BIOGRAPHY In November 2002, after completing some demos for their upcoming record, the Ruminants were dismayed to learn that drummer Darryl Hern was leaving San Diego due in no small part to the Bush recession. After taking some time off, singer/guitarist Rob Solmer and bassist Dan Taxson began their search for a new drummer. They did not expect to find a capable replacement quickly, as it took over six months of constant searching to find Darryl. But fortune smiled upon the Ruminants in March 2003, in the form of Devon Beck, who recently moved to San Diego after playing in the band The Pathetics in San Luis Obispo for the past seven years. His wealth of playing experience is clearly visible in the Ruminants' insanely energetic live shows, adding tight and fast beats to Dan's hard driving basslines and Rob's snarling vocals. The Ruminants effectively bridge the gap between San Diego's dichotomy of whiny pop-punkers and tuneless hardcore screamers, blending the catchy melodies of the former with the relentless energy of the latter to create a sound that is at once unique and familiar. Over the last two years they have been focusing their energies and refining their sound, and the results will be heard this summer in a new EP filled with their strongest and most mature material to date. The new record is the followup to 2001's "Hercules" and 2000's "Eight Arms to Rock You," and it is the result of a year and a half of prolific songwriting, taking only the cream from a crop of dozens of potential hits