Precocious middle school metal band signs $1.8 million record deal with Sony

Precocious middle school metal band signs $1.8 million record deal with Sony

Unlocking the Truth are so metal their amps go up to 11 — which, as it happens, is just about how old the band members are, too.

The trio of Brooklyn middle schoolers — 13-year-old guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse, 13-year-old bassist Alec Atkins, and 12-year-old drummer Jarad Dawkins — have been turning heads with their precociously ferocious shredding ever since a video of them busking near a New York City subway station went viral (watch the video below). After landing gigs at Coachella and Warped Tour this summer, the band has finally parlayed their talent into a mammoth five-record deal with Sony worth $1.8 million.

The band is only guaranteed a $60,000 advance for the first album, and will need to sell 250,000 copies to tap the rest of that fortune — no small feat for a new band, let alone one in a niche genre like metal. Still, how many kids get a $60,000 check before hitting puberty?

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.