Hassan I Sabbah

Hassan I Sabbah was a band from Boston, MA that existed between 1999 and 2000. They had members of previous bands Rise, Puritan, Prevail, Fall of Leningrad and Forcefedglass. The band started during a chance meeting at a party in Allston, MA when bassist Ryan Daniels met Tommy Davis at a party and found they had a mutual love for Angel Hair, Antioch Arrow and Mohinder. Subsequent meetings had them jamming with the drummer from Ryan's previous band Fall of Leningrad, Mike Justain. After only a number of practices, they recorded a three song vocal-less demo which even at that raw point gained the attention of Andy Low of Robotic Empire (then Robodog Records).

Hassan I Sabbah was then filled out by Forcefedglass guitarist and avid pee drinker Zac Davis along with first singer Thomas Sarvello. It was around this time their first full band recording "Head on a Stake" was created and which gained mass internet circulation via different internet message boards.

Thomas Sarvello was later replaced with Chad Pfeiffer of Puritian fame. Chad and Tommy were old pals and upon hearing Chad was moving from Arizona back to the east coast reached out and determined it was a fit. The band then recorded a series of demos which ended up on various spilt records and compilations and then recorded their s/t 7" in early 2000 with the legendary Kurt Ballou of God City.

While only around for a short while their influence and live performances were powerful. On a number of occasions, members of the band (or audience) left the show hurt and in need of hospital care. One such show occurred in Waltham, MA where the drum Mike Justain hurled his high hat towards the crowd and accidentally hit guitar player Tommy Davis slicing part of his hand preventing him from playing guitar for a few months.

Other exploits included a show where the band showed up wearing WWII gas masks and many many times where they did not show up at all. The ended up breaking up before their first major tour because of a falling out, but members of the band still went on the tour with the Virginia band Violence Takes Refuge in Virtue routinely claiming to be Hassan.

After the split, members went on to work with or be affiliated with: Otesanek, The Red Chord, Unearth, Shai Halud, Earth Crisis, Madball, Lambsbread, Wolf Eyes, Traum, Double Entendre, James Ferraro and Thurston Moore.