Whatever Happened To...#22: Red Sun Rising

 Red Sun Rising was an up-and-coming group that had a few trendy radio songs over the last 15 years or so. I was impressed by a bit of their set at Northern Invasion in WI a few summers ago. I didn't get to see them play again, and with their band members now split into other groups, I might not get the chance to hear them in concert again. 

The group began in 2006. Guitarist Ryan Williams and lead singer Mike Priotich were high school classmates and happened to strike up a conversation about music one day. A year later, Red Sun Rising was born and the band started playing concerts in and around Akron, OH. Second guitarist Tyler Valendza joined the group in 2011.

Red Sun Rising released a self-titled album in 2010 and a follow-up, Making of Kings, in 2011 independently. Self-issued EPs The Fix and Into Forever would follow in 2012 and 2013, respectively. They signed with Razor & Tie Records in 2014 and their first major label release, Polyester Zeal, debuted in August 2015. By then, Dave McGarry had replaced Valendza. Ricky Miller had also joined the group as a bass guitarist and Pat Gerasia was now the group's drummer. Songs such as "Amnesia," "The Otherside" and "Emotionless" were top ten radio hits that propelled them to the national rock forefront. 

A second major label effort, Thread, was released in 2018, along with an EP entitled Peel in 2019. In December 2020, Red Sun Rising announced that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus. Since then, Gerasia, McGarry, and Priotich launched a new group called The Violent. They are releasing new music under that moniker and touring on a somewhat regular basis. Williams is involved in his new band, New Monarch, which has also been recording songs. 

With the side projects taking off, it seems unlikely that Red Sun Rising will return to prominence any time soon. I wish all of the group members the very best, whether the band that started it all for them resumes or not. I'm thankful that I was along for the ride, at least for a little while anyway.

Well, that's all for this weekend. Next time, I'll discuss Slip Twister, a great local band that doesn't play very much anymore. Until then, have a very happy and safe holiday weekend!

Whatever Happened To...#21: Cinderella

Cinderella was one of the most popular hair metal bands from the Eighties. I'm glad I could see them play live at Halfway Jam, a now-defunct music festival that was only about an hour from my home. After their set, frontman Tom Kiefer looked thoroughly exhausted but happy by the reactions from the crowd. Unfortunately, that would be the only time I'd ever see them live in concert.

Bass guitarist Eric Brittingham and Kiefer formed the group in 1983 in Clifton Heights, PA. Drummer Tony Destra and guitarist Michael Shermick rounded out the original roster. Two years later, they had a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram Records and two new band members, drummer Jim Drnec and guitarist Jeff LaBar. Shermick and Destra had already departed to become founding members of the band Britny Fox.

Cinderella's first studio album, Night Songs, debuted in June 1986 and quickly went triple platinum. They soon toured with fellow hair metallers Poison and opened for Bon Jovi and David Lee Roth. They took on more of a bluesier sound with their sophomore effort, Long Cold Winter, in 1988. They went on to tour in support of that record, sharing stages with acts including Skid Row, the Scorpions, Motley Crue, and Ozzy Osbourne. 

The band continued their blues rock recording with their third album Heartbreak Station which debuted in 1990. Fans would have to wait 4 more years until their fourth album Still Climbing would be released, The delay was partially due to Kiefer's hemorrhage and vocal cyst surgeries. The album was Cinderella's first recording with drummer Kenny Aronoff. Still Climbing didn't chart nearly as well as their previous three albums, and the group was later cut loose by Mercury Records.

Cinderella took a break until 1996. A greatest hits compilation, Once Upon A..., was issued by Mercury Records in 1997, followed by the group's first live record, Live At the Key Club which debuted on Cleopatra Records in 1999. They toured sporadically after their hiatus for the next five years and were even signed by Sony Records at one point. Cinderella never got to record for that label and was embroiled in a legal battle with them for 3 years. 

The band continued to tour with contemporaries such as Quiet Riot and Firehouse until Kiefer needed another surgery in 2008, this time to repair a hemorrhaged vocal cord. By then, Brittingham and Labar were already busy with side projects, so Cinderella didn't resume touring again until 2010.

Cinderella had a heavy national and international touring schedule in the years that followed. They embarked on festival and headlining tours, along with the Monsters of Rock cruise. In 2017, Kiefer announced that problems within the band would likely prevent Cinderella from ever reforming, recording or touring together again. In July 2021, LaBar passed away at the age of 58.

It's too bad that we won't get to see the members of Cinderella rock crowds again. However, Kiefer's solo band is still going strong. I may have to make an effort to see them play sometime. I've heard that their sets are chock full of original compositions and many of the Cinderella classics that I've grown to love. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about Red Sun Rising, a great band that has since splintered off into a few new acts. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#20: Letters from the Fire

 Letters from the Fire was a band that I saw live in concert twice, each time fronted by a different singer. I saw them open for Nonpoint at the Fine Line in Minneapolis and as an opening act for Seether at the Myth in Maplewood MN a few years later. I still have the photos and CDs from both shows.

The group originated in 2012 in San Francisco, CA. They released an EP called Rebirth in 2012 and a self-titled EP 2 years later. Their original lineup consisted of singer Carley Coma, guitarists Cameron Stucky and Mike Keller, and drummer Brian Sumwalt. Coma left the band after only a year and was replaced by Elliot Weber. 

Their first full-length album, Worth the Pain, debuted in 2016. The title cut was the band's first hit single and they toured with Black Stone Cherry, Lacey Sturm, and Adelitas Way. The album was their first recording with vocalist Alexa Kabazie. Music videos were produced for the album tracks "Control" and "Worth the Pain."

Nina Bergman joined Letters from the Fire as the group's fourth singer in 2017, shortly after they made plans to record their second album. Drummer Seth Hostetter had also joined the band by then after Sumwalt departed. The disc was self-titled and debuted in June 2018. The song "Comfort You" was issued as a single and Letters from the Fire toured with Palisades, but they didn't last much longer. Letters from the Fire was dissolved by at least the end of 2019.

Despite the lineup changes, I still thought they were a very enjoyable band. They didn't make it big, but Letters from the Fire had a good stage presence and interacted with their fans and followers regularly. Some members have moved on to other music ventures while others have dropped out of the spotlight completely. I still dig out the discs I bought at their shows when I want to reminisce about those concerts.

Well, that's a wrap for Letters from the Fire. Next time, I'll write about legendary hair metal rockers Cinderella. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Whatever Happened To...#19: Crash Kings

 Crash Kings was an unusual band that I saw perform once at the Myth in Maplewood, MN. They opened for Stone Temple Pilots during their 20th-anniversary tour for their first album, Core. I noticed that this group was the only one I'd seen to date that didn't have at least one band member play an electric or acoustic guitar during their set. They were good, but I don't think they've been very active at all for about a decade.

Bassist Mike Beliveau and his older brother Tony, a singer/keyboardist, were both interested in music at early ages. They grew up in the Boston, MA suburb of Andover. Both brothers would go on to study at the Berklee College of Music. The brothers would eventually relocate to Los Angeles, CA before forming Crash Kings.

Percussionist/drummer Tom Roslak rounded out the trio. Musician and songwriter signed Crash Kings to Custard Records not long after the group began. Their self-titled debut album was released in May 2009. A second disc, entitled Dark of the Daylight, debuted in 2013 after the band had raised enough funds through their Kickstarter campaign to issue the record. 

Not much has been published about Crash Kings since their sophomore album debuted, so I'm led to believe that they're either inactive or have since disbanded. They were unusual but fun to see on stage. Maybe they'll be back on stages again, or not. Time will tell.

Well, that's all for this article. Next up is Letters from the Fire. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#18: American Fangs

 I only saw American Fangs perform once in concert. They were one of the opening acts for Sevendust at a show at the Myth in Maplewood, MN a few years back. I remember that they had a lot of energy onstage. I also noticed one of their rather beat-up amps and realized that not everyone can make a comfortable living in the music industry.

The group called Houston, Texas home when they began in 2008. They released a self-titled EP in 2009, to be followed by the Pomona EP in 2013. A full-length self-titled disc in 2013 and their second album, Dirty Legs, would be issued in 2015. Their lineup was made of Kenyon Punteney and Chris Goodwin on guitars, Kyle Shimek on bass guitar, drummer Micah Miller and lead singer Gabriel Cavasos. 

American Fangs toured with Sevendust, Papa Roach, Fall Out Boy, Hollywood Undead, and others. It wasn't uncommon to see them performing at festivals such as Carolina Rebellion, SXSW, Rock on the Range, ShipRocked, Rocklahoma, and several more before their breakup in 2016. The song "Pomona" was probably their best-known tune. In 2013, the group garnered some notoriety after it was reported that a crazed fan who claimed to be a vampire put a barricade through American Fangs' tour bus window and assaulted one of the group's members during a show at the La Crosse Center in Wisconsin. 

Even though I didn't know much about this band, I was surprised to learn that they weren't around anymore. They had a brief but entertaining history. I don't know what the band members are doing right now, but it wouldn't surprise me if they're busy following their dreams, whether they're making music or pursuing other ventures. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll cover Crash Kings-the only rock group that I've seen to date that didn't have a guitarist in their lineup. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#17: American Head Charge

 American Head Charge was a Minnesota staple. I admired this group for years before I got to see them live in concert. I even wrote about them in one of my first fiction efforts almost two decades ago. I was fortunate enough to see them a few times in MN and WI, and that doesn't include seeing founding member Chad Hanks guest for a friend's band in St. Cloud a few years before his passing. 

The group went by names such as Warsaw Ghetto Pussy, Gestapo Pussy Ranch, and Flux during their formative years in the late 1990s. They finally agreed on the name American Head Charge, not knowing that there was another band that existed with the similar sounding name African Head Charge. AHC released their debut album Trepanation in 1999. At that time, the lineup consisted of singer Cameron Heacock, guitarist/bassist Chad Hanks, drummer Peter Harmon, guitarist David Rogers, and keyboardist Chris Emery. 

American Head Charge underwent a few lineup changes that year as Harmon soon left the group. Emery slid over to drums as Justin Fowler joined them on keyboards along with sampler Aaron Zilch and guitarist Wayne Kile. The group signed a deal with the Columbia Records imprint American Recordings in 2000 after System of a Down bass guitarist Shavo Odadjian recommended them to Rick Rubin.

Their first American Recordings effort, The War of Art, was released in August 2001. It did well until the events of 9/11/2001. AHC were regulars on the third stage of Ozzfest that year. They went on to tour with Coal Chamber, Otep, Static-X, Mudvayne, Hatebreed, and others before Kile left the band in 2002. He would eventually be replaced by former Black Flood Diesel guitarist Bryan Ottoson.

Drug addiction took over the lives of several band members in the first few years of the 21st Century. American Head Charge signed with DRT Entertainment in 2004 after being granted a release from their American Recordings contract by Rubin. Their third full-length disc, The Feeding, was released in February 2005. Album tracks "Cowards" and "Loyalty" were soon issued as singles.

An accidental prescription drug overdose took the life of Ottoson on April 19, 2005. The guitarist was found dead on a bunk of the group's tour bus shortly before they were scheduled to perform on one of their tour dates with Mudvayne. They soldiered on for a couple more years and issued their first-ever DVD, Can't Stop the Machine on the Nitrus Records label in 2007. AHC would go on hiatus soon thereafter. 

A press release saying that American Head Charge had broken up was released in August 2009. The statement cited Heacock's inability to keep writing and making music as the reason for the group's demise. AHC received hundreds of submissions from potential replacement singers, but none of them were deemed to be up to their standards. In January 2011, their MySpace page added new content for the first time in years. A few months later, Hanks announced on Twitter, that AHC was back together. He, Fowler, Heacock, Emery, and guitarist Karma Cheema were the quartet that made up their updated lineup.

A five-song EP entitled Shoot debuted in July 2013. AHC released the EP themselves without a record label and had already toured with Dead Horse Trauma, Gabriel and the Apocalypse, and other groups before its release. Sin Quinn had joined American Head Charge as a second guitarist during their smaller tours before the EP release.

In 2014, AHC introduced an Indiegogo fundraiser for their fourth full-length album. VIP access to American Head Charge concerts, being on the band's guest list for life, having contributors' names appear in the record's liner notes, and performing with the group were some of the perks that were offered as part of the campaign. They far exceeded their initial goal, and the group went on to tour with Powerman 5000, Hed PE, Combichrist, Coal Chamber, and others before Tango Umbrella was issued in March 2016 on the Napalm Records label. 

Chad Hanks passed away on November 12, 2017, at 46 years of age after a lengthy undisclosed illness. Two weeks later to the day, a memorial concert was held for him at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Many current and former bandmates and friends from the local music scene attended and performed to honor their fallen friend. In April 2018, Heacock was arrested in Costa Mesa, CA for driving a stolen van that contained stolen merchandise, including multiple guitars. The group had scheduled several shows in 2020 with a revamped lineup, but those concerts were later canceled as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted almost everything around the globe.

I attended AHC's last Minnesota show at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis before Hanks' death. I remember being so close to the guys at a show in a small venue in WI once that I almost fell forward onto one of the guitarists when the crowd behind me surged forward. I still have a few of their guitar picks, and I'll be sure to look for their star on the outside of First Avenue when I visit the building again in a few weeks. AHC may or may not reform once more, but if they do, it won't be the same. That's okay because I still have the memories of several great shows to keep me happy. 

Well, that's all for this article. Next up is the group American Fangs. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#16: Emphatic

 Emphatic was a band I saw live in concert a few times in MN and WI. The first show was as a support act for Theory of a Deadman and Alter Bridge at the MN State Fair Grandstand during the Carnival of Madness Tour several years ago. Some of the band members are now performing in the band known as Through Fire.

Lead guitarist Justin McCain started Emphatic back in 2004. They released a self-titled debut disc the following year. Their first EP, Goodbye Girl, was issued in 2008. When the band signed a deal with De Goot Entertainment in 2009, it consisted of McCain, bass guitarist Alan Larson, and singer Patrick Michael Wilson. Their first album on a major label, Damage, was released in 2011. By then, the band had added drummer Dylan Wood and guitarist Lance Dowdle. 

Emphatic started on the Carnival of Madness tour later that year, but McCain had to call on the services of his friend Grant Joshua Kendrick to help out on vocals after Wilson suffered a fractured larynx. Dev Electric vocalist Bryan Scott also sang for the group on the road while Wilson recovered. When Wilson was healthy enough, he rejoined Emphatic as they toured with Halestorm. However, he left the band for good after the tour due to the birth of his son. Larson and Dowdle also departed Emphatic shortly thereafter.

In 2013, McCain sought out guitarist Bill Hudson, bassist Jesse Saint, and singer Toryn Green to complete the new lineup of the band. He also secured another record deal, this time with Epochal Artist Records/Capitol. Emphatic's second major label album, Another Life, debuted in October of that year.

The next year, Emphatic started touring once more, this time with bands such as Gemini Syndrome and Red. This time, the group went on stage with Green and Hudson being replaced by Kendrick and Dowdle. McCain announced in 2014 that Emphatic had signed with Pavement Records and would be working on new music. Several new songs were previewed for several hours in 2015, but they were the last tunes that the public would hear from the group while they were still known as Emphatic. 

Emphatic was renamed as Through Fire in December 2015. It was intended to be a completely different band, although some of its previous members were still around. Through Fire has released three full-length albums to date: Breathe in 2016, All Animal in 2019 and Devil's Got You Dreamin' this month. McCain and Hendrick are its lead guitarist and lead vocalist, and they are joined by twins Zach and Tyler Halvorson on drums and bass guitar.

I haven't been following Through Fire as much as I did Emphatic, but I'm glad that they're making music and that as far as I know, all of the past and present band members are still enjoying life to the fullest. Time will only tell what happens in their futures.

Next time, I'll write about American Head Charge, a great MN rock band. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.