Whatever Happened To...#31: Hole

 Hole was an alternative rock/punk-inspired band best known for its lead vocalist and former wife of Kurt Cobain Courtney Love. I was never a big fan of this group, but I respected the music that they put out. They haven't been active in years, but you never know what Love and crew will do next.

Courtney put an ad expressing her interest in forming a rock band in Recycler magazine in 1989. It caught Eric Erlandson's attention, leading to the group's formation. Lisa Robertson was later recruited to play bass guitar and Caroline Rue later became their first drummer. Mike Geisbreicht joined as the third guitarist before the band's first gig in October 1989 in Hollywood, CA. Roberts was replaced by Jill Emery and Geisbreicht departed before the group released their first single, "Retard Girl," in 1990. The song was followed by the track "Dicknail" a year later.

Hole signed with Caroline Records in 1991 and went to work with Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon on developing their debut album. Pretty on the Inside was issued in September of that year, and the songs "Garbadge Man" and "Teenage Whore" helped generate interest in the new band. Hole went on the road in the UK and the U.S. that summer and fall to support their new music.

Erlandson and Love started writing songs for their next record in 1992. By then, several major labels had shown interest in their band. Hole would eventually sign with DGC, a Geffen offshoot, for an 8 album deal later that year. Emery had left the group by then, citing Love's interest in making their songs more radio-friendly as a reason for his departure. Love and Jack Endino filled in on bass guitar during some of their recording sessions. Kristen Pfaff played bass for Hole when they toured the UK in 1993. Their major label debut album, Live Through This, was recorded in Marietta, GA at Triclops Studios that October and was released the following April. 

The new record surfaced just a week after Cobain's death. The album tracks "Miss World," "Violet" and "Doll Parts" went multi-platinum and garnered more interest in the group worldwide. Love later acknowledged that her late husband contributed backing vocals to the songs "Softer, Softest" and "Asking for It." Hole continued to perform until June 1994, when Pfaff, who had previously taken time off for drug treatment, was found dead from a heroin overdose. 

The group returned to the road in August after enlisting the services of Melissa Auf der Maur on bass. They also made several national TV appearances during that time. An EP entitled Ask for It was released in September 1995, which included a few cover tunes and songs that were left over from their Peel recording sessions.

A pair of retrospective albums, another EP (The First Session), and a compilation record (My Body, The Hand Grenade) soon followed. Hole began work on their third studio album at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood in 1997. Love was having some difficulty at times creating new material, so Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan was brought in to help. Celebrity Skin was issued in 1998 and the songs "Awful," "Malibu" and the title track helped to ensure the album's success. 

Hole continued to tour supporting their newest record in 1998 and 1999. They even joined Marilyn Manson's tour for a few dates in 1998, but public squabbles, disagreements over their payouts from each concert and the fact that many fans were at those shows for Manson instead of Hole led to Love's group backing out of the tour. By then, drummer Patty Schemel (who had joined the group in 1992) was out of the band. She was credited as the drummer on Celebrity Skin, even though her parts had been recorded by Deen Castronovo in the studio. Samantha Maloney was hired to play drums on tour and appear in the group's music videos. 

Love made a habit of asking fans to join her onstage to help sing the last song of their sets. Hole's last concert of 1999 was at Vancouver's Thunderbird Stadium on July 14, a month after one of their fans was killed at one of their shows in Sweden after she was crushed behind the mixing board by a surge of fans from the mosh pit at the concert. Auf der Maur left Hole to join the Smashing Pumpkins that October and Maloney left a few months after that.

Although Love had professed that more music had been written, she and Erlandson posted on the group's website that Hole had called it quits. Auf der Maur and Love went on to solo careers, while Erlandson resumed work as a studio musician and music producer.

Love announced in 2009 that Hole had been reformed. Auf der Maur was puzzled because Courtney stated that she wasn't aware of any such reunion. Erlandson also protested Love's news, stating that he had to be involved in any such group re-formation because of their existing contract. The band launched a new website in January 2010 and their first new song in years, "Skinny Little Bitch" was released 2 months later.  The song was the first single from Hole's 4th album, Nobody's Daughter, which debuted that April via Mercury Records. The album received lukewarm reviews and never lived up to the popularity of prior efforts. The group embarked on another national and international tour from 2010 to 2012 to support the record.

Auf der Maur, Love, Schemel and Erlandson appeared in public together for the first time in over a decade on March 28th, 2011 for the New York Museum of Modern Art's premiere of Schemel's documentary film Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel. At the event, Schemel stated that she would like to record with the band again, but nothing materialized beyond that. Stu Fisher was in the group by then, but he was replaced by Scott Lipps in September 2011. Love booked solo gigs in 2012 and teased possible new music in 2013 and a reunion of group members in 2014. However, nothing came out of those posts. 

No new music has been released by Hole since their 4th album in 2010. The group rehearsed in 2019 for the Hollywood Walk of Fame but did not perform. Auf der Maur and Love intended to play at the "Bans Off My Body" event in 2010, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Love now lives in the UK, and her former bandmates are now involved in other ventures, so it's unlikely that Hole will reunite once more any time soon. 

Even though I didn't really get into the band until their second album, I did like some of the music that they made. It's no surprise that Love's sometimes caustic personality got in the way of the group becoming superstars of the rock world. I don't know if Hole will resurface, but anything's possible. After all, there are rumors of Creed getting back together, so who knows? 

Well, that's all for now. Finished this article a day in advance so that I can relax and enjoy my birthday tomorrow. Next weekend, I'll be back to write about Soundgarden. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#30: Hurt

 Hurt was a band that my brother got me interested in. I listened to his copies of their Vol. I and Vol. II albums before picking up copies for myself. Unfortunately, I never saw them live in concert before they disbanded. 

The group was created by drummer Wil Quaintance and guitarist/singer J. Loren Wince. Bass guitarist Steve Fletcher before the trio settled on the name Hurt. Around 1,200 copies of their self-titled debut were developed in 2000. Their sophomore effort, The Consumation, was issued in 2003 with Quaintance, Wince, and bassist Shawn Sawyer performing on the album. 

Hurt caught the attention of former Universal Records artists and repertoire employee Tom Lewis in 2005. They soon started working on a demo and later performed at a showcase to multiple record labels. Capitol Records eventually signed Hurt to a contract. 

Work soon began on Vol. I and Vol. II. The band initially wanted to produce a double album, but their label quickly nixed that plan. Vol. I debuted in March 2006 and featured the singles "Danse Russe," "Falls Apart" and "Rapture." Vol. II followed the next year which included the popular track "Ten Ton Brick." In 2008, Hurt re-issued their independent Consumation album (titled the Re-Consumation) to make those songs more readily available for their growing fan base. 

Unfortunately, the two records weren't as popular as Capitol Records had hoped, which led them to drop Hurt from their label. Undeterred, the band released their next album, Goodbye to the Machine on Amusement Records in 2009. Hurt later signed with Carved Records in 2010 and continued recording new music. Their final album, The Crux, debuted in May 2012. It reached a top spot of #75 on Billboard's top 200 chart, which would be the band's highest ranking ever.

Reports surfaced in 2014 from Amusement Management about re-releasing Hurt's original debut album. The record was reissued in a limited quantity of 2000 copies and included the original version of "Talking to God" and a previously unreleased song called "Cellophane." That was the last that most of us have heard about the band. I used to see J. Loren post on social media every once in a while, but  I haven't seen any of his posts in years. 

Hurt wasn't one of my favorite rock bands, but tunes like "Rapture," "Falls Apart," "House Carpenter" and "World Ain't Right" (featuring Shaun Morgan from Seether on vocals) are ones that still get stuck in my head from time to time. Maybe we'll see more new or previously unheard songs from the band at some point. Until then, I guess we have the albums to remind us how good this group really was. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about Courtney Love's former band Hole. I'll probably write that article on Friday, as I'm planning on taking next weekend off for my birthday. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Whatever Happened To...#29: Velvet Revolver

 Velvet Revolver was another supergroup that I admired but never got to see live (although my brother saw attended two of their concerts). They had a very talented lineup and released a pair of albums that were very well-received. However, the death of lead singer Scott Weiland in 2015 made it virtually impossible for this band to ever reform again. 

The group began in 2002, a year after Slash's Snakepit ended for the second time. Slash and his former Guns N' Roses bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum performed at a benefit concert for the late drummer Randy Castillo that year and later started rehearsing with session guitarist Dave Kushner and Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd. Izzy Stradlin, another Guns N' Roses alumni, briefly joined the new group but left after only 2 weeks.

Todd wasn't a permanent singer for the new group and vocalist auditions were held. The band finally selected Weiland, whose original group Stone Temple Pilots called it quits in 2003. Scott was then available to join the group who would eventually be named Velvet Revolver. Their first studio album, Contraband, was released in June 2004.

"Slither," ""Fall to Pieces" and "Set Me Free" were some of the album tracks that helped the new group gain popularity. They toured around the world for 19 months to support their debut record. Their second disc, Libertad, was issued in July 2007. Velvet Revolver toured off and on for that album as well, sandwiched around rehabs and Weiland's legal issues related to his addiction issues. It was also around that time that tensions within the group started to surface.

Scott left Velvet Revolver in April 2008 and later rejoined STP, where he would stay before being kicked out of that band in 2013. Velvet Revolver looked for new singers for a while but wouldn't record any more new music. They briefly reunited with Weiland for a concert that honored John O'Brien in January 2012. Afterward, Scott expressed interest in returning to Velvet Revolver, but Slash soon denied stories that Weiland had in fact rejoined and that new music and a new tour were in the works with him. 

Scott Weiland was found dead in his tour bus on December 3, 2015 of a suspected drug overdose. He was scheduled to perform with his group the Wildabouts in MN the next night. McKagan and Slash would later go on to rejoin Guns N' Roses. Sorum performed on the Hollywood Vampires' first album in 2015 and Kushner continued to perform on soundtracks and working with other artists. 

I've heard a few VR songs sung by Myles Kennedy at a few of Slash's solo band's concerts, but it's not the same. Velvet Revolver was fun while they lasted, but I know we probably won't see them again. Maybe the kids of these musicians might revive those songs and their legacies at some point. One can only imagine how those shows would be!

Well, that's all for now. Next week, I'll write about the band Hurt. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To:...#28: Audioslave

 Audioslave was a very popular "supergroup" consisting of Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Brad Wilk, and Tim Commerford, and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. The group released three albums and had a steady international following. They were only around for less than a decade, but Audioslave made their mark on the hard rock and metal scenes.

After singer Zack de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine in 2000, the other members of the group decided to continue recording and performing together. Producer Rick Rubin suggested Cornell, who was without a primary band following Soundgarden's breakup several years earlier. The four artists got along very well and recorded songs in 2001 with Rubin acting as producer.

Chris Cornell briefly left the group before their first concert or tour. Difficulties with management were cited for the departure. The band, Audioslave, was finally revealed in September 2002 and their self-titled debut album was released 2 months later. It was their most successful release, selling more than 6 million copies in just 4 years. Their first live performance was on the roof of New York's Ed Sullivan Theater for the David Letterman show that November.

"Cochise," "Like A Stone" and "Show Me How To Live" were the first three Audioslave singles. The group toured heavily in 2003 and was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards in 2004. The band spent most of that year working on new music and generally taking a break from performing. "Be Yourself" and "Your Time Has Come" were issued as singles before their sophomore effort, Out of Exile, debuted in May 2005. Audioslave embarked on a club tour that year and performed many more shows nationally and internationally, including a memorable concert in Havana Cuba that was recorded for a DVD release.

The group returned to the studio in the summer of 2005, with the goal of releasing their third album in June 2006. Cornell dismissed rumors that he was leaving Audioslave again but did admit that he was working on a solo record. Revelations wasn't issued until September 2006, and it was the band's least successful studio recording. Chris wanted to focus on his solo album and give the public more time to listen to Audioslave's new disc, which explains why the band didn't resume touring until 2007.

Rage Against the Machine had a one-time reunion concert in January 2007. A month later, Cornell announced his final exit from Audioslave. Tom Morello speculated a few years later that unreleased Audioslave material could surface at some point. However, no new songs have been issued since their last studio album. In January 2017, Audioslave reunited for the last time to protest Donald J. Trump's presidential inauguration. The death of Cornell 4 months later made any future reunions highly unlikely.

I don't know if any previously released Audioslave tracks will ever see the light of day, but it might just be possible on an anniversary of the group's formation or maybe on an anniversary of their first record release. Until then, I guess I'll just have to be content with the songs and the memories that I've associated with them.

That's all for this week. Next time, I'll write about the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#27: Greenwheel

Greenwheel was a one-hit-wonder. I was surprised several years ago when I walked into the local JCPenney's department store and heard their hit "Breathe" covered by Melissa Etheridge playing over the speakers. They didn't last long, but they're still one of those groups I wish I had seen live in concert before they called it quits. 

The group was formed by St. Charles Missouri high schoolers Doug Randall (drummer), bassist Brandon Armstrong, Ryan Jordan (guitarist/vocalist), and guitarists Andrew Dwiggins and Marc Wanniger.  They went by Hindsight and Soma Holiday before settling on Greenwheel.

Greenwheel soon signed a deal with Island Records and released their only full-length album, Soma Holiday, in 2002. The Hello and Bridges for Burning EPs were issued in 2000 and 2006, respectively. Their song "Shelter" was included in the soundtrack for the first Spider-Man movie. 

The band toured with Rubyhorse, Default, Our Lady Peace, Hoobastank, Injected, and other contemporaries in 2001 and 2002 to support their recordings. Greenwheel ended their association with Island in 2004, not long after recording new music. The terms of their separation forbade them from releasing those songs on another label, but they were able to distribute them to their fans on their website and burn copies of those tracks which were made available at their concerts for no charge.

Wanniger and Randall left the group in 2005, and Drew Bailey soon took over behind the kit. A new band named Go Van Gogh subsisting of all of Greenwheel's members surfaced in 2007. They released an album entitled Ruby and the Starlight Ballroom that year and even performed with Greenwheel the following year. However, nothing has been heard from Greenwheel for more than a decade.

I had a copy of their Soma Holiday album somewhere, but I haven't seen it in years. I assumed that I lost or misplaced it, so I'll have to get another copy sometime. They were a unique group that we probably won't see again anytime soon.

Well, that's all for now. Next, I'll start a small series on former supergroups. I'll kick that micro series off with Audioslave. Until then, have a great week, everyone. 

Whatever Happened To...#26: Dark New Day

 Dark New Day was one of a few supergroups that debuted during the first decade of the 21st century. They released a few albums and played a few shows. However, other commitments kept them from becoming a band that would survive on its own for an extended period of time.

The group was formed by Will Hunt, Corey and Clint Lowery, Brett Hestla, and Troy McLawhorn. They were initially known as Dark Blue. Their debut album Twelve Year Silence was released under the Dark New Day moniker in 2005. 

Dark New Days performed at several shows in support of Chevelle before Hunt filled in for Tommy Lee at a few Motley Crue concerts. The group's first EP, Black Porch (Acoustic Sessions), was released in 2006. They continued on, even as Hunt went on the road with Vince Neil and his solo band and Clint Lowery became a touring guitarist for Korn in 2007. Both and Hunt would eventually be recruited to fill openings in the band Evanescence. 

Clint returned to Sevendust permanently in 2008, shortly after their Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow album was released. Dark New Days put three new tracks on their MySpace page that summer and B.C. Kochmit joined their group following Clint and McLawhorn's departure. Kochmit and Corey Lowery went on to form a new band called Violent Plan in 2009. They would soon move from that short-lived band to create Eye Empire (which proved to be another group with a brief lifespan). Hunt moved on to play drums for Black Label Society and Crossfade.

An album called New Tradition debuted in 2012. It also contained tracks first heard on the Hail Mary album, issued on CD the following year. Hail Mary had been recorded several years prior, but both albums were still well-received by their loyal fans. 

Even though most of their music was released well after many of the band members had already gone their separate ways, I have to applaud Dark New Day for daring to try something new and go outside the scope of the members' previous efforts with other bands. It's very unlikely that we'll hear new music from them or see them reunite any time soon, but I've learned to never say never. 

Well, that's all for now. Next up is Greenwheel, one of those "if you blinked, you probably missed them" type of groups. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened To...#25: Drain STH

 Drain STH was an all female Swedish metal band. I never got to see them live in concert, but I got to know them from some of their radio singles, like "Simon Says" which was issued on a compilation CD that was a free bonus with another album I bought several years ago. Their lifespan was short, but they put out memorable music during their lifespan.

The group began in 1993 and simply went by Drain at the time. They signed a contract in 1994 with MVG Records. American concert-goers made The band known as Drain STH (STH standing for Stockholm). They released an EP entitled Serve the Shame in 1995 and the full-length albums Horror Wrestling and Freaks of Nature in 1996 and 1999, respectively. Drain STH made an international name for themselves by appearing at the 1997 and 1999 Ozzfests and touring with metal contemporaries including Godsmack, Megadeth, Type O Negative, and many others. 

Unfortunately, the group disbanded in 2000. Drummer Martina Axen, bassist Anna Kjellberg, singer (and current wife of Black Sabbath guitarist Tommy Iommi) Maria Sjoholm, and guitarist Flavia Canel have since moved on to other musical projects. It seems rather unlikely that Drain STH will ever re-form, but it's nice to think about possible reunions and enjoy their music in the meantime. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about Dark New Day, a supergroup that consisted of members of Sevendust, Stereomud, Creed and other groups. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!