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 by lead singer and producer Kory Clarke. Clarke started the band on a bet from a promoter at New York City's Pyramid Club, after a solo
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
show called "Kory Clarke/Warrior Soul". Clarke was determined he would have the best band in the city within six months. Nine months later he signed a multi-album deal with
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
.
History
Kory Clarke originally started in the music scene as a drummer for several bands, including Detroit punks
L-Seven
L-Seven was an American post-punk band from Detroit, Michigan, United States. The band existed during 1980–1983. Some band members had been formerly active in Detroit punk bands The Blind, Algebra Mothers, and Retro.Detroit Punk Archive: L-Sev ...
(not to be confused with the all-female Los Angeles band L7), Pennsylvania Southern rockers
Raging Slab
Raging Slab is an American band that plays a blend of southern rock and boogie with influences from metal and punk. They released six albums between 1987 and 2002.
History
The group formed in 1983Kim Fowley project called "The Trial". After moving to New York City, Clarke did one-man performance art shows. Although believing rock bands to be less artistic, he was persuaded to reform a band, which he named Warrior Soul after a line in a
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
docudrama.
The band began to play in New York City in 1987, and soon came to the attention of Geffen, who signed the band. Geffen directed Clarke to shed his hired band and get new players. Clarke insisted on keeping Pete McClanahan as his bass player, and recruited guitarist John Ricco and former
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
drummer Paul Ferguson.
In 1990, Warrior Soul released their first album, ''
Last Decade Dead Century
''Last Decade Dead Century'' is the debut album by the band Warrior Soul released in 1990. The album was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks on CD and MP3 by Escapi Music in 2006, and again on vinyl in 2009.
Track listing
# "I Se ...
''.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia compared it to
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
's ''
Nevermind
''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, ''Neve ...
'', saying that although comparable success eluded Warrior Soul, it explored similar themes. Rivadavia speculated that the nihilism of ''Nevermind'' may have resonated more with
Generation X
Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western world, Western demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years a ...
.
1991 saw Ferguson replaced on drums by Mark Evans, and the band's second album ''
Drugs, God and the New Republic
''Drugs, God and the New Republic'' is the second album by the band Warrior Soul released in 1991. It was the first album without drummer Paul Ferguson, who had been replaced by Mark Evans. The band supported the album by taking part in the "Tune ...
'' released, which took their anarchist leanings even further. A nationwide support tour with
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 ...
(with whom they shared management from the Q Prime agency) followed.
The following year saw the release of the band's third album, 1992's ''
Salutations from the Ghetto Nation
''Salutations from the Ghetto Nation'' is the third album by the American heavy metal band Warrior Soul
Warrior Soul is an American rock band, formed by lead singer and producer Kory Clarke. Clarke started the band on a bet from a promoter ...
'', and Clarke's relationship with Geffen sour. Clarke's interviews became increasingly bitter, often focusing on the band's record label, whom he accused of ignoring the group's potential. Eventually, Clarke resorted to an all-out war, telling all that the band's fourth release, 1993's ''
Chill Pill
''Chill Pill'' is the fourth album by the American metal band Warrior Soul, released in 1993. It was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks in 2006 by Escapi Music. Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks played harmonica on "High Road".
Critical re ...
'' had been botched on purpose in order to fulfill the band's contract. The ploy seemed to work, and by early 1994 Warrior Soul were dropped by Geffen.
A number of lineup changes ensued. Longtime guitarist John Ricco was ousted, replaced by two guitarists: Alexander Arundel (aka X-Factor aka Gene Poole ) and Chris Moffet (former
Cycle Sluts from Hell
The Cycle Sluts from Hell were an American heavy metal band from the late 1980s to early 1990s. The band was made up of four women singing under the stage names Queen Vixen, She-Fire of Ice, Honey One Percenter, and Venus Penis Crusher, backed ...
lead guitarist). Not long after, Mark Evans and Chris Moffet departed. At that time former Nuclear Assault/Cities/Cycle Sluts from Hell drummer Scott Duboys joined the band. The line-up now consisted of Clarke, Arundel, McClanahan and Duboys. Clarke sought to reinvent Warrior Soul as self-appointed cyberpunks for their fifth album, 1994's ''
The Space Age Playboys
''The Space Age Playboys'' is the fifth album by the band Warrior Soul. It was first released in the UK on Music For Nations
Music For Nations (MFN) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. It was a subsi ...
'', released on the independent Futurist label. At this time adding old friend and collaborator, Peter Jay on rhythm guitar. While touring in support of the album, Warrior Soul headlined the 1995 Kerrang! UK tour, as well as performing at the 1995 Dynamo Open Air Festival, and also at the 1995 Donnington Monsters of Rock concert.
After the performance of their last live show in September 1995, Arundel, Duboys, and longtime bassist McClanahan quit the band, leading in short order to Clarke's decision to retire the band later that year.
In 1996, ''Odds & Ends'' was released as a collection of demos recorded on an eight-track with Arundel, and leftover material that was originally intended for release on
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
.
The "classic" lineup of Clarke, Ricco, McClanahan, and Evans later reunited for a short tour and to go in the studio to re-record twelve of the bands' songs, released on Dream Catcher Records as ''Classics'' in 2000. All Warrior Soul albums were remastered and re-released on CD and MP3 in 2006 and 2009, including with bonus material (mostly live songs originally released as b-sides). The first three albums were also re-released on vinyl in 2009.
Clarke says many of their songs are politically based, such as "Blown Away", "Superpower Dreamland", "In Conclusion", and "Children of the Winter". Clarke describes the band's sound as "
acid punk
Neo-psychedelia is a diverse genre of psychedelic music that draws inspiration from the sounds of 1960s psychedelia, either updating or copying the approaches from that era. Originating in the 1970s, it has occasionally seen mainstream pop su ...
", particularly their ''The Space Age Playboys'' album.
Drummer Mark Evans was murdered in London, England, in 2005.
Reformation
In 2007 Clarke revived the name, and has been recording and touring with an ever-changing cast of musicians under the "Warrior Soul" name ever since.
Initially setting out on a tour of the UK, a live album soon followed. 2008 saw the band released a new studio album, initially titled ''Chinese Democracy'' (as a dig at the long-delayed
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
release), but quickly renamed ''Destroy the War Machine''.
In 2012, another new lineup released the studio album ''Stiff Middle Finger'' co-produced by Sue Gere and Kory Clarke, with Lundell still on guitar but joined by "Johnny H" and Xevi "Strings" Abellán, Danny Engstrom and Sue Gere on bass and drums by Freddie Cocker Kvarnebrink. Former band member John Ricco makes a guest appearance on guitar, as does The Mission guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite. The band embarked on a month-long European tour in November 2012, followed by a brief tour through the Eastern United States in December. Original bass player Pete McClanahan joined the live lineup for a few months in 2013. Christian Kimmett joined the band on bass in 2013 after McClanahan's departure, and Stevie Pearce joined on guitar a year later. This lineup undertook extensive touring of Europe and the US over the next three years and released a live album, ''Tough As Fuck'' in 2016. 2017 saw the release of a new studio album - ''Back On The Lash'' - with yet another new lineup, including the rhythm section from
Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser (vocals/guitar/bass guitar). They are widely ...
, Adam and Nate Arling, joined by guitarist John 'Full Throttle' Polachek.
In 2014 Clarke brought out a solo album recorded in Porto, Portugal ''Payback's A Bitch''. Co Producer Andre Indiana and Monica Ferraz on backing vocals make this album very unusual and diverse demonstrating the different sides to Clarke's musical abilities. Rolling Stone Germany gave the album full score.
Musical style
Eduardo Rivadavia of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described the band as a "kinetic
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...
quartet" and as "an outspoken
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 ...
outfit", whose "incendiary mix of anarchic art-rock and
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
heavy metal earned them a multi-album deal with Geffen Records".
Band members
Current members
* Kory Clarke (vocals)
* Adam Arling (bass)
* John "Full Throttle" Polachek (guitar)
* Nate Arling (drums)
Former members
* Pete McClanahan (bass)
* Dennis Post (guitar)
* John Ricco (guitar)
*
Paul Ferguson
Matthew Paul Ferguson (born 31 March 1958) is an English rock drummer, best known for his work in the post-punk/ industrial group Killing Joke and cult English punk band Pink Parts. Following a stint as the drummer with the London-based Matt St ...
(drums)
* Mark Evans (drums)
* Alexander "X-Factor" Arundel (guitar)
* Chris Moffet (guitar)
* Scott Duboys (drums)
* Mike McNamara (bass)
* Peter Jay (guitar)
* Rille Lundell (guitar)
* Rob "Stevo" Stephenson (drums)
* Janne Jarvis (bass)
* Johnny H (guitar)
* Daniel "Danny" Engstrom (bass)
* Sue Gere (bass)
* Xevi "Strings" Abellán (guitar)
* Johan Lindström (drums)
* Christian Kimmett (bass)
* Hector D (drums)
Discography
Albums
*(1990) ''
Last Decade Dead Century
''Last Decade Dead Century'' is the debut album by the band Warrior Soul released in 1990. The album was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks on CD and MP3 by Escapi Music in 2006, and again on vinyl in 2009.
Track listing
# "I Se ...
''
*(1991) ''
Drugs, God and the New Republic
''Drugs, God and the New Republic'' is the second album by the band Warrior Soul released in 1991. It was the first album without drummer Paul Ferguson, who had been replaced by Mark Evans. The band supported the album by taking part in the "Tune ...
''
*(1992) ''
Salutations from the Ghetto Nation
''Salutations from the Ghetto Nation'' is the third album by the American heavy metal band Warrior Soul
Warrior Soul is an American rock band, formed by lead singer and producer Kory Clarke. Clarke started the band on a bet from a promoter ...
''
*(1993) ''
Chill Pill
''Chill Pill'' is the fourth album by the American metal band Warrior Soul, released in 1993. It was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks in 2006 by Escapi Music. Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks played harmonica on "High Road".
Critical re ...
''
*(1994) ''
The Space Age Playboys
''The Space Age Playboys'' is the fifth album by the band Warrior Soul. It was first released in the UK on Music For Nations
Music For Nations (MFN) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. It was a subsi ...
''
*(1996) ''Odds & Ends'' (also released under the title ''Fucker'' in Europe.)
*(2000) ''Classics''
*(2008) ''Live in England''
*(2009) ''Destroy the War Machine'' (originally released as ''Chinese Democracy'', also released as ''...And We Rock and Roll!'')
*(2012) ''Stiff Middle Finger''
*(2016) ''Tough as Fuck: Live in Athens''
*(2017) ''Back on the Lash''
*(2019) ''Rock 'N' Roll Disease''
*(2020) ''Cocaine And Other Good Stuff''
*(2022) ''Out on Bail''
Singles
*(1990) "We Cry Out": 1. "We Cry Out" (LP Version)
*(1990) "The Losers"
*(1991) "Hero" : 1. "Hero" (LP version) 2. "Twenty Four Hours" (previously unreleased) 3. "Ghetto Nation" (Different from released version)
*(1991) "The Wasteland" : 1. "The Wasteland" (Censored Version) 2. "The Wasteland" (LP Version)
*(1992) "Ghetto Nation" : 1. "Ghetto Nation" (album version) 2. "Intro" (live) 3. "Love Destruction" (live) 4. "Blown" (live)
*(1992) "Love Destruction"
*(1995) "Space Age Singles" : 1. "The Drug" (edit) 2. "I Wanna Get Some" (edit) 3. "The Drug" (album version) 4. "I Wanna Get Some" (album version)