🔥 Resurrecting the Scene: Producer Emery revives AresFl under new band name Ghost In The Room.

🔥 Resurrecting the Scene: Producer Emery Revives ARESFL Under New Band Name Ghost In The Room

By Florida Metal Scene News

For those who remember the chaotic glory of the MySpace music era—the sweaty garage shows, torn Vans, underground venues, and thundering breakdowns—Producer Emery was already a name in motion. Fast-forward to 2025, and the California-to-Florida engineer and music producer is preparing to reignite a flame that almost didn’t survive.

Emery, best known today for his work as a recording engineer and music producer, is collaborating with longtime bandmate Devin on a project now known as Ghost In The Room, a resurrection of the underground act formerly known as ARESFL.

The original band was part of a generation of musicians who helped shape the regional metalcore, emo, and post-hardcore underground during the 2000s. Long before streaming algorithms and short-form videos dominated music discovery, bands like ARES relied on word of mouth, MySpace profiles, homemade promotional material, and relentless live performances.

A Band Built During the MySpace Generation

ARES was formed during an era when local music scenes were fiercely competitive. Bands fought for opening slots, traded equipment, shared rehearsal spaces, and promoted shows through whatever channels were available.

For ARES, that meant performing alongside emerging artists and established underground names while building connections throughout Florida and beyond.

“We played with so many bands that blew up or influenced the scene in huge ways,” Emery recalls.

“We shared a practice space with Adaliah for a while—they even opened for us at one point.”

Throughout its original run, ARES shared stages and show lineups with acts associated with the era, including A Loss For Words, Mercy Mercedes, Select Start, Mayday Parade, Prospect, and musicians connected to Palisades. The band’s history also intersects with heavier names such as A Plea for Purging and Dying Fetus.

One particularly memorable performance took place at Sarasota’s Night Life venue, where the band headlined a packed show.

For musicians coming up during that period, these experiences represented more than another date on a concert flyer. They were opportunities to build a reputation in a scene where credibility was earned face-to-face.

The Darker Side of the Underground Scene

Behind the performances, however, ARES experienced a far more complicated reality.

According to Emery, internal disagreements, damaged relationships, stolen equipment, and disputes with other musicians gradually undermined the band’s momentum.

“A lot of content was deleted or destroyed by old band members, old band member friends, and unfortunate events with recording studios being robbed in the middle of the night,” Emery explains.

He also recalls allegations of local bands deliberately excluding ARES from promotional materials, withholding performance payments, and spreading rumors.

“Nobody wanted to see us win, not even other bandmates,” Emery says, reflecting on what he describes as an increasingly hostile environment.

These accounts offer a glimpse into a side of the MySpace era that nostalgia often overlooks. While the music brought people together, competition for recognition sometimes created lasting divisions.

For Emery, the frustration wasn’t simply about missed opportunities. It was about watching years of work, creative investment, and personal sacrifice become overshadowed by conflict.

The 2009 Studio Incident

One of the most damaging setbacks reportedly occurred in 2009.

The recording studio where ARES was working on what was intended to become some of its most polished material was broken into and vandalized.

According to Emery, the incident resulted in the loss of unreleased recordings and disrupted the band’s creative progress at a critical moment.

For an independent group operating without the resources of a major record label, losing recorded material could mean losing months of work and significant financial investment.

The setbacks compounded as the original lineup’s momentum faded.

Eventually, ARES became another name remembered primarily by musicians, former fans, and people who had witnessed the band’s live performances.

But the story wasn’t finished.

A New Chapter: Ghost In The Room

In 2025, Emery and longtime collaborator Devin began moving forward under a new identity: Ghost In The Room.

Rather than simply reuniting the original band for nostalgia, the project represents an opportunity to continue unfinished creative work while establishing a new direction.

The current core consists of Emery and Devin, with other original members maintaining connections behind the scenes. Some have chosen to remain unnamed.

“We’ve got unreleased tracks that still give me chills. I’m not letting them die on some hard drive,” Emery explains.

“This band is now Devin’s and mine to continue creating art with.”

The new direction promises a darker, more refined sound, shaped by years of musical experience and professional recording work.

Emery’s journey from underground guitarist to professional audio engineer and producer also brings a different perspective to the project.

What began as a young musician’s pursuit of bigger stages has evolved into an effort to preserve a piece of underground music history while creating something new.

More Than Just a Comeback

For fans who experienced the Florida metalcore and post-hardcore scene during its MySpace heyday, the return of musicians from that generation carries a particular significance.

Many of the bands, venues, websites, and recordings that once defined the era have disappeared. Some performances survive only through aging concert flyers, personal photographs, and stories exchanged between former bandmates.

Ghost In The Room represents an opportunity to connect that history with a new generation of listeners.

With ties to US GHOSTS and roots in the original ARES lineup, the project aims to build on its past without being confined by it.

For Emery and Devin, the objective is no longer to compete for recognition within the same underground hierarchy that once surrounded them.

It’s about reclaiming creative control, finishing what was left unfinished, and allowing the music to speak for itself.

The name may have changed, but the history behind it remains.

Expect a darker, refined sound. Expect truth. Expect Ghost In The Room.

Florida Metal Scene News | Music, underground culture, and the artists keeping the scene alive.