Feature: Project 86 – Nearly Three Decades of Reinvention, Resistance, and Heavy Music
By Jimmy Sorrells with Austin Hale
Few bands survive three decades. Even fewer survive while refusing to make the same record over and over again.
Project 86 formed in Orange County, California, in 1996 with Andrew Schwab at the center. Their self titled debut arrived in 1998 through BEC Recordings. From those early hardcore, alternative metal, rap and nu metal influences, the band continued changing through major label pressure, lineup shifts, independent releases, crowdfunding, concept albums, Christmas records, live albums and eventually a complete rebirth as P86.
Trying to put Project 86 into one genre has always been difficult. Hardcore, post hardcore, alternative metal, nu metal, hard rock, metalcore and industrial metal have all applied at different points.
For me, if I have to simplify the genre, I call them hardcore. If someone asks what description actually fits Project 86, however, my answer might simply be, “your favorite band.”
The Beginning: Project 86, 1998
I first heard Project 86 circa 1998 on a VHS tape. Their self titled album was my introduction from the very beginning.
My reaction was simple: mind blowing, original, instant fan.
At the time I was already listening to bands such as P.O.D., Living Sacrifice, Stavesacre, Disciple, Tourniquet and Zao, but Project 86 sounded different.
The debut included “Spill Me,” “Rebuttal,” “Pipedream,” “Stalemate,” “Run,” “Independence?,” “Six Sirens,” “Bleed Season,” “1 x 7” and “When Darkness Reigns.” P.O.D. vocalist Sonny Sandoval appeared on “Six Sirens.”
I am still very familiar with the album and consider it one of my favorites. “Pipedream” and “Stalemate” remain two standouts.
I feel like the Project 86 identity was already there, but I think Andrew would disagree. I still love the record and think that it stands the test of time.
His voice fit the hard hitting music and the lyrics have always been from a deep personal POV, which makes them relatable. He did not win those categories in Heaven’s Metal Magazine year after year for no reason.
Austin Hale views the debut as “the unique stepping stone which got P86 on the radar and propelled them into establishing their own, unique sound!” He points specifically to the combination of metal, rap and the band’s raw energy as the foundation for what came next.
And what came next changed everything.
Drawing Black Lines, 2000
Released March 21, 2000, Drawing Black Lines took the foundation of the debut and made it tighter, heavier and more focused. The album was produced by Garth “GGGarth” Richardson, whose production credits already included Rage Against the Machine’s self titled debut.
That producer credit says a lot about why Drawing Black Lines sounds as good as it does. GGGarth has a history of capturing powerful bands without stripping away what makes them powerful, and that approach fits this record perfectly.
For me, Drawing Black Lines is everything P86. It is my favorite. It is a well crafted album that I can listen to at any time.
My favorites include “One-Armed Man,” “Me Against Me” and “Set Me Up.”
Compared with the debut, the band had molded into a more rounded band that was tighter and together. Randy Torres, Steven Dail and Alex Albert were incredibly talented musicians who helped create that P86 sound alongside Schwab.
That lineup is still the lineup I most associate with the band.
I remember seeing Alex Albert circa 1999 at Carowinds in North Carolina and watching him break two snare heads within about five minutes because he hit so hard. That tells you something about the physical energy this band carried into its live shows.
The songs from Drawing Black Lines became crowd favorites. These are the songs that get the crowd moving and everyone singing along with every word.
In 2022 the band opened its archives with Drawing Black Lines Demonstration Tape & B Sides, featuring 1999 demo versions of material from the album along with additional tracks. Hearing those demos makes the finished record even more interesting. The final versions are more polished and better produced without losing the force behind the original recordings.
Why has Drawing Black Lines remained so important?
It helped grow their fan base so much and so many people have fond memories of these songs and tours during that era. They connected with a fan base at the right time that was looking for what they had to offer.
Austin Hale ranks it third in the catalog. For him, “it was definitely groundbreaking for its time, and discovered a land of melodies that Christian music had not yet seen.”
There was also an interesting collaboration from this period that should not disappear into the footnotes. Project 86 appeared on Sūp the Chemist’s album Dust in 2000. The final track, “Is This a Dream?,” features Project 86.
The band’s reach was expanding quickly. Later in 2000, Project 86 joined P.O.D. and (hed)p.e. on the Kings of the Game Tour. Linkin Park joined the tour as well. I saw P.O.D., Project 86, (hed)p.e. and Linkin Park together, and it was incredible.
Another one of my all time favorite tours came with Project 86, Stavesacre and Living Sacrifice. Three bands that meant a lot to me were on the same bill, and the live energy was incredible.
Truthless Heroes, 2002
Truthless Heroes arrived in 2002. Produced by Matt Hyde, it was a concept album and represented a significant shift from the first two records.
I was not impressed the first time, but it grew on me and I love it now.
It was different from the first two albums. This was the major label era, and the difference could be heard in the production and songwriting.
My favorite songs are “Little Green Men,” “Your Heroes Are Dead” and “Hollow Again.”
I felt Atlantic’s influence hurt the record for some of the current fan base but helped gain new fans. It was much more polished than the former albums. To me, Truthless Heroes feels like both experimenting and evolving.
Years later, Schwab confirmed there really was creative tension behind the record. He said people around the band wanted to please the label by writing a more pop oriented record while he wanted to make something heavier.
That context matters because my criticism of the record has always been that Truthless Heroes felt more like a record label sellout than the bringing of the band’s personal creative forces out.
That does not mean it is a bad album.
I like it now and still listen to it, but the tension surrounding its creation can be heard when comparing it with what came before and immediately afterward.
For Austin Hale, however, Truthless Heroes is number one.
He calls it “a concept album that covers all grounds! Each song follows the next in a brilliantly written contextual story of what takes place behind the scenes, specifically one’s own mind vs. the media and its controlling influence over man’s ability to think for himself.”
That difference in perspective is one of the things that makes revisiting a catalog this large interesting. An album one fan initially struggled with can be the defining album for another.
Songs to Burn Your Bridges By, 2003 and 2004
After the Atlantic experience, Project 86 independently released Songs to Burn Your Bridges By through Team Black in 2003 before an expanded Tooth & Nail version followed in 2004.
To me, this felt like a return to the aggression of Drawing Black Lines, although it was not quite as raw and gritty.
My favorites are “The Spy Hunter,” “Breakdown in 3/4” and “Safe Haven.”
“The Spy Hunter” has an especially interesting connection to the previous album. Schwab later revealed that the original plan was for it to be the first track on Truthless Heroes. It ultimately did not make that album and instead became the opening song on Songs to Burn Your Bridges By.
I love the guitar on “The Spy Hunter.” It is catchy and hard hitting, his voice was made for this song, and I love the lyrical imagery.
I do not specifically remember whether I first heard the independent version or the later Tooth & Nail version. I am sure I heard both. I own all of the albums, including the Christmas releases.
I view this period as an evolving band creating new music that was still good and relevant.
Austin ranks Songs to Burn Your Bridges By second. He calls it “a masterpiece sequel to its predecessor,” tying up loose ends regarding the band’s situation with their record label while staying true to their faith based lyrics.
…And the Rest Will Follow, 2005
…And the Rest Will Follow arrived in 2005 and reunited Project 86 with GGGarth Richardson.
My favorites include “My Will Be a Dead Man,” “All of Me,” “Doomsday Stomp” and the title track.
Does the album get overlooked? Possibly, but not by me.
As a longtime fan, I picked it up. I think some people may have moved on by this point with all of the new metalcore bands hitting the scene.
Musically, what stands out is how well the bass, guitar and drums come together and hit hard.
Schwab’s lyrics and vocals sound more mature and recognizable by this point. I still return to the album, although maybe not as often as others.
This is also around the period where Andrew Schwab became the main person I associated with the identity of the band.
Interestingly, this is probably the biggest disagreement between Austin and me.
He ranks …And the Rest Will Follow last among the ten pre OMNI studio albums.
He says, “I personally have never got behind the hype on this album. While it definitely contains the stamp of the one and only Project 86, something about it just feels, .. empty. I personally don’t feel like this was the band’s best work. It just didn’t feel like their heart was in these songs, and lacked their typical pounding energy.”
Even then, he adds that what he considers the band’s worst album is still better than some mainstream artists’ albums at their absolute best.
For me, it is actually the most underrated Project 86 album.
Rival Factions, 2007
Released June 19, 2007, Rival Factions brought another dramatic change, introducing more post punk, electronic and 1980s influenced elements. Ulrich Wild produced the record.
Similar to Truthless Heroes, it took some time but grew on me.
Honestly, I love “Evil (A Chorus of Resistance),” lyrically and musically.
Props to the band for changing with the times but not selling out at the same time.
Austin ranks it ninth.
He says, “this album was different, but not necessarily in a negative way. This is where the band began to try new things, roping some classic rock vibes into the P86 world. While some of the songs are a successful experiment, others are rather a step out of left field, and leave the listener confused!”
For him, not every song fits naturally beside the others, although the album still contains unique songs worth returning to.
That is part of the Project 86 story. They were willing to make a record that could confuse part of their audience rather than endlessly reproduce Drawing Black Lines.
The Kane Mutiny EP also arrived during this era and further demonstrated the band’s willingness to move outside its established boundaries.
Christmas, Project 86 Style
Even Project 86’s Christmas music took its own path.
This Time of Year was released in November 2008 as a five track EP. The band made it clear that they were not simply recording a collection of predictable Christmas covers. The project included original music inspired by the season while keeping the sound distinctly P86.
The Christmas catalog later expanded with A Very P86 Christmas in 2015, followed by another version in 2021.
Then came P86 Christmas (2025), an eight song Christmas release.
For a band known for heavy music, dark concepts and hard hitting riffs, the fact that Christmas music became a legitimate part of the Project 86 discography somehow makes perfect sense.
Picket Fence Cartel, 2009
Picket Fence Cartel arrived in 2009.
Did it feel heavier after Rival Factions?
About the same, maybe a little.
My favorites are “The Butcher” and “Destroyer.”
The lyrics are good, Schwab lyrics as expected.
I think this album, like some of the whole catalog, can be overlooked. “Destroyer” is actually my choice for the most underrated Project 86 song.
Austin ranks Picket Fence Cartel fifth.
He describes it as “a brutal, thought provoking album with Biblical truths and blistering guitar riffs that leave a permanent impression on the listener.”
He sees it as a hybrid of old and new Project 86, maintaining the band’s high energy grooves while still moving forward.
For me, Rival Factions and Picket Fence Cartel are both good in their own right, but they have a different feel than the albums surrounding them.
15. Live. and OMNIFEST
15. Live. arrived in 2010 as the first official Project 86 live album.
It is an overall good album and a good collection of songs. More importantly, it documented something fans already knew: Project 86 was a serious live band.
A second live album eventually joined the catalog. OMNIFEST (Live) was released during the OMNI era and mixes newer material with songs from earlier Project 86 records.
That release captures the unusual position the band now occupies, with different eras of Project 86 existing together in the same live set.
Wait for the Siren, 2012
By Wait for the Siren, the music business surrounding Project 86 had changed dramatically.
The band entered the fan funded era and created a record with Andrew Schwab surrounded by an impressive collection of musicians and friends.
I love it when a band goes independent and has full creative control.
“Fall, Goliath, Fall” is very catchy and one of the best songs from this period. “Off the Grid” is another favorite.
By this point there had been major lineup changes, but it still sounded like Project 86 to me because Schwab has always had his influence and is the driving force for the band.
Different musicians did bring a different sound sonically.
The album included Andrew Welch of Disciple and Capital Lights, Blake Martin of A Plea for Purging, Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice, Evanescence and We Are the Fallen, and Cody Driggers of The Wedding.
Guest vocals came from Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice and Brian “Head” Welch of Korn and Love and Death.
That is a lot of musical history represented on one record.
Austin ranks Wait for the Siren fourth and calls it “a very complete album, with an ever so smooth transition from Project’s gnarly, heavy energy grit to a more refined tone that still suited them perfectly!”
For him, it is a prime example of a band trying new things without losing its identity.
Knives to the Future, 2014
The independent model continued with Knives to the Future.
For me, it is a good continuation of the last album in the vein of hard rock and hardcore with a nu metal influence.
My favorites are “Spirit of Shiloh” and “Knives to the Future.”
I do not necessarily consider it darker than some of their earlier albums.
The production is very well done.
By this point, Project 86 was getting harder to put into one genre. They had always been hard rock but had been listed under many subcategories over the years.
I do not mind.
I would rather them be hard to put into one genre rather than all sounding the same like a Tool song.
Austin ranks Knives to the Future eighth.
He sees it as another concept album and calls it a great “side quest” for the band, one that branches away from reality while presenting its fictional events with enough conviction to feel like experiences the band lived through.
The Influence EP
The years surrounding Knives to the Future also produced some interesting material outside the regular studio albums.
In 2016, Project 86 released The Influence EP, a five song collection that showed some of the music that had influenced Schwab and the band.
Instead of simply copying the originals, Project 86 reinterpreted “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys, “Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden, “Facet Squared” by Fugazi, “Man of Constant Sorrow” as performed by The Soggy Bottom Boys, and “Strange Fruit,” associated with Billie Holiday.
The selection itself says something about Project 86.
Hardcore, alternative rock, hip hop, folk, punk and jazz could all exist somewhere in the musical DNA of a band that was already difficult to categorize.
Sheep Among Wolves, 2017
Sheep Among Wolves arrived in 2017 as the tenth Project 86 studio album.
I love this album.
Overall, I think it is their best since Songs to Burn Your Bridges By came out.
It is a harder album altogether and harkens back to an earlier 2000s sound.
My favorites include “MHS,” “By Constantine,” “Sheep Among Wolves” and “Into Another.”
Looking back now, yes, it feels like the end of one Project 86 era.
The songs I listed still sound like classic Project 86, while some electronic influences were beginning to point toward what would eventually come next.
Austin ranks the record sixth.
He sees another transition, this time from the refined tone back toward haunting, dark and high energy grooves. For him, the record contains a strong blend of brutality and soul piercing subject matter.
Years later, Schwab would draw a much firmer line after this record.
He has described Sheep Among Wolves as the end of one version of Project 86.
What followed was something new.
The Death and Rebirth: P86
When Project 86 transformed into P86, my first thought was basically: um, this is different but still good.
I miss P86, but I love Schwab’s musical style and lyrics. I own his books as well.
I still crowdfunded the project because I have been a fan since the first album.
It still brings the metal.
The cyberpunk concept works for me, but I had to listen with open ears knowing this is a new era of P86.
Honestly, I still need to spend more time with the OMNI albums to get a better grasp on everything happening within them, but I do like it.
Did I immediately like the new direction?
It is still taking time.
Does P86 still feel like Project 86?
Kind of in some ways, but not fully.
The biggest connections to the original band are Schwab’s voice and lyrical content.
I already like industrial metal, electronics, modern metal and djent, so the new musical language works for me. It is just something I have to think about while listening and remind myself what band this is.
OMNI, Pt. 1 arrived in 2023, followed by OMNI, Pt. 2 in 2024.
My favorite songs from the first two OMNI records include “Vital Signal,” “When the Belfry Speaks,” “Metatropolis,” “Skinjob” featuring Cory Brandan, “UltravioleNt,” “Taser 5.0” and “Boiling the Ocean.”
What stands out about the two albums is that they are telling a story.
The production is very good. It is done well and does not feel rushed.
Schwab has come into his own vocal style well.
The individual songs can work on their own, but a concept album has more meaning and depth if consumed together.
Do I immediately hear the old Project 86 underneath the OMNI material?
No.
And I think that is the point.
Reptile Goddess and OMNI, Part 3
The story is not finished.
In November 2025, P86 launched the campaign for OMNI, Part 3. The goal was to create a new 12 song album continuing the sound and narrative of the first two OMNI records, with a $100,000 fundraising target.
The preorder items on the official store have since sold out, showing strong support for the next chapter.
As a supporter, I received the exclusive new song “Reptile Goddess” in September 2026.
My first reaction: love it and confirms the direction Andrew is moving with the band. It is different but I have been with the band since the first album and I still like this style.
What grabbed me immediately was the mix of slow and hard beats.
Schwab’s vocals are just as good as ever.
I dig it like a backhoe.
This sound is OMNI.
Electronics but still hard. Industrial metal.
The song has multiple breakdowns and transitions and they fit it very well. I love the guitar work.
To me, it feels like a good mix of OMNI, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.
Some of the vocal deliveries remind me of older Project 86, but musically it feels more industrial.
After almost 30 years, it absolutely sounds like an artist still pushing forward rather than trying to recreate the past.
What do I want from OMNI, Part 3?
More of the same. A continuation of Part 1 and Part 2.
For now, I am along for the ride to see what the future holds.
Andrew Schwab and the Words Behind the Music
At this point, Andrew Schwab’s voice is one of the easiest ways to recognize anything connected with Project 86.
The way he screams is immediately recognizable, and after doing this since 1996 people know his voice.
Through the years he learned that he can be melodic when needed and scream when needed.
He has a great range.
How would I describe his lyrics?
Thoughtful wordsmith.
He did not win Heaven’s Metal’s best lyricist recognition year after year for nothing.
Lyrics from songs like “Pipedream,” “Stalemate” and “Little Green Men” have stuck with me for years.
His faith is very important to understanding Project 86 because he writes from his biblical worldview, but the band never needed every song to become an obvious sermon.
Quality music and great lyrics that were not all Jesus beats per minute, or JBM.
That has always been part of the appeal.
The Musicians Behind the Name
The lineup I personally associate most strongly with Project 86 is the era of the first four albums, particularly Andrew Schwab, Randy Torres, Steven Dail and Alex Albert.
They created something together that had its own identity.
Steven Dail and Alex Albert are two musicians I think deserve more attention.
Randy Torres, Dail, Albert, Darren King and the many other musicians who have been part of Project 86 are all great in their own right and brought their own influences to the songs they performed on.
The lineup history matters, but it does not need to overwhelm the music.
The musicians changed the sound of different eras, while Schwab eventually became the constant driving force behind the name.
Where Project 86 Fits
Where did Project 86 fit alongside bands like Living Sacrifice, P.O.D., Blindside, Zao, Stavesacre, Disciple and later Demon Hunter?
Perfectly right in the middle.
They fit comfortably inside the Christian heavy music scene, but the quality of the music meant they could play with anyone in the metal category.
They could be part of that scene without having to sound like every other band inside it.
The Live Standard
I have seen Project 86 around 15 times.
I am not going to try to reconstruct every show.
What matters is the impression those shows left.
Schwab was a great frontman. He interacted with the crowd and knew how to get a room involved.
The band was heavier live.
Hearing an entire room sing “Stalemate” together made me love the song even more.
That live connection is part of why records like Drawing Black Lines still mean so much years later.
Favorites and Criticism
Most of my favorite Project 86 songs come from the first three albums, and the first four albums are the records I return to most often.
My favorite era is 1998 through 2004.
The album I initially overlooked and grew to appreciate is Sheep Among Wolves.
My most underrated song is “Destroyer.”
My most underrated album is …And the Rest Will Follow.
There is no stylistic change that completely failed for me. I like it all. You just have to understand that it does not all sound the same.
That does not mean every experiment works equally well.
Truthless Heroes carried major label pressure that affected the final product. Rival Factions and Picket Fence Cartel are good in their own right, but they have a different feel than the albums surrounding them.
Austin Hale’s ranking demonstrates how differently a long catalog can hit different fans.
His ranking from favorite to least favorite is Truthless Heroes, Songs to Burn Your Bridges By, Drawing Black Lines, Wait for the Siren, Picket Fence Cartel, Sheep Among Wolves, Project 86, Knives to the Future, Rival Factions and …And the Rest Will Follow.
My list would look very different.
That is part of what makes the catalog worth discussing.
Why Project 86 Is Still Here
Why has Project 86 survived when so many bands from the same period disappeared?
Because Schwab has made this his career and he is not a quitter.
He figured out how to change with the industry and keep going as an independent artist using the technology available. Crowdfunding, Patreon and direct to fan releases gave him ways to continue creating outside the traditional label system.
The willingness to reinvent, the music, the fan base and faith have all played a part.
I hear Project 86’s influence in newer or later heavy bands including Pipe Bomb, Norma Jean, Death Therapy, The Chariot, Diatheke, Cultist and Sequoia.
For someone who only knows Drawing Black Lines, understand that P86 is different. It is industrial metal and conceptual. Give it more than one listen.
For someone who discovered the band through P86, go back to the original Project 86.
It is good and heavy.
It is a different style.
And this is where it all started.
Nearly Three Decades Later
Project 86 holds a special place in my heart.
When I started listening to hard music like Living Sacrifice, P.O.D., Spoken and Stavesacre, Project 86 was one of the first bands I really enjoyed enough to start picking up their albums.
Seeing them live only added to that connection.
From discovering them on a VHS tape around 1998 to backing the latest P86 crowdfunding campaign, I have watched the music change while the creative drive behind it has remained.
New artists can learn a lot from that longevity and from finding a way to keep creating in a cruel and hard industry.
Why are we still talking about Project 86 in 2026?
Because Andrew Schwab is still making relevant music and pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression.
The band did not survive by staying the same.
It survived by refusing to.
Project 86 Discography:
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