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Critical Failure - At a Glance
  • Based in: Shreveport / Bossier City, Louisiana
  • Genre: Hard Rock / Nerd Metal
  • Formed: 2013
  • Lineup: Original four members - 13+ years together
    Joseph Benfield - Vocals, Rich Kelham - Guitar, James Harrison - Bass Guitar, JayBee Friday - Drums
  • Releases: 2 full-length albums + 1 EP
  • Notable shared stages: Halestorm, Drowning Pool, Avatar, Powerman 5000, Trapt, and others
  • Festival appearances: X-Fest, Metal Bug Music Fest, Sucker Punch Rally & Music Festival, Festapalooza, and others
  • Event experience: Hosted official after-parties and themed events, including the 2026 Geek'd Con Kick-Off Party
  • Media: Featured multiple times on 98.9 FM's Homegrown
  • Specialty: Live music with strong geek/pop-culture crossover and themed event potential

Critical Failure is available for traditional club shows, festivals, conventions, themed events, after-parties, and other live entertainment opportunities. The band has experience working with venues, event organizers, and promotional partners to help create and promote events beyond the performance itself.

For booking, email criticalfailureus@gmail.com or message us through Facebook

F E A T U R E D   S O N G S






B I O G R A P H Y

Critical Failure is a hard rock / "nerd metal" band from Bossier City, Louisiana. The band strives to mix different styles and moods within their music, with strong melodies and dynamic vocals, making for an eclectic mix that doesn't normally find its way into the hard rock and metal scene. Their love for geek culture and nerdy hobbies presents itself throughout their body of work, from the name and logo, to various aspects of their presentation, and through song themes ranging from fantasy adventures to epic sci-fi and post apocalyptic struggles.

13+ Years. One Lineup.

The band is Joseph "I-Con" Benfield on lead vocals, "Filthy Rich" Kelham on Guitar and Vocals, James "Helfyre" Harrison on Bass Guitar and Backup Vocals, JayBee Friday on drums. While Critical Failure formed in mid 2013, the history of the band goes back much further as Joseph and JayBee had been founding members of Eye of Anger over six years prior, with Rich having joined EoA within the first year, and James having been a long time friend and collaborator in other projects.

In 2014 Critical Failure released their debut album, the full length LP titled "Roll Initiative", and followed up with an EP titled "Crit Happens" in 2016. Their second full length LP, a concept album titled "Divided As One", had a soft release in late 2024 with the official release in 2025. The band is currently working on their second EP, a concept album which will tie into the title track from the Crit Happens EP.

H I G H L I G H T S

Critical Failure has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with many national recording artists such as Drowning Pool, Powerman 5000, 12 Stones, Halestorm, Otherwise, Devour the Day, Trapt, Avatar, September Mourning, among others.

The band has been featured on multiple editions of 98.9 FM's Homegrown local music program, has hosted multiple official after parties for a variety of events in the area including Festapalooza II (the precursor to X-Fest), and have been a part of multiple music festivals in Shreveport including Townsquare Media's X-Fest '15 (after securing one of the wins for their local Battle of the Bands), the 2025 and 2026 Metal Bug Music Fests, the 2015 Sucker Punch Rally & Music Festival, and others.

Critical Failure's strong connection to nerd, geek, and pop culture has also led to appearances at multiple "Comic-Con" like events in Shreveport and Bossier City, including participating in Geek'd Con 2026 and both hosting & organizing the official Geek'd Con kick-off party at Bear's including live music, cosplay contests, geek trivia, photo scavenger hunt, prizes, and vendor participation.

M U S I C    A N D    S O C I A L

        
D I S C O G R A P H Y
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    Roll Initiative
    Release Date: 09/20/2014
     1. My Favorite Game [4:26]
    2. Conviction (Crucifixion) [3:25]
    3. Ascend [3:49]
    4. Tower of Cowards [3:56]
    5. A Perfect Dissonance [4:13]
    6. Cracks Will Form [7:03]
    7. Did the Wolf Catch the Crow? [4:45]
    8. Has the Veil Lifted? [5:23]
    9. The Heart Lies [3:48]
    10. The Wall Has Fallen [3:45]
    11. Don't Get Me Wrong [3:54]
    12. The Color Bled Out [5:11]

    Crit Happens
    Release Date: 04/22/2016
     1. Crit Happens [3:59]
    2. Insatiable [3:00]
    3. Dis[appear] [4:53]
    4. The Heart Lies (Acoustic) [3:42]
    5. The Game [1:50]



    Divided As One
    Release Date: 09/27/2024
     1. Corpocracy [4:02]
    2. Weakness in Numbers [3:00]
    3. Sound of Blood [3:19]
    4. conTRAPtions [3:34]
    5. Fly Toward the Sun [4:41]
    6. Remember the Day [6:20]
    7. Wake Up [1:53]
    8. Teeth Rise [4:12]
    9. Fade into Echoes [5:56]
    10. RUN [2:27]
    11. Freak of Nature [3:57]
    12. Stare Down the Beast [3:34]
    13. Whose Blood is This? [2:28]
    14. Let It Burn [4:52]
    15. The End [6:05]

P R E S S   P H O T O S
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L O G O   F I L E S

2025 Divided As One Logo

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Classic Logo


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P R O M O T I O N A L
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Copyright (C) 2026 Critical Failure