Is Hellbound Glory Really “Dying”?
Ever since October 1st when Reno, Nevada-based country outfit Hellbound Glory posted on their Facebook page “31 more nights… till the death of Hellbound Glory…“ speculation has run rampant about what might befall the band on All Hallows’ Eve as it fastly approaches. Subsequently Hellbound Glory has booked a concert they’re advertising by saying “Witness The Death of Hellbound Glory,” set to transpire on Oct. 31st—Halloween night, at the Buckhorn Lodge in Pioneer, California—a couple of hours from Reno.
So what’s happening? is Hellbound Glory truly dying? Is it a publicity stunt? Though Saving Country Music has reached out to Hellbound Glory just to make sure everything is okay (meaning nobody is really dying), what Hellbound Glory will look like on November 1st still remains a mystery, and may yet to be determined in full by Hellbound’s principal members themselves. What we do know is there will be a change, and it will likely be a big one.
The only permanent member of Hellbound Glory since the band’s inception in 2008 has been the frontman and songwriter that goes by the name of Leory Virgil. The band’s first two albums Scumbag Country and Old Highs & New Lows became landmarks of independent/underground country music and still remain testaments to Leroy’s prowess as a frontman and songwriter, along with his newer albums, 2011’s Damaged Goods, and the recent 2014 LP called LV.
2012 saw the band receive a huge step up when it was announced they would be opening for Kid Rock on a nationwide arena tour. This looked like the moment this much heralded independent country band had been waiting for, and they were finally getting their due. But something has happened to Hellbound subsequently. After the Kid Rock tour, Hellbound shed virtually all of its members save for Leroy Virgil and drummer Francis Valentino. Even the lineup for the Kid Rock dates was a departure from the original Hellbound Glory lineup that was featured on those first two records. Though you couldn’t ever doubt the power of a Hellbound Glory song, the band fluctuations made Hellbound Glory hard to define.
Who was Hellbound Glory? Were they a rocking power trio? An acoustic singer/songwriter outfit? Or a full five-piece country band? They’d been all three in recent memory, and it may have been a little hard for fans to keep up. And a band that many had pegged to be one that could blow up nationally, similar to what has happened recently with acts like Sturgill Simpson or Jason Isbell, stayed put in relative obscurity despite their amazing songs, some big tours, and a rich discography.
So it’s time for a change. A shake up. But what? Here’s the three major possibilities.
Hellbound Glory is Truly Going Away
That’s right, meaning no more Hellbound Glory, and no more Leroy Virgil. Gone. Kaputz. Maybe some weekend solo shows in Reno every few months just to get the devil out, but Leroy Virgil quits music as a full time pursuit. This certainly would not be out of the realm of possibility. He’s married now with a young son, gray hairs are filling in, and he isn’t getting any younger. He gave it his all, but Hellbound Glory just may be one of those bands that was too good, and too real to be successful at a sustainable level.
Hellbound Glory Is Simply Going Through A Name Change
Long-standing followers of Hellbound Glory know that this has happened with the band before, though maybe not to this significant of a degree. When Leroy Virgil was doing more of a singer/songwriter thing, sitting on a bass drum and had a band of stand up bass and slide guitar, he was calling it “The Excavators,” though the Hellbound Glory name was still being used too. As Leroy told Saving Country Music in an interview in May, “As I’ve changed lineups, I’ve always called the band something different. For a while we were the Excavators, for a while I was calling it the Damaged Good Ol’ Boys, for a while to was the Damn Seagulls, so it’s always kind of changing up for me.”
So maybe Hellbound Glory will simply be changed to something different to give it new blood and create new interest.
Leroy Virgil Will Drop “Hellbound Glory,” and Go Under His Own Name
This is something that worked very successfully for Sturgill Simpson when he dropped the Sunday Valley moniker. Sturgill’s name change is considered one of the keys to his meteoric rise. Country music is mostly a solo name business, and for some reason bands working under an individual’s name tend to do better. Remember, Hellbound Glory’s last release was called LV for Leroy’s initials. Maybe this was a hint of things to come. And interestingly enough, Leroy wrote the single for that EP called “Streets of Aberdeen” on Halloween. It is about the famous serial killer from his hometown of Aberdeen, WA, and the song was recorded in one of the spaces the serial killer used to frequent.
As Leory told Saving Country music in the same May interview about changing to his own name,
“I’ve actually considered it a lot. We’ve talked about it, but there’s so much momentum going with Hellbound Glory and I’ve got so many years of work into it. Within a week or two of moving to Reno, I’d written the song and turned it into a band name. So it’s been something I’m stuck with. Part of me would like a change. But it’s a great band name when you think about it. It’s good and evil, heaven and hell…Hellbound Glory has always been my thing. It’s always been less of a band, and more of a gang. People come and people go, and people come back.”
It’s also a possibility that Leroy decides to go under his own name, but doesn’t use “Leroy Virgil.” For example, “Sturgill” is Sturgill Simpson’s middle name, while his first name is “John.” This could mark a new era and change of scenery for Leroy.
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Either way, as Hellbound Glory fans are getting ready to go out Friday night, gussying up the kiddos in their costumes, or painting themselves up for a night of haunting on the town, it will probably be worth giving a peek to what Hellbound Glory has to say about what the future holds. Because this band’s music has been too good to end up as a corpse. Hopefully there is life after Hellbound Glory.
PB
October 26, 2014 @ 5:33 pm
Or maybe he’s forming a duo with Michael Jackson Montgomery.
Blackwater
October 26, 2014 @ 5:40 pm
I actually theorized they would release the EP they promised in July in October that had some relation to death. Thereby you’d be witnessing the Death (by/of Hellbound Glory). I don’t see Leroy hanging it up, but if I had to choose one of your theories up top, it’s the one where he goes on his own name. Considering their really is no band, it makes the most sense. We shall see…
Trigger
October 27, 2014 @ 7:35 am
I think the announcement of new music could definitely be part of this “death” scenario in some capacity, and what the name is moving forward being what the new music is released under.
Blackwater
November 1, 2014 @ 5:44 pm
Do we have any official news? Nothing on twitter really or their web site.
hoptowntiger94
October 26, 2014 @ 8:43 pm
Interesting. Maybe it’s just a Halloween stunt?
Mike W
October 27, 2014 @ 6:16 am
The poster leads me to partially believe it is a Halloween stunt, but among those options I would put Leroy dropping the Hellbound Glory name and going “solo”. It is possible he could retire from music, but I think it’s much likelier he would simply slow up his touring schedule or do more regional dates if he was forced to come off the road. Judging by his last EP it seems he is moving more toward a acoustic/one man band which may lead to him just dropping the band name outright and trying the route Sturgill Simpson did and give it a shot under Leroy Virgil. I just hope we continue to get new music from him, he’s a great artist and important voice for more traditional Country Music.
Jack Williams
October 27, 2014 @ 6:35 am
It”™s also a possibility that Leroy decides to go under his own name, but doesn”™t use “Leroy Virgil.”
I think “Leroy Virgil” is a good name for a country singer. And hey, Virgil does rhyme with “Sturgill.” Sturgill and Virgil. Great name for a tour.
alan D
October 27, 2014 @ 4:50 pm
G.G. Allin vowed to kill himself on stage on halloween night, but died from eating too many bad things prior to making good on his promise. Perhaps they are picking up where he left off….hope not.
Charlie
October 28, 2014 @ 8:50 am
It’s a good thing Bobby Bones isn’t trying a stunt like this, or we would definitely be ripping him another new asshole.
lotek307
October 28, 2014 @ 7:01 pm
Im really hoping its a GWAR type thing. Lots of fake blood, slime, and all that. Leroy kills the band and himself on stage, put the fans in a meat grinder. Thatd be cool. lol
Synthetic Paper
October 29, 2014 @ 2:39 pm
My prediction is that it is either:
a complete publicity stunt and nothing permanent will come from it
or
(and this is what i am mostly leaning toward) he’s going to go by Leroy Virgil (or some type of solo name).
Clark
November 1, 2014 @ 3:36 pm
So what’s the latest?
Jaimito
November 1, 2014 @ 5:46 pm
Ha! That’s the whole reason I have been checking this site/story all day. Trigger? Any word?
Trigger
November 1, 2014 @ 5:57 pm
I’ve not heard anything folks. As soon as I do, I will let everyone know. I don’t want to presume anything and want to respect Hellbound to do whatever they want on their time.