Kevin Gruft or Kevin Thrash or Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft (born May 5, 1988) is an American guitarist and music producer from Albany, New York, known for being the former lead guitarist of the rock bands Escape the Fate and LoveHateHero. He released two studio albums with LoveHateHero and three studio albums with Escape The Fate since joining the band in late 2013 until his departure in early 2021.
Kevin Gruft began playing guitar at the age of 8.[6] At the age of 17, he joined the band LoveHateHero after a tour in New York, as the band was in search of a guitarist. After 5 years with the band and two studio albums, LoveHateHero disbanded in 2011. That year, he joined The Dead Rabbitts, the side-project of Escape The Fate singer, Craig Mabbitt. In late 2013, brothers Monte Money and Michael Money announced their departure from Escape The Fate to focus on their new project. Craig Mabbitt contacted Kevin to help them on the Ungrateful tour, becoming an official member soon after.[7]
In early 2015, the band, along with Gruft, entered the studio with producer Howard Benson to record their fifth album titled "Hate Me". The album would release later that year and chart at No. 58 on the Billboard 200. Gruft played a significant role in writing the album,[8] with the band demoing around 40 songs at his apartment in Los Angeles.[9][10] As Max Green had recently left the band, Gruft and fellow guitarist TJ Bell ended up playing bass on the album. After the release of the album, the band embarked on a headlining tour with A Skylit Drive, Sworn In, Sirens and Sailors and Myka Relocate[11] In 2016, they covered the My Chemical Romance song, "Dead!", for a Rock Sound tribute of The Black Parade.[12]
On November 3, 2017, the band released the first single, "Empire", from their new album, I Am Human, which was set to be released on February 16, 2018,[13][14] but later postponed to March 30, 2018.[15] The band's single "Broken Heart" peaked at No. 16 on the BillboardMainstream Rock Songs chart.[16]
On April 16, 2021, the band released Chemical Warfare, which he co-produced with John Feldmann,[17] which would mark the last album before his departure to focus on production work.
