Hardcore / Grunge
Riverside, California, USA

Wish For Eden was a hardcore/grunge band whose music was compared to bands like Helmet and Tool with some grunge influences thrown in. Rob Walker played guitars for Mortal before forming Wish for Eden. Wish for Eden signed with Tooth & Nail Records before the label was launched. They apparently thought they were signing with a Michael Knott label, but it ended up being Knott being paid to act as the spokesperson for Tooth & Nail.

Rob Walker went to the same high school as Jerome Fontamillas of Mortal and Fold Zandura fame. He knew both Jerome and Jyro Xhan since they are all Seventh Day Adventists. Rob dated Jyro’s sister at one time. Ed Bailey was also a friend. When Mortal needed a touring band to support their 1992 Lusis album, they asked both Rob and Ed to be guitarists. During this tour, Rob and Ed decided to form Wish for Eden.

In 1993, they went to a meeting with Michael Knott and Brandon Ebel thinking they were signing with a Michael Knott label. It turned out that Ebel was just paying Knott to act like the head of the label to draw in bands. They decided to stick with Tooth & Nail anyways. They released one album on Tooth & Nail Records called Pet the Fish in 1993.

Their debut album was also the first release for Tooth & Nail. The album name and cover art stirred up some controversy, as some mistakenly thought it was a reference to masturbation. Walker started writing songs for a second Wish for Eden album, but those songs no longer fit with the band’s goals to break out of the Christian music scene. He eventually recorded and released those songs as a solo album called Strobe in 1996.

After Wish for Eden left Tooth & Nail, the band got to be good friends with Korn (before they released their first album) and would often play with them. Apparently the guys from Korn asked them questions about God all the time. Wish for Eden then got connected with a new manager through Korn and recorded at least 6 songs for a demo that was shopped to labels. Rob Walker describes it as heavier and darker than Pet the Fish. The band got offers from Atlantic, Virgin, and others, but their manager turned those offers down. He felt the contracts these labels were offering didn’t give the band enough support. The band got frustrated and broke up.

Wish for Eden announced a reunion in 2010 with new music, but nothing materialized from that other than two songs that were briefly streamed on Facebook. Those songs were recorded at Orange Crush Studios in Santa Ana, California, with Scott Silletta of Plankeye fame serving as engineer.

Around 2024, various people close to the band (including Bob Moon) said they had reformed and were recording new music. The band started playing occasional shows in 2025 as proof they really are back. Rob Walker is the only original member in the new Wish for Eden. In 2026 they started releasing new music.

199? Independent

Rob Walker – vocals, guitar
Mike Ballard – bass guitar
Ed Bailey – drums

Multiple sources have noted that Wish for Eden recorded demos before being signed with Tooth & Nail.

1993 Tooth & Nail Records (TND 1001)

Rob Walker – Vocals, guitar
Mike Ballard – Bass guitar
Ed Bailey – Drums

1. Questions (4:09)
2. Ocean (3:15)
3. Don’t Know (3:08)
4. U Could (2:30)
5. Green (2:58)
6. Fly (4:31)
7. Me (3:37)
8. Fade (2:44)
9. Blood (4:22)
10. Pet the Fish (2:31)

199? Independent

Rob Walker – vocals, guitar
Mike Ballard – bass guitar
Ed Bailey – drums

2010 Independent

Rob Walker – Vocals, guitar
(Others?)

1. Starting Over
2. Old Man

2026 Independent

Big Rob Walker – Vocals, guitar
Ronster - Bass, guacamole
PC - Drums, adding condiments

1. Tonight
2. Harbor Bill
3. Want It All

• Official Website