The death of a band is always a major disappointment for fans, but it is much harder to accept when they go out at the top of their game. Such was the case for Planes Mistaken for Stars, whose music became increasingly heavier and more aggressive with each release. The core members of the group, guitarist/vocalist Gared O'Donnell and guitarist Matt Bellinger, formed PMFS in 1997, in their hometown of Peoria, IL, along with bassist Aaron Wise and drummer Mike Ricketts. They started out as a melodic post-hardcore band, submitting their song, "The Past Two," to Deep Elm Records for the third installment of the Emo Diaries compilation series in 1999. Soon after, Deep Elm signed the band, and released the band's self-titled album, which they had originally put out themselves. After Wise left the group and was replaced by Jamie Drier, they released the Fucking Fight EP on Dim Mak Records, as well as a split EP with The Appleseed Cast and Race Car Riot on Deep Elm. At this point, the band still followed the loud/soft dynamic of post-hardcore, though O'Donnell's vocals were much grittier and harsh than most of his peers.
Towards the end of 1999, PMFS and a dozen of their friends made a mass migration from Peoria to Denver, CO. In 2000, they recorded the slightly heavier Knife in the Marathon EP, and subsequently left Deep Elm for No Idea Records, the Gainesville, FL beard-rock label. They put out their first real full length in 2001, Fuck With Fire, and soon after followed up with the Spearheading the Sin Movement EP. Both of these records found the band drifting casually towards hardcore, leaving most of their emo elements behind. However, it was not until 2003, when Drier left the band and was replaced by Chuck French, that they would fully develop their sound. With their new lineup, PMFS went into the studio with A.J. Mogis (Bright Eyes, The Faint) to record their second full length, Up In Them Guts ( a Too $hort reference). This was the turning point in their career, with the instrumentation leaning more towards doom and sludge, and O'Donnell's voice sounding almost like a tuvan throat singer, utilizing various ranges at once. The album was released in the summer of 2004, which set the band off on a relentless tour schedule, opening for a surprisingly diverse set of bands, including High on Fire, Dillinger Escape Plan, Against Me!, and The Ataris. In 2005, they spent most of the year touring the US and the UK, this time as headliners.
There were rumors floating around that PMFS were going to sign with Relapse Records following their tour, but the band decided to go with Abacus Recordings instead. They had originally planned to release their third album on 06-06-2006, but were forced to push recording back so that they could get the producer that they wanted, Matt Bayles (ISIS, Mastodon). The resulting record, Mercy, was well worth the wait. Here, the band had realized the potential that Up In Them Guts suggested, finding the focus needed to balance their ever-increasing ferocity. At around this time, Bellinger quit the band to focus on his side project, Ghost Buffalo, so French moved over to guitar, with Neil Keener joining as the second guitarist. This lineup did not last very long, as the band announced that they were breaking up in July of 2007. PMFS played their farewell show on February 16, 2008, at the Marquis Theater in Denver. French and Keener are currently playing together in the cosmic hardcore band, Git Some. Bellinger is still working with Ghost Buffalo in the Denver area. Ricketts and Dryer moved back to Chicago to form the band onYou, and O'Donnell has been working on his new project, Hawks and Doves. Although it is unfortunate that PMFS disbanded at the pinnacle of their existence, I suppose it is better to burn out than to fade away.
