Satanicide are an American, New York City-based mock metal/glam metal[1][2] band formed in 1999 that styles themselves and their music to represent, tongue-in-cheek,[1] the heavy metal music scene of the 1980s in New Jersey.[3][4] Self-described as portraying a lifestyle "where the mullet and kick-ass rock 'n' roll still live", the members sport big hair and spandex and leather stagewear.[3] As part of their presentation, Santanicide plays party anthems and power ballads with a mixture of satire and affection.[3] In 2003, the group were described in The Drama Review as an "irreverent, demonic death-metal turned glam turned cock-rock band".[5] The original four member band consists of frontman Dale "Devlin Mayhem" May, guitarist Phil "Aleister Cradley" Costello, drummer Andrew "Sloth Vader" Griffiths, and bassist Pemberton "The Baron Klaus Von Goaten" Roach.[3] Pemberton was replaced by bassist Jake "Vargas Von Goaten" Garcia in 2003, who was subsequently replaced by Drew Thurlow, followed by Patrick Quade.[6]

Satanicide
OriginNew York City, U.S.
GenresDeath metal, glam metal
Years active1999–present
MembersDale May
Phil Costello
Andrew Griffiths
Patrick Quade
Past membersPemberton Roach
Jake Garcia
Drew Thurlow
Royce Peterson
Websitesatanicide.com

History

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In the late 1990s, Dale May (a photographer) and Phil Costello[7][8] were in a group called Peanut 23.[1] Peanut 23's quirky original songs were far from successful.[1] One night, both Dale and Phil put on their girlfriends' wigs and spent the evening "acting like a couple of kids in from Jersey, kicking over trash cans, talking the talk."[1] After a positive reception that night to an uninvited, impromptu performance on a club's stage, Dale and Phil decided to form their own band.[1] Drummer Andrew Griffiths was recruited from a trip hop band called Puracane, and bassist Pemberton Roach was added to complete Satanicide.[1]

In August 1999, Satanicide played the Maxwell's music club in Hoboken, New Jersey.[9] Previously used to getting perhaps 30 people to come out for a Peanut 23 show, Satanicide brought in hundreds.[1] In January 2003, Satanicide played a gig at the Sundance Film Festival in support of a short film made by the band.[1]

By March 2003, Satanicide were a popular act on the New York music scene.[10] Their humorous stage shows were viewed as creating a certain mood which allowed for improvized audience embellishment.[10] The William Morris Agency agreed to represent Satanicide and worked with the band to produce a film treatment for a television series.[1] However, Dale and Phil's songwriting chemistry did not translate into scriptwriting chemistry and the treatment was tabled.[1]

Four years after they formed, Satanicide sought to replace bassist Pemberton Roach in August 2003 because Pemberton "secretly liked Billy Joel."[1][11] In advertising for the bassist position, Satanicide listed the required qualifications as musical "chops"; "hott [sic] girlfriend to share with band"; "disposable income to buy coke, booze and whores"; and "when hearing the Dave Matthews Band, must be overcome by impulsive desire to kill."[11] Darediablo's Jake Garcia took over as the Baron's younger brother Vargas Von Goaten in 2003. The current bassist is Sebastian Von Goaten.[6]

In September 2004, the website heatherband.com was created.[12] In December 2004, Satanicide announced that they had changed their name to Heather, listing heatherband.com as their website.[13] In addition, the group became "the group formerly known as Satanicide", jettisoning the big-hair wigs and at least some of the shtick.[13] In July 2005, Satanicide announced that they were getting together for a reunion performance at the Bowery Ballroom, a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City.[14] Some question whether they in fact broke up in the first place.[14]

By May 2005, Satanicide had appeared in a Cingular commercial and were headlining at the Bowery Ballroom.[7] In April 2007, the Chinese gangsta rap trio Notorious MSG released their Lunch Money EP, with Satanicide's vocalist Dale "Devlin Mayhem" May providing the chorus vocals to the Warlord song.[15]

In 2007, Phil co-founded Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees and Beyond, with New York City musician Royce Peterson.[16]

In 2008, Patrick Quade became Satanicide's bassist, assuming the stage name "The Baron Klaus von Goaten IV".[17] From 2012 to 2014, Tragedy's Royce Peterson joined Satanicide on lead guitar, under the stage name "Rolls Royce Peterson".[18]

Presentation

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In the Satanicide act, the band members hurl themselves into the crowd to scatter their fans as a way of mocking the rocker practice of stage diving/crowd surfing.[1] They wear Barbie wigs to give them the big hair appearance of a glam metal rocker.[1] In addition to this New York-based band claiming that they are from "Jer-Z", they spout elaborate lies related to casual sex conquests and call to mind This Is Spinal Tap, the 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about a fictional renowned metal band.[1] The Satanicide members typically wear sleeveless T-shirts and circulation-inhibiting leather pants while they mimic many styles of metal.[1] Their act calls to mind a mixture of Probot, Tenacious D, The Darkness, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, The Upper Crust, and This Is Spinal Tap.[1]

Members

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  • Dale May – lead singer[19]
  • Phil Costello – guitarist[19]
  • Andrew Griffiths – drummer[19]
  • Patrick Quade – bassist

Discography

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  • Heather – 2003[20] The title track of Satanicide's debut album, Heather, is a Bic-lighter ballad about a girl whose name "everybody knows . . . from reading the bathroom stalls."[1][21] Also on the album is a Dungeons & Dragons game tribute called "20 Sided Die" that summons the spirit of Ronnie James Dio, as well as a Bon Jovi-like ode to the big city called "NYC 2 Nite".[1]
  • Cradle the Balls – 1997[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Lindgren, Hugo. (September 7, 2003) The New York Times Cranking the Volume to 11, Just Like Their Heroes. Section: 9; Page 96.
  2. ^ Rose, Lisa. (October 28, 2001) The Star-Ledger Popspot – Haunting sounds at Halloween concerts. Section: Spotlight; Page 16.
  3. ^ a b c d Lustig, Jay. (August 19, 2001) The Star-Ledger Popspot – N.Y. band in a Jersey state of mind.
  4. ^ Danton, Eric R. (November 17, 2003) The Hartford Courant Hard-rock acts are offering comic relief. Section: Life; Page D1.
  5. ^ Brehm, Katharine A. (Spring 2003). "Satancide". TDR/The Drama Review. 47 (1 (T177)). MIT Press Journals: 86–88. doi:10.1162/105420403321250026. S2CID 246279007. Retrieved June 20, 2008. Popular on the current New York music scene, this irreverent, demonic death-metal turned glam turned cock-rock band spawns a certain mood in their per-formances that supports not only their raucous music, but also a wildly funny, exaggerated stage show with improvised audience embellishment.
  6. ^ a b Peisner, David. (January 2, 2004) Chicago Reader We Want Fun. Volume 33; Issue 14; Page 20.
  7. ^ a b La Gorce, Tammy. (May 14, 2006) The New York Times Music; Sure, I Rock, But I Need Health Care. Section: 14NJ; Page 10.
  8. ^ New York Attorney search. Accessed June 21, 2008.
  9. ^ The New York Times (August 1, 1999) On the towns. Section: 14NJ; Page 12.
  10. ^ a b Brehm, Katharine A. (March 2003) The Drama Review Satanicide. Volume 47; Issue 1; Page 86.
  11. ^ a b Huhn, Mary. (August 17, 2003) New York Post High notes & low notes. Section: New York Pulse; Page 44.
  12. ^ "heatherband.com whois lookup – who.is". Who.is. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Stewart, Sara. (December 12, 2004) New York Post Hot List – What we're obsessed with this week. Section: Sunday Pulse; Page 84.
  14. ^ a b Huhn, Mary. (July 29, 2005) New York Post We dig Brian Jonestown Massacre. Section: New York Pulse; Page 65.
  15. ^ Mazmanian, Adam. (May 11, 2007) Washington City Paper Lunch Money EP. Volume 27; Issue 19; Page 48.
  16. ^ "Tragedy : All Metal Tribute To The Bee Gees And Beyond". Letsmaketragedyhappen.com. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Dale May". Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  18. ^ "Satanicide Live in Concert!". Facebook.com. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Lindgren, Hugo (September 7, 2003). "Cranking the Volume to 11, Just Like Their Heroes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  20. ^ a b "Satancide > Discography > Main Albums". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  21. ^ Davis, Hays. (September 18, 2003) Richmond Times-Dispatch Satanicide: "Heather" Section: Weekend; D16.
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