Monster Voodoo Machine is a Canadian

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

band formed in Ontario in 1991. Some critics compared the band's sound to White Zombie.

History

Monster Voodoo Machine was formed in Canada in 1991 by Toronto musician and vocalist Adam Sewell, inspired by bands like

Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...

, Black Flag and Discharge. The original line-up included guitarist Mark Gibson, bassist Terry Landry and drummer Drew Gauley. In their first six months together the band recorded one EP ("Burn" – released on Epidemic Records in 1992) and one full-length album ("Turbine", which was not released) and filmed two promotional videos: "3 Year Plan" and "Bastard Child". The band also collaborated with

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

group BTK ("Bastard Child – Techno Storm Mix") and begin recording sessions with soul singers. Over the next year the band added second guitarist Dave Rose and keyboardist Stacey Hoskin to the line-up, but the intense pace of touring and writing led to both guitarists Gibson and Rose leaving, replaced by Jason Cuddy (previously of

Mundane In subcultural and fictional uses, a mundane is a person who does not belong to a particular group, according to the members of that group; the implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane: the w ...

) and Darren Quinn. Gauley also left after several tours, later himself joining Mundane, and was replaced on drums by Dean Dallas Bentley. In late 1993 the band recorded their second EP and major-label debut "State Voodoo/State Control" (released in 1994 on RCA Records). Produced by Paul Raven (of

Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Ki ...

and

Prong Prong or Prongs may refer to: * Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects * Prong (band), an American metal band * Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City * Prongs, British ...

) and Walter Sobczak, the EP's title was a reference to the Discharge track "State Violence State Control". Musically, the EP saw the band move in a heavier and darker direction, similar to bands like White Zombie and Ministry. The EP also featured remixes from producers including Danny Saber (U2). In late January 1994 the band relocated to Chicago to record their first full-length album ''Suffersystem'', produced by Critter and Howie Beno at Chicago Trax studios. The album featured several guest appearances including

Roddy Bottum Roswell Christopher Bottum (born July 1, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the keyboardist for the San Francisco alternative metal band Faith No More. He is also guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the pop group Imperial Teen, best kn ...

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

, Leslie Rankin of

Silverfish The silverfish (''Lepisma saccharinum'') is a species of small, primitive, wingless insect in the order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura). Its common name derives from the insect's silvery light grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance ...

and

Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...

, and

Wesley Willis Wesley Lawrence Willis (May 31, 1963 – August 21, 2003) was an American musician and visual artist. Diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1989, Willis began a career as an underground singer-songwriter in the outsider music tradition. Will ...

. On completing the album in the late spring, the band set out on a tour of around 500 shows, touring with

Carcass Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to: *Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. *Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being *The str ...

Life of Agony Life of Agony is an American alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 1989 by singer Mina Caputo (then known as Keith Caputo), bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. The band has released six studio albums to date, most ...

Skrew Skrew is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1990 and disbanded in 1998, the group announced its return in 2009. Biography Skrew was formed in 1990 in Austin, Texas, by Adam Grossman and Danny Lohner. The band emerged from the de ...

, and

Fight Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

, before touring with

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

in early 1995, on the two and a half month "Portrait of an American Family Tour". ''Suffersystem'' won the 1995

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

for "Best Hard Rock Album Of The Year". Around this time, the band also released a number of singles and EPs featuring remixes by artists such as Biohazard,

DJ Muggs Lawrence Muggerud (born January 28, 1968), professionally known by his stage name DJ Muggs, is an American DJ, audio engineer and record producer. He is a member of Cypress Hill, a member of the trip hop band Cross My Heart Hope To Die and the l ...

KMFDM KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as "no pity for the majority") is a multinational industrial band from Hamburg led by Sascha Konietzko, who founded the band in 1984 as a performance art project. ...

and

Pigface Pigface is an American industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin. History Pigface was formed from Ministry's ''The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste'' tour, which produced the '' In Case You Didn't Feel ...

. Sewell asked RCA to have the Chemical Brothers or Liam Howlett of

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

produce the next album, but RCA declined, asking the band instead to consider

Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album ''Neve ...

. Disillusioned with

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, Sewell asked to be released from their recording contract. In late 1995, the band was put "on hold" for the next year. The band returned in 1996 joined by Soulstorm members Nick Sagias (keyboards) and bassist Chris Harris. They released 1,000 numbered copies of "Pirate Satellite". However, shortly after that, the band announced that they were breaking up, and on October 4, 1996, they played a farewell show at the Volcano Club in

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. Less than a year later, while on tour with def.con.sound.system. in 1997, Sewell was offered a record deal by Dr. Dream Records (a subsidiary of Polygram / Mercury) who suggested that the group use the Monster Voodoo Machine name. At the time def.con.sound.system. featured Sewell, Cuddy, Sagias, Harris and occasionally Quinn and Bentley, so the agreed and began planning a new album. As the group began working on new material, Sewell decided to record the album without the use of samplers, keyboards or drum loops. The resulting album ''Direct Reaction Now!'' featured several def.con.sound.system. songs reworked into a rock format. The album was released in early 1998 just as Dr. Dream Records was shut down due to the Polygram / Universal Records merger, and the band had been invited to play the side stage on the

Ozzfest Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...

Tour that year. After a few short tours with

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout multiple line- ...

and

Sevendust Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and rhythm guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and lead guitarist Clint Lowery ...

, the band played their final show in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec.

Discography

Albums

* ''Burn'' (Epidemic 1992) * ''Turbine'' (unreleased 1992/3) * ''State Voodoo/State Control'' (BMG/D-Tribe 1994) * ''Suffersystem'' (BMG/D-Tribe 1994) * ''Pirate Satellite'' (45 Revolutions 1996) * ''Direct Reaction Now'' (Doctor Dream 1998)

References

{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Canadian heavy metal musical groups Musical groups from Toronto Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year winners 1991 establishments in Ontario 1998 disestablishments in Ontario 2007 establishments in Ontario

History

Discography

Albums

See also

References