP:RS (Decibel) just last year (although even that write-up isn’t super in-depth). They currently have 32 monthly listeners on Spotify - and of course popularity =/= notability, but a high number could give an increased index of suspicion about notability and that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
  I appreciate your responsiveness and understanding about the sourcing question I raised earlier, and I hope you aren’t discouraged. You’ve put together a good draft and obviously taken the time to learn about Wikipedia's manual of style etc., but unfortunately good editing can overcome a lack of notability. The guideline I have to operate with is as a AfC reviewer is - ‘would this article realistically survive an AfD debate?’ I’m not convinced it would, and that’s not a reflection of you or the band’s quality etc., just the sources that are available at this time.
  I reviewed all of the article’s references- both the of write-ups themselves, as well as searching the magazine/journal titles in the Wikipedia source archives to look for consensus about reliability. I did not find any except for Decibel understood to be reliable, and in fact some of them like No Clean Singing were deemed the opposite. Furthermore, some of the coverage is not sufficiently in-depth (regardless of source itself), such as The Razors Edge which just includes their album on a list of releases. I looked for sources of my own with my newspapers.com subscription and wasn’t able to find any.
  As I said, I think it’s quite possible they could meet WP:BAND or WP:GNG in the future - it seems like they’re just starting to get some local / underground attention after the recent 2024 album. I would recommend incubating this in your sandbox in the meantime. Zzz plant (talk) 00:20, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Several sources appear to be self-published (blogs/zines/etc.) A zine that exclusively publishes album reviews through Facebook likely does not qualify as a WP:RS, and thus does not help support notability. Some music magazines/journals/etc. are also catalogued in this list Wikipedia:WikiProject Albums/Sources, which for instance tells us that your Decibel Magazine source is good. Zzz plant (talk) 22:01, 23 April 2025 (UTC)

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Into the Deep
Background information
Origin	United States
Genres	Dive metal progressive death metal alternative metal groove metal doom metal
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Bioluminescent Records
Members	Mike Hambright Eric Hambright Phil Cicco
Past members	Thomas Clark

Into the Deep (band)

Into the Deep is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina, known for their oceanic themes and blend of death, doom, and progressive metal. The band has carved out a niche sound they call "dive metal," drawing inspiration from the mysteries, beauty, and dangers of the sea. They are best known for their 2024 album Blackfin, which was premiered in Decibel Magazine.

History

Into the Deep was founded in 2015. The current lineup features Mike Hambright (guitar, bass, lead vocals), Eric Hambright (lead guitar, backup vocals), and Phil Cicco (drums, backup vocals).

The band debuted with their EP Lost to the Sea in 2018, followed by Jawbone in 2020. Their 2024 release, Blackfin, marked a major step forward for the band, garnering critical acclaim across metal publications. All releases were put out under their independent label, Bioluminescent Records.

Musical Style and Themes

Into the Deep's sound blends elements of death metal, progressive metal, doom metal, and post-metal. Their music is characterized by heavy guitar riffs, atmospheric soundscapes, thunderous drums, and haunting vocals. Lyrically and thematically, their work revolves around the ocean, deep-sea creatures, aquatic mythology, and environmental issues. They describe their genre as "dive metal."

Influences include bands such as Opeth, Mastodon, Gojira, Isis, Refused, with elements of Swedish death metal, punk rock, and atmospheric doom. Their live performances are noted for sea-themed visuals and immersive stage setups.

Discography

Albums/EPs

• Lost to the Sea (July 20, 2018, Bioluminescent Records)
• Jawbone (March 27, 2020, Bioluminescent Records)
• Blackfin (January 3, 2024, Bioluminescent Records)

Singles

• "Blackfin" (2023)
• "Seaweed" (2023)
• "Spaceshark" (2023)
• "Hammerhead" (2023)

Critical Reception

The release of Blackfin in 2024 marked a turning point in the band's recognition, with its premiere in Decibel Magazine garnering widespread attention.

The album received positive coverage from European and North American metal press alike. Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life praised its “briny depths of doom and death.” Austria's Demonic-Nights.at called it “an aquatic odyssey of sound.” Doomed Nation highlighted the band’s “refreshing genre fusion.”

Other reviews came from Sleeping Village, Pest Webzine, Flying Fiddlesticks, and Scream Blast Repeat.

Coverage also appeared in Tempelores, and Amplify the Noise.

Powerplay Rock & Metal Magazine featured the band in issue 267 (October 2023). The single "Spaceshark" was highlighted by Kronos Mortus. Additional coverage came from GO! Gonzo Okanagan, The Razors Edge, and Real Gone.

Interviews and previews appeared in Breathing the Core and No Clean Singing.

Band Members

Current

• Mike Hambright – guitar, bass, lead vocals
• Eric Hambright – lead guitar, backup vocals
• Phil Cicco – drums, backup vocals

Former

• Thomas Clark – bass

External Links

• Website
• Official Links