American Steel

American punk rock band formed in 1995 in Oakland, California. Active from 1995-2002, then 2007-present. In 2002, the 4 then-current members of American Steel (Henderson, Massey, Peck, and Kissinger) added keyboardist Cory Gowan and felt that their new songs constituted a change in musical direction so significant as to be considered a new band, and operated under the name Communiqué. During this time, the band did not play songs recorded by American Steel. In 2007, Henderson, Massey, and Peck felt compelled to return to a sound closer to American Steel's brand of punk rock, parted ways with Kissinger and Stephen Loewinsohn (who had replaced Gowan on keys), reunited with original American Steel drummer Healy, and revived the American Steel name. The reunited American Steel, in turn, did not play songs from the Communiqué catalog. After recording 2009's Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts and touring for a few years afterward, bassist Peck moved overseas, and the band has been mostly inactive, however, they have not broken up, and occasionally play shows and record new material, such as 2019's State of Grace single.