The Black Maria

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The Black Maria was a Canadian rock band from Toronto that played post-hardcore and alternative rock. Active from 2002 to 2007, they released an independent EP in 2003 and signed with Victory Records in 2004. The original members were Chris Gray (vocals), Alan Nacinovic and Kyle Bishop (guitar), Mike De Eyre (keyboard/bass), and Derek Petrella (drums). Their debut album, Lead Us To Reason, came out on January 25, 2005, and sold about 50,000 copies. The release helped them tour with bands like Aiden, Alexisonfire, and Eighteen Visions.

During the Lead Us To Reason tour, Bishop left the band. Mike Charette filled in briefly, and Scott Swain joined on guitar. Drummer changes followed when Petrella broke his arm in 2005; Adam Veselisin filled in on drums for a while, and Petrella later left the band, with Theo McKibbon taking over on drums. In September 2006, they released A Shared History of Tragedy, written and produced by Swain and McKibbon, with artwork by Oliver Nacinovic. The album was well received by critics and the band continued to tour with many groups, including Queens of the Stone Age, MxPx, The Distillers, Goldfinger, Paramore, Rise Against, Silverstein, Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, Chevelle, Taproot, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

The Black Maria also opened for Evanescence and Stone Sour during a January 2007 tour in Ottawa. The band announced their break-up in mid-2007. Note: A separate New Mexico band uses the same name but is not connected.

Albums and EPs
- The Black Maria (EP, 2003)
- Lead Us To Reason (2005)
- A Shared History of Tragedy (2006)