▁Sav ann ah ▁sl ud ge ▁metal ▁act ▁Dam ad , ▁which ▁had ▁released ▁two ▁albums ▁in ▁the ▁' 9 0 s . ▁Philip ▁C ope ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁" met al ▁scene ' s ▁god father ." ▁He ▁began ▁playing ▁in ▁hard core ▁punk ▁groups ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁book ed ▁groups ▁such ▁as ▁B uzz oven ▁and ▁Neu ros is ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁all - ages ▁club . ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁C ope ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁group ▁Dam ad . ▁Pat ▁Math is ▁of ▁the ▁Pass ive ▁F ist ▁label ▁said ▁that ▁Dam ad ▁" est ab lished ▁a ▁sound ▁that ' s ▁stuck -- ▁that ▁whole ▁heavy , ▁do omy ▁Southern ▁kind ▁of ▁metal . ▁When ▁you ' ve ▁got ▁these ▁old ▁punk ▁guys ▁who ▁listen ▁to ▁the ▁All man ▁Brothers ▁and ▁start ▁a ▁metal ▁band , ▁that ' s ▁kind ▁of ▁what ▁you ▁get ." ▁Dam ad ▁changed ▁their ▁name ▁to ▁K yles a ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁Laura ▁Ple as ants , ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁who ▁attended ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁College ▁of ▁Art ▁and ▁Design . ▁ ▁After ▁recording ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁their ▁first ▁record ▁( S / T ▁on ▁P rank ) ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁K yles a ▁played ▁their ▁first ▁show ▁with ▁M ast