The
first incarnation of a real band occurred in 1992, with a sharp guitar
sound (Killjo) that was melodic but had a real edge.With songs like
“Voodoo Baby”, “Four Four Four”, and “Sandman”, the band began to take
on the classification of “Deathrock”, moving them beyond the original
“Batcave” or “Dance” label of the first songs that were recorded. In
the late 90’s the band went through a change of members. Psychobilly
guitarist (Daniel DeLeon) and ‘77 punk bassist (ChrisNotsoverynice)
morphed the band into a cleaner, more melodic retro sound.
Songs
like “13th Floor” and “Swingtime” are perfect examples of the influence
that the 90’s lounge and big band styles of had on the band. During the
late 90’s and into 2000, the band developed their post punk sound,
incorporating sharper guitars and catchy melodies as heard on the song
“Suicide Drive”.
Their
2005 release, Shadowland, on Duane Peters’ (U.S. Bombs) Disaster
Records, is a terrific fusion of what the band had been- a strictly
gothic-style band- and their new approach to making music, which
integrated older material and presented it in a new way. Early punk
influences infiltrated this album in songs like “Space Invaders” and
“Society’s Parasite”. Songs were becoming shorter, less structured, and
as a result of heavy touring, backup vocals were added to the mix. With
the release of Bad Blood in 2007, the band emerged with a new sound
once again- the songs ignited their live shows into high energy
performances.
Currently,
guitarist Stress, bassist Rob Graver, and drummer Dar Larizadeh have
built the band into a powerful force, a big contrast from their humble
beginnings as a performance art project.
