atomic_opera
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Groove Metal\\ | Groove Metal\\ | ||
Houston, Texas, USA | Houston, Texas, USA | ||
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+ | At some point, Frank Hart was a part of a band called [[Love in Grey]] before forming Atomic Opera. | ||
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+ | Atomic Opera formed in September 1991 when founding member Frank Hart moved from Missouri and joined forces with producer/ | ||
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+ | In December 1991, Atomic Opera went into Rampart recording studio with producer Sam Taylor, and Engineer Steve Ames to record a demo consisting of the songs "For Madmen Only", "Daze of Love In Grey", "The Meaningless Word," and " | ||
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+ | In September 1992, Sonnier quit the band, and was replaced on bass by his good friend and bass tech, Jonas Velasco. | ||
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+ | In 1994, after Derek Shulman, president of Collision Arts (a subsidiary of Giant Records) saw the band play live at Zelda' | ||
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+ | Often compared with [[King' | ||
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+ | The band's label Collision Arts ceased operations, and Atomic Opera found itself without a home, and released their next two albums without a supporting label. After struggling to gain mainstream popularity, the band broke up in 1995 and parted ways with Taylor. Hart continued to write music and decided to release a follow up album in 1997 under the Atomic Opera name called //Penguin Dust//, recruiting former drummer Mark Poindexter and multi-instrumentalist [[Kemper Crabb]] to assist; this album was released directly by Hart and shopped to various independent outlets. | ||
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+ | Due to the strength of //Penguin Dust//, Metal Blade Records quickly signed the band to a long term deal. Crabb became a full-time member, with longtime Hart friends John Simmons and Ryan Birsinger also rounding out the lineup. While working on new material, Hart compiled the album //Alpha and Oranges//, a collection of unreleased demos originally from the //For Madmen Only// lineup, and released this independently as well. In 2000, the band released //Gospel Cola// on Metal Blade with its new lineup; the album garnered some positive notice in both Christian and mainstream music outlets. | ||
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+ | Since that time, the band have endured a lot of setbacks (such as a flooded recording studio) and pursued various side projects (such as raising families, session work, multimedia projects, Hart's role as worship leader at a Houston area church, and managing Hart's label Feverdream Records). After adding [[Trip Wamsley]] to the lineup in 2004, and parting ways with Metal Blade, the band were working on a new album called //The Mystery of Hope//, but there has been no news on this effort for several years. The band did have a reunion concert in late 2014 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of //For Madmen Only//, in addition to re-releasing a remaster of the album with bonus tracks. | ||
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+ | ------ | ||
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+ | The Atomic Opera Timeline from the old Atomic Opera website: | ||
+ | * **September, | ||
+ | * **November, 1991:** Atomic Opera signs a production deal with Wilde Silas Musicworks (Sam Taylor' | ||
+ | * **December, 1991:** Atomic Opera goes into Rampart Recording studio with Sam Taylor and Steve Ames (engineer) to record the first demo. (Songs recorded: "For Madmen Only," "Daze of Love in Grey," "The Meaningless Word," and " | ||
+ | * **January, 1992:** Atomic Opera goes back to Rampart Recording studio with Sam Taylor and Steve Ames to record four more songs. (Songs: " | ||
+ | * **June, 1992:** Atomic Opera flies to New York City to play at The Ritz, opening for King's X. It is the only time Atomic Opera & King's X had done a show together (until November 2000 at Numbers in Houston.) | ||
+ | * **September, | ||
+ | * **March, 1993:** Derek Shulman (President of Collision Arts, also signed Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Pantera) is invited by Sam Taylor to see the band play at Zelda' | ||
+ | * **April, 1993:** Atomic Opera go into Rivendell Recording Studio (Rampart went out of business) with Sam Taylor and Brian Garcia (engineer for [[King' | ||
+ | * **May, 1993:** The band submits a demo that they have recorded on an 8-track in their rehearsal room (Songs: Justice, I Know Better, New Dreams, World Without End, Wilde Times, American Atheist Hour, Let Go, I Hear the Rain, and Mountain) After hearing the tapes Derek offers the band a major recording deal on Collision Arts Records to be distributed through Giant Records, which is distributed through Warner Brothers Records, BMG worldwide. | ||
+ | * **July, 1993:** Atomic Opera goes into Rivendell Recording studio with Sam Taylor and Steve Ames to begin recording //For Madmen Only//. Frank Hart begins working on album art with Allison Smythe (graphic designer). Ryan Birsinger is engineer assistant. | ||
+ | * **October, 1993:** The record //For Madmen Only// is finished, mastered, artwork, everything. The record is to be released at the end of January. | ||
+ | * **January, 1994:** Atomic Opera signs a major publishing deal with Warner Chappell. | ||
+ | * **March, 1994:** Atomic Opera and Sam Taylor go to West Texas with Film Xero to film the first video, " | ||
+ | * **May, 1994:** //For Madmen Only// is finally released. An album release party is held at Fitzgerald' | ||
+ | * **June, 1994:** The band goes into Rivendell Recording studio with Ryan Birsinger to record their version of the Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young Song " | ||
+ | * **July, 1994:** Atomic Opera goes on tour with Dio. (These were days of great fun!) | ||
+ | * **August, 1994:** Video for " | ||
+ | * **October, 1994:** The Dio tour ends. Atomic Opera flies to Providence, RI for a big radio station birthday party (HJY.) It is inevitable that Giant will drop all of Derek Shulman' | ||
+ | * **December, 1994:** While Collision Arts is waiting to go under, Atomic Opera goes on a tour (self-financed) of small clubs around the country. | ||
+ | * **January, 1994:** Collision Arts dies. | ||
+ | * **March, 1994:** Atomic Opera returns to Houston and begins writing more material to demo and shop for a new record label. | ||
+ | * **April / May, 1994:** Atomic Opera shoots two videos as part of their demo (" | ||
+ | * **July, 1994:** The band separates from their long time producer/ mentor/ friend, Sam Taylor. They continued to hope, and were working very hard to stay together and make music. | ||
+ | * **August, 1994 - July, 1996:** Over 100 new songs are written, but it becomes hard to keep morale up. A couple of small independent record companies try to make a deal with the band, but nothing becomes of it. | ||
+ | * **August, 1996:** Jonathan Marshall and Jonas Velasco quit the band to take serious day jobs. They are replaced by [[Kemper Crabb]]. | ||
+ | * **March, 1996:** Frank goes into Rivendell Recording studio with Ryan Birsinger and Jerry Gaskill to record drums tracks for a new record. All of the songs that eventually become //Penguin Dust// are recorded, except for " | ||
+ | * **June, 1997:** //Penguin Dust// tracks are finally recorded. Frank recorded all bass, guitars, cellos, vocals, Kemper' | ||
+ | * **July, 1997:** The CDs arrive at the [[Cornerstone Music Festival]] in Illinois, and are made available for the first time. The band hopes to get distribution for the album, and tour. | ||
+ | * **October, 1997:** //HM Video Magazine Volume 4// features a segment on Atomic Opera. It includes interview footage of Frank, Kemper, and Ryan, as well as the videos for " | ||
+ | * **November, 1997:** John Simmons joins band and replaces Mark Poindexter on drums. (John is the former drummer for Toy Subs, From Now On, and other notable Houston Bands.) Ryan Birsinger joins the band as bass player. | ||
+ | * **September, | ||
+ | * **January, 1999:** Metal Blade Records sign Atomic Opera to a two record deal. They first will be titled //Gospel Cola// and the recording will begin in February at Frank' | ||
+ | * **January, 1999:** Atomic Opera releases //Alpha & Oranges// through the fan club. It is a ten song CD of previously unreleased out takes. [[Massive Groove Productions]] assists in manufacturing of the first thousand. | ||
+ | * **January, 2000:** //Gospel Cola// is in the... can. Metal Blade will release the new Atomic Opera Album in April. The 19th in Christian Music Stores through Diamante, and the 25th Through RED to the mainstream market. | ||
+ | * **March, 2000:** Gunter Ford at World Management hears the new CD and LOVES it ... He is soon the new manager of Atomic Opera | ||
===== Discography ===== | ===== Discography ===== | ||
Line 13: | Line 70: | ||
| 1994 | Home Studio Demos | | | 1994 | Home Studio Demos | | ||
| 1997 | Penguin Dust | | | 1997 | Penguin Dust | | ||
- | | 1999 | Alpha and Oranges | Magdalene Records | + | | 1997 | Penguin Dust (censored cover reissue) | [[Massive Groove Productions]] | |
+ | | 1999 | Alpha and Oranges | [[Massive Groove Productions]] | ||
| 2000 | Gospel Cola | Metal Blade Records | | | 2000 | Gospel Cola | Metal Blade Records | | ||
| 2014 | For Madmen Only (20 Years Later) | | | 2014 | For Madmen Only (20 Years Later) | | ||
Line 156: | Line 214: | ||
------ | ------ | ||
- | //(...to be continued...)// | + | ==== Penguin Dust ==== |
+ | |||
+ | 1997 A Comic Opera Music\\ | ||
+ | 1997 [[Massive Groove Productions]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | Frank Hart - Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, cello\\ | ||
+ | [[Kemper Crabb]] - Mandolin, vocals\\ | ||
+ | Mark Poindexter - Drums | ||
+ | |||
+ | Todd Bragg - Cymbal on " | ||
+ | Garrett Buell - Percussion on " | ||
+ | |||
+ | - Make a God | ||
+ | - Stop the Rain | ||
+ | - Fade | ||
+ | - Thirst | ||
+ | - God of Hate | ||
+ | - November | ||
+ | - Spirit of Age | ||
+ | - FreakShow | ||
+ | - WaterGrave | ||
+ | - FeverDream | ||
+ | |||
+ | ------ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Alpha & Oranges ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | 1999 [[Massive Groove Productions]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | - Rain Parade | ||
+ | - For Madmen Only | ||
+ | - All These Things | ||
+ | - Feverdream #1 | ||
+ | - Magic Castle | ||
+ | - Love in Grey | ||
+ | - Meaningless Word | ||
+ | - Paper Tiger | ||
+ | - Spinning | ||
+ | - Let Go | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ------ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Gospel Cola ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | 2000 Metal Blade Records | ||
+ | |||
+ | Frank Hart - Vocals, guitar, cello\\ | ||
+ | Ryan Birsinger - Bass, Chapman Stick, vocals\\ | ||
+ | John Simmons - Drums, percussion, vocals\\ | ||
+ | [[Kemper Crabb]] - Vocals, mandolin, dulcimer, recorder, bouzouki, harmonica, ocarina | ||
+ | |||
+ | - Jesus Junk (3:29) | ||
+ | - October (3:58) | ||
+ | - Winterland (4:02) | ||
+ | - Reiah Discerns the Times (2:20) | ||
+ | - Malediction (5:30) | ||
+ | - My Head (3:59) | ||
+ | - Silence (2:48) | ||
+ | - Muse (6:02) | ||
+ | - Love is as Strong as Death (3:59) | ||
+ | - The Circle is Closed (4:49) | ||
+ | - Stop My Heart (3:35) | ||
+ | - Doxology (5:58) | ||
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atomic_opera.1669903226.txt.gz · Last modified: 2022/12/01 14:00 by admin