For the two members that make up Birth of Tragedy, creating a paradigm of emotional assault and cerebral beauty seems to be the only way out of a genre so tired of itself, something entirely new must be born. After playing in various rock and punk bands, Cory Divine and Ryan Peterson joined forces to create Birth of Tragedy. Their passion for extreme music and desire to break out of the mundane fueled their first cd, "Samsara." A full throttle assault on the senses, "Samsara" was surprisingly intense if limited in depth. With their strong fan base and energetic live show, Birth of Tragedy were nominated Madison, WI's best local band in 2001. Unsatisfied, Birth of Tragedy continued to experiment with heavy music while playing throughout the Midwest. This led to their new ep, "the I and its systems." With four songs and a running time of nearly 30 minutes, "the I and its systems" represents a re-birth of tragedy with its epic songs of pain and beauty. Recently featured in Rolling Stone magazine as one of Madison's "bands on the rise," Divine and Peterson continue to expand their minds and sound in an effort to bring their unique music to listeners everywhere.