Cradle of Thorns was an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band. Formed in 1988 in

Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

by singer Ty Elam, the band was initially defined by their

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

style. After releasing their debut album, ''Remember It Day'', independently in 1990, the band signed with

Triple X Records Triple X Records was a Los Angeles-based record company started by three former employees of the bankrupt Greenworld Distribution: Dean Naleway, Peter Heur and Charley Brown. The label was known for "a fearlessly eclectic catalogue that broke away ...

, and would come to be defined by a more

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

-oriented style influenced by heavy metal and

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten a ...

. In 1998, the band changed their name to Videodrone and signed with

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

vanity label A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name sometimes given to a record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, ...

Elementree Records, releasing their self titled fourth album, ''

Videodrone Cradle of Thorns was an American rock music, rock band. Formed in 1988 in Bakersfield, California by singer Ty Elam, the band was initially defined by their gothic rock style. After releasing their debut album, ''Remember It Day'', independentl ...

'' the following year, which featured a mix of

industrial music Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...

and

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...

. Videodrone disbanded two years later, but reformed under their original name from 2007 to 2015.

History

Formation and ''Remember It Day'' (1988–1990)

In 1988 vocalist Ty Elam formed Cradle of Thorns. They toured extensively and earned an underground following. They released an independent record entitled ''Remember It Day'' in 1990.

''Feed-Us'' (1994–1995)

The band signed with Triple X Records (label of

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...

and

Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...

) and in 1994 released ''Feed-Us'', produced by Ross Robinson.

''Download This!'' (1996–1998)

1996's ''Download This!'' saw the departure of female vocalist Tamera Slayton and bassist Scat Elis. New bassist Purdy Spackle joined the group. The song "Bulimia Blowjob" features an appearance by vocalist Aimee Echo of

Human Waste Project Human Waste Project was an American rock band from Huntington Beach, California, with Aimee Echo on vocals, Mike Tempesta on guitar, Jeff Schartoff on bass, and Scott Ellis on drums. They released one studio album, '' E-lux'' (1997), and broke ...

and

TheSTART theStart (stylized as theSTART) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Their current lineup includes Aimee Echo, Jamie Miller, Erick Sanger and Chelsea Davis. History Aimee Echo and Jamie Miller formed the band in 1998, origi ...

, and Jeff Schartoff, of Human Waste Project and

Professional Murder Music Professional Murder Music (PMM) is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed by bassist/keyboardist Jeff Schartoff and guitarist/vocalist Roman Marisak in 1998, just prior to the disbandment of their pre ...

Name change and ''Videodrone'' (1998–2000)

For their fourth album, bassist Purdy Spackle was replaced by Mavis. They renamed themselves Videodrone, as a play on the film ''

Videodrome ''Videodrome'' is a 1983 Canadian Science fiction film, science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Debbie Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO o ...

'', because the band wanted a name that sounded futuristic and retro at the same time, evoking the 1980s, the decade in which the film was released. Their twelve-track, self-titled CD was released in 1999 with appearances from Korn's

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 ...

on "Ty Jonathan Down",

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

Fred Durst William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He ap ...

and

DJ Lethal Leor Dimant ( lv, Leors Dimants, russian: Леор Григорьевич Димант, ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American Turntablism, turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups ...

on "Human Piñata", and

Psycho Realm The Psycho Realm is an American hip hop group started in 1989 by brothers Sick Jacken (Joaquín Gonzalez) and Big Duke (Gustavo Gonzalez) from the Downtown, Pico-Union area of Los Angeles. History The first recorded Psycho Realm song, "Scand ...

on "Pig in a Blanket". Also from Korn,

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

played guitar on "Power Tools for Girls" and

Fieldy Reginald Quincy Arvizu (born November 2, 1969), also known as "Fieldy", is an American musician, best known as the bassist for nu metal band Korn. He is also the guitarist/bassist for rock band StillWell. Musical career Prior to Arvizu's tim ...

produced the album.

Break up and post-Videodrone projects (2000–2006)

After touring with Korn,

Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...

, Orgy, and

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...

, lack of label support and drug problems spelled the end for Videodrone (as detailed in the interview with Elam on the "All Over Again" maxi-single). Drummer Kris Kohls went on to play for

Adema Adema is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California. The band formed in 2000 with members vocalist Mark Chavez, guitarist Tim Fluckey, guitarist Mike Ransom, bassist Dave DeRoo, and drummer Kris Kohls. After their first two albums, ''A ...

and vocalist Ty Elam would go on to play in local Bakersfield bands Karmahitlist, Three Chord Whore, and

Arrival of Fawn Arrival(s) or The Arrival(s) may refer to: Film * ''The Arrival'' (1991 film), an American science fiction horror film * ''The Arrival'' (1996 film), an American-Mexican science fiction horror film * ''Arrival'' (film), a 2016 American science ...

after Videodrone's demise in 2000.

Reformation (2007–2015)

In 2007, Ty Elam resurrected the band under its original moniker Cradle of Thorns with all new members. The song "All Over Again" was released as a single, which can be heard on the band's official MySpace page. Elam later appeared on metal band Mastiv's album, ''End of the Silence'', released in 2011. By 2015, Cradle of Thorns's official homepage ceased, and nothing has been stated regarding the group's future since.

Style and influences

Cradle of Thorns initially began as a

band before shifting to a "heavy, but dark

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

" style that fuses heavy metal,

and

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

with genres such as

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, gothic rock,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and hip hop. This style has been classified as

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

and

. The band's influences include

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

scores and

. They have been described as a cross between Korn,

Orgy In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swing ...

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 ...

Members

Current *Ty Elam – vocals (1988–2000), drums (2006–2015) *Steve Thiriot – guitar, synthesizers, screams (2007–2015) *Matt Wilkinson – bass (2007–2015) Former *David File – guitar (1988–2000) *

Kris Kohls Adema is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California. The band formed in 2000 with members vocalist Mark Chavez, guitarist Tim Fluckey, guitarist Mike Ransom, bassist Dave DeRoo, and drummer Kris Kohls. After their first two albums, ''A ...

– drums (1988–2000) *Rohan Cowden – keyboards (1988–2000) *Tamera Slayton – vocals (1988–1995) *Jay Caruso – bass (1988–1992) *Scat Elis – bass (1992–1995) *Purdy Spackle – bass (1995–1997) *Mavis – bass (1997–2000) ; Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:80 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1988 till:01/01/2016 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards id:studio value:black legend:Studio album Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:1990 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1988 LineData = layer:back color:studio at:21/08/1990 at:29/03/1994 at:30/01/1996 at:23/02/1999 BarData = bar:Elam text:"Ty Elam" bar:Slayton text:"Tamera Slayton" bar:File text:"David File" bar:Thiriot text:"Steve Thiriot" bar:Caruso text:"Jay Caruso" bar:Elis text:"Scat Elis" bar:Spackle text:"Purdy Spackle" bar:Mavis text:"Mavis" bar:Wilkinson text:"Matt Wilkinson" bar:Cowden text:"Rohan Cowden" bar:Kohls text:"Kris Kohls" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Elam from:01/01/1988 till:31/12/2000 color:Vocals bar:Elam from:01/01/2007 till:end color:Vocals bar:Elam from:01/01/2007 till:end color:Drums width:3 bar:Slayton from:01/01/1988 till:30/06/1995 color:Vocals bar:File from:01/01/1988 till:31/12/2000 color:Guitar bar:Thiriot from:01/01/2007 till:end color:Guitar bar:Thiriot from:01/01/2007 till:end color:Keyboards width:3 bar:Caruso from:01/01/1988 till:30/06/1992 color:Bass bar:Elis from:01/07/1992 till:30/06/1995 color:Bass bar:Spackle from:01/07/1995 till:30/06/1997 color:Bass bar:Mavis from:01/07/1997 till:31/12/2000 color:Bass bar:Wilkinson from:01/01/2007 till:end color:Bass bar:Kohls from:01/01/1988 till:31/12/2000 color:Drums bar:Cowden from:01/01/1988 till:31/12/2000 color:Keyboards

Discography

Cradle of Thorns

*''Remember It Day'' (1990) *''Feed-Us'' (1994) *''Download This!'' (1996)

Videodrone

*''

'' (February 23, 1999)

Singles

Music videos

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cradle of Thorns American gothic rock groups American industrial music groups Musical groups established in 1988 Nu metal musical groups from California Triple X Records artists