Presto Ballet is a
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band founded by
Metal Church
Metal Church is an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in San Francisco, California in 1980 and then relocated to Aberdeen, Washington the following year and briefly using the name Shrapnel. Led by guitarist and songwriter Kurd ...
guitarist
Kurdt Vanderhoof
Kurdt Vanderhoof (born June 28, 1961) is an American guitarist, best known as the rhythm guitarist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Metal Church.
Biography
As early as 1976, Vanderhoof was ardently networking with loca ...
.
Their sound is highly reminiscent of 1970s prog rock, as the band was founded chiefly as a tribute to classic progressive bands such as
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
and
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
.
History
Presto Ballet's debut album ''Peace Among the Ruins'' was released in 2005 to general praise. Critics commented on the album's warm and organic sound, a feeling created through the use of analogue recorders and vintage instruments. The band used no drum machines, digital recorders or sequencers in the studio.
''The Lost Art of Time Travel'' was released on ProgRock Records in June 2008, featuring a revamped lineup.
Presto Ballet's third album, ''Invisible Places'', was released on February 4, 2011, through SAOL / H'Art / Zebralution. On this release, founder Kurdt Vanderhoof was joined by fellow Metal Church alum Ronny Munroe on vocals, keyboardist Kerry Shacklett (Craig Chaquico), and bassist Bobby Ferkovich (Pamela Moore, ex-Heir Apparent). Drums on the new album were handled by session man Henry Ellwood.
2011 also saw the self-release of the EP ''Love What You've Done to the Place'' with the same line-up. Drums were again done by Henry Ellwood, even though Jeffrey McCormack was credited on the album.
In 2012, the band released ''Relic of the Modern World'' on Body of Work Recordings. Line-up changes for this record included Chuck Campbell joining the band and replacing Ronny Munroe on vocals, and Larry Crowe played drums on the recording. Prior to the playing shows in support of the record, Charlie Lorme joined as the permanent drummer, completing what has been the most stable line-up in the band's history.
Eventually the band was picked up by Metal Church's label Rat Pak Records, and released ''The Days Between'' on December 14, 2018. The line-up remained intact for this record, which the band feels is their strongest effort yet.
Members
;Current members
*
Kurdt Vanderhoof
Kurdt Vanderhoof (born June 28, 1961) is an American guitarist, best known as the rhythm guitarist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Metal Church.
Biography
As early as 1976, Vanderhoof was ardently networking with loca ...
- Guitar, mellotron, chamberlin, synthesizer, Hammond organ, bass pedals, electric piano
*Chuck Campbell - Lead vocals
*
Bobby Ferkovich - Bass, backing vocals, Taurus pedals
*
Kerry Shacklett - Piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, backing vocals
*Charlie Lorme - Drums, percussion
;Former members
*
Ronny Munroe
Ronny Munroe (born November 22, 1965) is an American singer, most noted as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Metal Church from 2003 until the band broke up in 2009. His second tenure with the band lasted from 2012 when the group reunite ...
- Lead vocals, acoustic guitar
* Jeff Wade - Drums, percussion
* Brian Cokeley - Piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer, electric piano, lead and backing vocals
* Brian Lake - Bass
* Scott Albright - Lead vocals, acoustic guitar
*
Ryan McPherson - Piano, keyboards, Hammond organ.
* Izzy Rehaume - Bass
* Bill Raymond - Drums
* Larry Crowe - Drums
Discography
;Studio albums
*''Peace Among the Ruins'' (2005)
*''The Lost Art of Time Travel'' (2008)
*''Invisible Places'' (2011)
*''Relic of the Modern World'' (2012)
*''The Days Between'' (2018)
;EPs
*''Love What You've Done to the Place'' (2011)
References
External links
Band Site
Musical groups established in 2005
American progressive rock groups
American progressive metal musical groups
{{US-metal-band-stub