Shotgun Messiah was a Swedish
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
band originally from
Skövde
Skövde () is a locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central Southern Sweden.
Skövde is situated some 150 km northeast of Gothenburg, between Swe ...
formed by guitarist
Harry Cody
Harry Cody was the international outdoor amateur speed skating champion in 1914, 1915, and 1916.
Biography
Harry Cody was born in Toronto.
On January 29, 1914 he won the three-mile championship at Saranac Lake, New York beating Bobbie Mclean w ...
, bassist Tim Skold, and drummer Stixx Galore. Cody and Skold were the mainstays of the band, and along with various personnel released three albums—''Shotgun Messiah'', ''Second Coming'' and ''Violent New Breed.''
Shotgun Messiah disbanded in 1993.
History
First era: 1985–1991
In 1985, the band formed in
Skövde
Skövde () is a locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central Southern Sweden.
Skövde is situated some 150 km northeast of Gothenburg, between Swe ...
, Sweden, as Kingpin
with the lineup of local musicians
Tim Skold
Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Motionless in White.
Biography
Early li ...
(going by "Tim Tim") (bass),
Harry Cody
Harry Cody was the international outdoor amateur speed skating champion in 1914, 1915, and 1916.
Biography
Harry Cody was born in Toronto.
On January 29, 1914 he won the three-mile championship at Saranac Lake, New York beating Bobbie Mclean w ...
(going by Harry K. Cody) (guitar) and Pekka "
Stixx
Stixx are crisp wafer sticks with candy creme filling attached to the inside and Nestlé chocolate coating attached to the outside. The brand was owned by Nestlé, who sold it to by Brynwood Partners' DeMet's Candy Company in 2008. In 2013, Brynw ...
Galore" (later simply "Stixx") Ollinen (drums), and original singer J.K. Knox (Jukka Kemppainen). The band recorded the album ''
Welcome to Bop City
''Welcome to Bop City'' is the first album from Swedish glam metal / hard rock band Shotgun Messiah, Kingpin, released in 1988 on the CMM (Club Mariann Music) label in Sweden and in 1989 on the Music For Nations label in the UK. The album was la ...
'' released by CMM Records in 1988, which yielded a No. 1 single in Sweden called "Shout It Out."
In the US, the song rose to the top 100 of the
Billboard Album Chart
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
.
During the recording of ''Welcome To Bop City'', Knox was replaced by
Easy Action
''Easy Action'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Alice Cooper, released by Straight Records in March 1970. The title comes from a line from one of the band's favorite films, the musical ''West Side Story''. As with ''Pretties ...
singer
Zinny J. Zan (vocals), after the latter auditioned.
The band secured a record deal with
Relativity Records
Relativity Records was an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distributors (IRD) in metro New York. Relativity released music that covers a wide variety of musical genres. When it entered in ...
. They discovered that a
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
band had a copyright on the name Kingpin, so when the group relocated to
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
, they changed their name to Shotgun Messiah.
The band remixed ''Welcome To Bop City'' and it was released in September 1989 as ''
Shotgun Messiah
Shotgun Messiah was a Swedish glam metal band originally from Skövde formed by guitarist Harry Cody, bassist Tim Skold, and drummer Stixx Galore. Cody and Skold were the mainstays of the band, and along with various personnel released three al ...
''.
Shotgun Messiah embarked on their first North American solo tour to support the album.
''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called their music "cocky, loud and rough"
Second era: 1991–1993
Frontman
Zinny J. Zan departed the band in 1990 and
Tim Skold
Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Motionless in White.
Biography
Early li ...
took over vocal duties. Shotgun Messiah drafted an American bassist, Bobby Lycon, to fill Skold's former position. Cody dropped the K. from his professional name. In 1991, the band's follow up album ''
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messi ...
'' was released,
including their most recognizable hit "Heartbreak Blvd".
Stylistically, the band's music evolved into a hybrid of metal, rap, pop, and classical.
Shotgun Messiah released ''
I Want More'', an
EP featuring cover versions of songs by the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
,
The Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
, and the
New York Dolls
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
in 1992.
Third era: 1993
By 1993, Cody and Skold were the only remaining members of Shotgun Messiah. In the studio, they created what would be the last Shotgun Messiah album, ''
Violent New Breed
''Violent New Breed'' is the third and final album by Swedish rock band Shotgun Messiah, released in 1993 on Relativity Records. Breaking from their previous albums, Violent New Breed featured a more industrial rock sound.
Track listing
* All s ...
''.
This album was significantly different from the previous efforts as it focused heavily on an
industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...
and punk style.
The duo embarked on the "Violent New Breed" tour to support the album. After the tour, Shotgun Messiah disbanded when their label, Relativity began to focus on rap music.
Post-Shotgun Messiah
After Shotgun Messiah disbanded, Skold released a solo album entitled ''
Skold
''Skold'' is the debut solo album released in 1996 by Tim Skold.
The song "Chaos" was used in the video game ''Twisted Metal 4'' and the film '' Universal Soldier: The Return''. The song "Hail Mary" can be found on the ''Disturbing Behavior'' so ...
''. He then joined bands
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
MDFMK
MDFMK was an industrial rock band formed by two members of KMFDM, Sascha Konietzko and Tim Sköld. Lucia Cifarelli, formerly of the band Drill, later joined to make a trio.
History
Due to "differences in vision and drive", KMFDM disbanded in 1 ...
, collaborating with the former on the album, ''
Skold vs. KMFDM''. From 2002 to 2008, Skold was 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 ...
, creating two albums, and replacing
Twiggy Ramirez
Jeordie Osbourne White (born June 20, 1971), better known Twiggy Ramirez or simply Twiggy, is an American musician, mostly known as the former bassist and guitarist of the rock band Marilyn Manson. Previously, he was the bassist for A Perfect C ...
.
He was also a member of
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
Doctor Midnight and the Mercy Cult (DMTMC), formed in 2009, which released the album ''I Declare: Treason'' (2011).
Skold released three more solo albums – ''Anomie'' (2011), ''The Undoing'' (2016),
and ''Never is Now'' (2019).
Cody joined the band Coma with
Saigon Kick
Saigon Kick is an American hard rock band from Miami, Florida, that formed in 1988. When they recorded their debut album and second album the band consisted of lead vocalist Matt Kramer, lead guitarist Jason Bieler, bassist Tom Defile, and drum ...
singer
Matt Kramer in 1994, but the project was short-lived.
In 1996, he teamed up with
Rhino Bucket
Rhino Bucket is a hard rock band from Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.
History
The band was formed in February 1988 by Georg Dolivo (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Reeve Downes (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Greg Fields (lead guitar, backi ...
singer Georg Dolivo to form Das Cabal. The band recorded "What Do You Want " for the ''Boogie Boy'' movie soundtrack in 1998.
Cody collaborated with
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
, performing guitar and banjo on Waits' ''
Real Gone'' (2004) album
and ''
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards'' (2006)
boxset
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
compilation.
In 2005, Cody composed the score for the film ''Wassup Rockers''.
Zan and Stixx (going only by his first name) reunited in 2012 as Shotgun. They wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ''
Welcome to Bop City
''Welcome to Bop City'' is the first album from Swedish glam metal / hard rock band Shotgun Messiah, Kingpin, released in 1988 on the CMM (Club Mariann Music) label in Sweden and in 1989 on the Music For Nations label in the UK. The album was la ...
'', the original debut album from the band's first incarnation as Kingpin before changing their name to Shotgun Messiah. They released a live album under the Shotgun moniker. Their line-up at this point included Zan (lead vocals), Rob Marcello (guitar and backing vocals), Chris Laney (bass and backing vocals), Stixx (drums and backing vocals), and Jonas Beijer (keyboards).
Lineups
''Shotgun Messiah''
*
Zinny J. Zan – lead vocals
*
Harry Cody
Harry Cody was the international outdoor amateur speed skating champion in 1914, 1915, and 1916.
Biography
Harry Cody was born in Toronto.
On January 29, 1914 he won the three-mile championship at Saranac Lake, New York beating Bobbie Mclean w ...
– guitars, backing vocals
*
Tim Skold
Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Motionless in White.
Biography
Early li ...
– bass, backing vocals
* Stixx Galore – drums, backing vocals
''Second Coming''
*
Tim Skold
Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Motionless in White.
Biography
Early li ...
– lead vocals
*
Harry Cody
Harry Cody was the international outdoor amateur speed skating champion in 1914, 1915, and 1916.
Biography
Harry Cody was born in Toronto.
On January 29, 1914 he won the three-mile championship at Saranac Lake, New York beating Bobbie Mclean w ...
– guitars, backing vocals
* Bobby Lycon – bass, backing vocals
* Stixx Galore – drums, backing vocals
''Violent New Breed''
*
Tim Skold
Tim Skold (born Thim Sköld) is a Swedish musician and record producer who produces solo work and has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and Motionless in White.
Biography
Early li ...
– lead vocals, programming, bass
*
Harry Cody
Harry Cody was the international outdoor amateur speed skating champion in 1914, 1915, and 1916.
Biography
Harry Cody was born in Toronto.
On January 29, 1914 he won the three-mile championship at Saranac Lake, New York beating Bobbie Mclean w ...
– guitars, backing vocals, programming
* Bill Bruce – rhythm guitar (live)
* Pat Guyton – bass (live)
*
Bjarne "B. J." Johansson – drums (live)
Discography
Singles
References
External links
*
Interview with Lead Singer Tim SkoldThe Official Unofficial website for Tim Skold (former bassist/singer member)The Original Tim Skold: Sycophant Fansite
{{Authority control
1985 establishments in Sweden
Glam metal musical groups from California
Heavy metal musical groups from California
Industrial metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1985
Musical groups disestablished in 1993
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Swedish glam metal musical groups
Swedish hard rock musical groups
Swedish industrial music groups