Theory Of A Deadman

Theory of a Deadman formed in North Delta, British Columbia, in 1999 around singer-guitarist Tyler Connolly, guitarist Dave Brenner, bassist Dean Back, and drummer Tim Hart. Blending post-grunge and hard rock with acoustic, Southern rock, and country elements, the group became the first act signed to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records in 2001 after Connolly’s demo reached the singer. Kroeger co-produced their self-titled debut album in 2002, which reached number 85 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum in both Canada and the United States. Its single “Nothing Could Come Between Us” reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, and the band supported Nickelback on tour before winning the Juno Award for New Group of the Year in 2003. Hart departed in 2004, beginning a sequence of drummer changes that ended when Joey Dandeneau joined Connolly, Brenner, and Back in 2009. Produced by Howard Benson, Gasoline followed in 2005 with “No Surprise,” “Say Goodbye,” and “Santa Monica.” Songs from the album appeared in the video game Fahrenheit, while the band’s recordings of “Deadly Game” and “No Chance in Hell” were used by WWE. Their commercial breakthrough continued with Scars & Souvenirs in 2008, which reached number 26 on the Billboard 200 and produced “Bad Girlfriend,” “Hate My Life,” “All or Nothing,” and “Not Meant to Be.” The first of those topped Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, while the group toured with Mötley Crüe and appeared during the 2008 Grey Cup halftime show. The Truth Is... reached number eight on the Billboard 200 in 2011, led by the number-one rock single “Lowlife,” as Theory of a Deadman co-headlined the Carnival of Madness tour with Alter Bridge. The band matched that chart peak with Savages in 2014, whose title track featured Alice Cooper, before revisiting several songs in acoustic form on the 2015 EP Angel Acoustic and recording Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in 2016. Theory adopted a more pop-oriented approach on Wake Up Call in 2017; its opioid-themed single “Rx (Medicate)” spent six weeks atop the Mainstream Rock chart and earned a SOCAN Number 1 Song Award. The accompanying touring cycle included the band’s first Australian concerts in 2018. The socially focused Say Nothing arrived in 2020 and generated another Mainstream Rock number one with “History of Violence,” alongside “Strangers” and the title track. Dinosaur followed through 604, Roadrunner, and Atlantic in 2023, returning to a guitar-driven hard-rock sound on “Dinosaur,” “Ambulance,” and “Two of Us (Stuck).” After releasing the country-rock collaboration “Livin’ My Life Like a Country Song” with Cory Marks and undertaking an unplugged tour in 2024, the band marked the twentieth anniversary of Gasoline with an expanded edition containing demos and live acoustic recordings in 2025. Theory of a Deadman began a new phase through Panic Room Records and ONErpm in 2026 with “Barricade,” “Winnebago (Lay Low),” and “Funeral Song.” The songs preceded the six-track EP Part 1: Funeral Songs, released on September 4, 2026.