Biography
[edit]Early projects and Cold
After a quick run with the early line-up of Limp Bizkit[4][5][6] in 1995, Terry joined up with fellow Jacksonville rockers Scooter Ward, Sam McCandless, Jeremy Marshall and Kelly Hayes, of the band Cold in 1999.
Terry remained with Cold writing and recording with them for their albums 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage (2000) and Year of the Spider (2003). Terry also appeared alongside Staind, in Staind'sMTV Unplugged performance in 2001. Near the end of his stint with Cold, the band joinedEvanescence as an opening act on the 2003 Nintendo Fusion Tour.
Balsamo briefly re-joined Cold for their early 2009 reunion tour, but has not played with the band since nor contributed to their 2011 comeback album.
[edit]Evanescence
When Evanescence's guitarist Ben Moody left the band during their European tour, Balsamo filled in for Moody on stage. When Cold's future suddenly came into question, Balsamo jumped ship, signing on for good with Evanescence. He has also become a songwriter with lead singer and songwriter of Evanescence, Amy Lee.
Balsamo can be seen and heard most prominently in Evanescence's live album, Anywhere but Home (2004) and on the band's studio albumThe Open Door (2006). He has become Amy Lee's main collaborator for Evanescence and co-wrote most of Evanescence's 2nd album The Open Door including the album's first single, "Call Me When You're Sober", and third single "Sweet Sacrifice". He was also recording Evanescence's self titled third album that was released in October 2011.
[edit]Health issues
In November 2005, Balsamo suffered a stroke. The doctors informed him that it was a result of a blood clot in his neck that formed from headbanging on-stage.[7] Terry has since recovered and is back touring with the band. As a result from his injury, he now uses his dreadlocks as a stage act by shaking them and bringing them forward while standing still, so as not to create too much movement and thus avoiding further problems.
[edit]Equipment
| “ | I use Ibanez guitars. In the studio, I kind of use a similar setup to what I used on the last Cold record I did, which is mix up the amps and combine the sound together. It’s a Diezel and a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier and mixed that for one side. Then I took a Bogner and a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier on the other side. I combined it and made one big wall of metal!
Right now on tour I’m using T.C. Electronics, the G-System.
| ” |
—Terry Balsamo, Ultimate-Guitar.com[7]
| ||
Terry's current live setup
- Ibanez RG 2570 VSL Prestige
- Ibanez RG 2570 VSL Prestige Custom
- Ibanez RG570
- Ibanez RG1527Z (7 strings)
- Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Gibson Explorer 7 Strings
- Gibson Explorer Dethklok "Thunderhorse"
- PRS SE Baritone Mike Mushok
- Charvel Warren DeMartini Signature San Dimas® Cross Swords
- Mesa Boogie amplifiers
- TC Electronic pedal's
[edit]Band projects
- Evanescence - Guitar (2003–Present)
- Limp Bizkit - Guitar (1994)
- Shaft - Guitar (1996–1999)
- Cold - Guitar (1999–2003, 2009 tour only)
[edit]Discography
[edit]Cold
- 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage (September 12, 2000)
- Year of the Spider (May 13, 2003)
[edit]Evanescence
Main article: Evanescence discography
- Anywhere but Home (November 23, 2004)
- The Open Door (October 3, 2006)
- Evanescence (October 11, 2011)
