Stan Cartright

Bass Guitar

Biography

Ask Stan Cartright when he started playing bass and he'll tell you he "hatched with a tiny bass in his hand." Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, he picked up the instrument at 13 and never looked back. His influences read like a bass hall of fame: Billy Sheehan, Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, Leland Sklar, Steve Harris, and Geezer Butler all shaped his approach to the low end.

By 16, Stan was already cutting his teeth in the local music scene, performing in a three-piece band alongside his stepdad at bars throughout the Youngstown area. Those early years playing classic rock covers built the foundation for his powerful stage presence and tight rhythmic playing. As his tastes grew heavier, he channeled his energy into original metal bands including Kerruption, SmackAlice, and Caldera.

After relocating to Erie, Pennsylvania, Stan took an eight-year hiatus from active performance. But the call of the bass proved too strong to resist. Around 2018, he picked up his instrument again, and what followed was an explosive return to the metal scene. Since that comeback, Stan has been operating at full throttle, bringing decades of experience and renewed passion to every performance.

His biggest concert regret? The 1996 KISS Alive Worldwide Tour—the one he didn't attend because he was getting married to his first wife. His uncle offered him $500 and tickets to bail on the wedding. "It was a killer set list, too," Stan notes wistfully. When he's not onstage with Storms Within, what does he do? "I like to play bass in my spare time when I'm not playing bass." His guilty pleasures might surprise you: Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande, whose songs he practices on bass.

Known as "The Animal" for his aggressive playing style and commanding stage presence, Stan provides the thunderous foundation that drives Storms Within's sound. If he could jam with anyone, it'd be Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan. As for what the band means to him: "We always have the best crowds come out and see us. I think part of what makes us stand out is we have fun on stage and we get to draw the crowds in to have fun with us too."