Michael David Cummings (born August 25, 1968), better known as Spider One, is an American singer, Producer, and Director. He is the founder and only consistent member of the rock band Powerman 5000. He is the younger sibling of singer and filmmaker Rob Zombie.

Early life

Spider One was born Michael David Cummings in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the second of two sons. His older brother, Robert Bartleh Cummings, is better known as the musician and film director Rob Zombie. Contrary to popular belief, Spider One stated that there has never been a sibling rivalry between him and his brother, neither personally nor musically. In 1991, he dropped out of art school, bought a cheap four-track home studio and a drum machine, and recorded ''Much Evil'' with producer Lamar Lowder. Building on local success, Spider One's band Powerman 5000 was born.

Career

Cummings created the horror/

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

series ''

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...

'', which aired on MTV for one season in 2011. He is the owner of Megatronic Records.

Style

Spider One's influences reportedly include Kurt Cobain,

Philip Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalist best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down (band), Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects. He is the owner of Housecore Records ...

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell (né Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave ...

Sebastian Bach Sebastian Philip Bierk (born April 3, 1968), known professionally as Sebastian Bach, is a Canadian-American singer who achieved mainstream success as the frontman of the hard rock band Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. He has acted on Broadway and ha ...

Tom Araya Tomás Enrique Araya Díaz (; born June 6, 1961) is a Chilean American musician, best known as the vocalist and bassist of American thrash metal band Slayer. Araya is ranked 58th by ''Hit Parader'' on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocali ...

Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth, as well as their sole consistent member. Mustaine has relea ...

, Anthony Kiedis,

Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD or JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, who are considered a pioneering act of the nu ...

, Jon Bon Jovi, Eddie Vedder, Vince Neil, James Hetfield,

Joey Tempest Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (born 19 August 1963), known professionally as Joey Tempest, is a Swedish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Europe. He has written the band's great hits such as " The Final Countdown", " Rock the ...

and

Axl Rose W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr.; born February 6, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its incep ...

. Spider One's vocal style is usually based in

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

chanting A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of n ...

Discography

*''

True Force Powerman 5000 (also known as PM5K) is an American rock band formed in 1991. The group has released ten albums, gaining its highest level of commercial success with 1999's '' Tonight the Stars Revolt!'', which reached number 29 on the ''Billboa ...

'' (1994) *''

The Blood-Splat Rating System ''The Blood-Splat Rating System'' is the debut studio album of American rock band Powerman 5000. Released in 1995, it is the band's second independent release. The album was a local success in Boston, MA, sold out of its initial pressing and w ...

'' (1995) *''Mega!! Kung Fu Radio'' (1997) *''

Tonight the Stars Revolt! ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!'' is the second major label studio album by American rock band Powerman 5000. It was released on July 20, 1999 by DreamWorks Records. Having sold over one million copies and achieving platinum status, this would become ...

'' (1999) *'' Anyone for Doomsday?'' (2001) *''

Transform Transform may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Transform (scratch), a type of scratch used by turntablists * ''Transform'' (Alva Noto album), 2001 * ''Transform'' (Howard Jones album) or the title song, 2019 * ''Transform'' (Powerman 5000 album ...

'' (2003) *'' Destroy What You Enjoy'' (2006) *''

Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere ''Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere'' is the sixth studio album by Powerman 5000 returning to their more traditional industrial metal sound, following their punk rock oriented 2006 album '' Destroy What You Enjoy''. The album was release ...

'' (2009) *'' Copies, Clones & Replicants'' (2011) *'' Builders of the Future'' (2014) *'' New Wave'' (2017) *''The Noble Rot'' (2020)

Filmography

References

External links

* * * 1968 births American heavy metal singers American industrial musicians American male singers American music video directors Musicians from Boston Living people Musicians from Haverhill, Massachusetts Nu metal singers Powerman 5000 members {{US-rock-singer-stub