Pist.On (also spelled Pist*On, Pist-On, Pist•On, PistOn, and Piston) is an American
heavy metal band from
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
, New York. The band released two albums in the 1990s. They split up in 2001 but announced a reunion in 2015.
History
Original members
Formed around the core duo of Henry Font (vocals, guitars) and Val.Ium (bass, backing vocals), the band released two demos in the early 1990s, the second of which, ''Urine the Money'', was produced by
Josh Silver
Josh Silver (born November 14, 1962) is an American musician who is the former keyboardist, producer and backing vocalist of gothic metal band Type O Negative. He joined the band at frontman Peter Steele's request. He played for Type O Negat ...
of
Type O Negative
Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percu ...
. The band's friendship with Type O Negative (also based out of Brooklyn) brought them both help and scorn in subsequent years.
In 1996 the band, now rounded out by Paul Poulos (guitars, backing vocals) and Danny "Jam" Kavadlo (drums), released their first full-length album, ''
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
'', to critical acclaim in both the United States and Europe. Subsequent tours with
Type O Negative
Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percu ...
and
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 ...
helped improve the band's notoriety. Within a year, they moved from the independent Mayhem/Fierce record label to a major label,
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. Also around this time, Poulos and Kavadlo both left the band.
Second lineup
New members Burton Gans (guitars) and Jeff McManus (drums) joined in time to see an Atlantic rerelease of ''Number One'' with new photos, artwork, and, perhaps most obvious of all, spelling; the band's name shifted from "Pist.On" to the "friendlier" spelling "PistOn". The removal of the "." led to criticism that the band had "
sold out
"Selling out", or "sold out" in the past tense, is a common expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles by forgoing the long-term benefits of the collective or group in exchange for personal ga ...
". Under the guise of their new name and label, the band again toured exhaustively. During this time, drummer Jeff McManus was forced into a brief respite for medical reasons, with Johnny Kelly of
Type O Negative
Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percu ...
filling in.
1996–1997
Pist.on's debut album, successful on its face, had been picked up and rereleased by a major label, the band had deep friendships and histories with well-known acts such as
Type O Negative
Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percu ...
,
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 ...
, the
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
, and
Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche is an American heavy metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record. The original lineup ...
, and had energetic new blood in the form of two members. However, the promises and possibilities of this era never panned out, and after a handful of tours and negative reviews, the band was unceremoniously dropped by Atlantic.
Second release
1999 saw the release of the band's second album, ', again through Mayhem Records. The record was described as ''rife with crooked and spiteful poking'' at the music industry, the band's former label, the press, and the band itself. The album met with lukewarm reviews and sales, and breakup rumors swirled.
Breakup
After the band's second release, drummer Jeff McManus departed from the band, returning briefly to record a 3-song independent ''Saves'' EP in the spring of 2001. Despite the optimism brought on by ''Saves'', the core duo of Pist.On broke apart in late August 2001 when bassist Val Ium decided to leave the band as well. Though still not officially broken up, Pist.On has not released any new material as a band since, although several band members including Henry Font and Jeff McManus have released recordings independently.
Reunion
As of March 2015, Pist.On has reformed and they are working on new material.
In early October 2017, Pist.On announced their formal reformation and a UK Tour with seven dates in June 2018
Pist.On released an EP, ''Cold World EP'', on March 25, 2022, making it the band's first new studio recording since 2001.
Members
Current members
* Henry Font – vocals, guitars (1993–2001, 2015–present)
* Burton Gans – guitars (1996–2001, 2015–present)
* Jeff McManus – drums (1996–2001, 2015–present)
* Jack Hanley – bass (2015–present)
Former members
* Val Ium – bass, backing vocals (1993–2001)
* Danny "Jam" Kavadlo – drums (1993–1996)
* Paul Poulos – guitar, backing vocals (1993–1996)
Touring members
*
Johnny Kelly
Johnny Kelly (born March 9, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the former drummer of gothic metal band Type O Negative. He is the current drummer for the bands Silvertomb, A Pale Horse Named Death, Kill Devil Hill, Danzig, and Qu ...
– drums
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
'' (1996)
* ' (1999)
;EPs
* ''Saves'' (2001)
* ''Cold World EP'' (2022)
;Demos
* ''First Demo Tape'' (1993)
* ''Urine the Money'' (1993)
Solo projects in the 2000s
*Henry Font
**"SumMerFlu"
*Jeff McManus
**"Weekends with Dan" (released the single ''Anna Rexia'' in 2006 which received acclaim in several
punk rock publications)
*Burton Gans
**"American Popular"
**"The Deadlyz" (released self-titled debut album in 2009, followed up by second studio album ''Fabulous Disaster'' in 2011)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pist On
Musical groups established in 1993
Musical groups disestablished in 2001
Musical groups reestablished in 2015
American gothic metal musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from New York (state)
Musical groups from Brooklyn