Die Happy was an American
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
band. The group was formed in 1990 when
Vengeance Rising members
Larry Farkas, Doug Thieme, Glen Mancaruso, and
Roger Dale Martin
Roger Dale Martin, or more commonly known as Roger Dale, is a heavy metal musician who has performed with several acts including Vengeance Rising and Once Dead.
History
Roger Dale Martin was born on June 19, in Oklahoma. At the age of 12 he was ...
split the band, citing unrest with that band's front man and vocalist, Roger Martinez. They hired Robyn Kyle Basauri, formerly of
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
, as a vocalist and he officially joined the band after the release of their eponymous debut.
At the time of their first album the band was seen as "Vengeance Rising with a new Vocalist".
For their second release, however, their sound changed to more of a hard, classic rock sound. Lyrically, the band was socially focused. Songs dealt with issues such as
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
and
HIV-
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
("Real") and
American Indian massacres ("Painted Truth").
Related Projects
Following the demise of Die Happy, Robyn Kyle Basauri and bassist
Greg Chaisson formed the band Red Sea. Hiring Chris Howell on guitar and
Jeff Martin Jeff Martin may refer to:
* Jeff Martin (American musician) (born 1957), lead vocalist for the bands Surgical Steel and Racer X; drummer for Badlands
*Jeff Martin (Canadian musician) (born 1969), guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Tea Party
...
on drums, the band released one album, ''Blood'', on Rugged Records in 1994.
They were initially scheduled for a support tour with
Ken Tamplin, but were dropped in favor of
Greg X. Volz.
Musically, they were compared to the English band
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
.
, Glen Mancaruso,
Roger Dale Martin
Roger Dale Martin, or more commonly known as Roger Dale, is a heavy metal musician who has performed with several acts including Vengeance Rising and Once Dead.
History
Roger Dale Martin was born on June 19, in Oklahoma. At the age of 12 he was ...
, and Doug Thieme had reformed under the new name
Once Dead with the addition of
Ultimatum vocalist Scott Waters. Originally planning to be a reunion, Martinez owned the original rights to the name. Instead of fighting for the rights to "Vengeance Rising," they instead used the name "Once Dead". Once Dead has released one album so far, ''Visions of Hell''. The line up for this release included
Jim Chaffin (
The Crucified,
The Blamed,
Facedown,
Deliverance) on drums and Devin Schaeffer (
Fasedown) on vocals. A follow up album has been delayed due to a vocal condition of Schaeffer's.
Discography
*1992: ''Die Happy'' (
Intense Records
Intense Records was an independent record label whose releases were mostly in the metal genre. Intense was bought out in 1989 by Frontline Records and became an imprint of that company. The bands in their roster were some of the premiere Christ ...
, Review: ''Cross Rhythms''
)
*1993: ''Volume 2'' (Intense Records)
*1993: ''Intense Live Series Vol. 4'' (Intense Records)
Members
Current
* Robyn Kyle Basauri – vocals (1990–1994)
*
Larry Farkas – guitars (1990–1994)
* Doug Thieme – guitars (1990–1994)
* Glen Mancaruso – drums (1990–1994)
*
Greg Chaisson – bass (1993–1994)
Former
*
Roger Dale Martin
Roger Dale Martin, or more commonly known as Roger Dale, is a heavy metal musician who has performed with several acts including Vengeance Rising and Once Dead.
History
Roger Dale Martin was born on June 19, in Oklahoma. At the age of 12 he was ...
– bass (1990–1993), lead guitar (1993)
ive
Live musicians
* Andy Robbins – bass (1993)
References
External links
Profileat BNR Metal
at No Life Til Metal
Robyn Kyle Basauriat Shoutlife
{{DEFAULTSORT:Die Happy
American Christian metal musical groups
Christian rock groups from California
Musical groups established in 1990