Chris Kontos (born June 25, 1968) is an American drummer, born in New York City. [1] As a former drummer of the heavy metal band Machine Head, he performed on their first album, 1994's Burn My Eyes . [2] [3] He and the band parted ways in 1995, before their second album. [4] [2] [3] He played in many bands and projects before and after that period of time, including Testament, Konkhra, Attitude Adjustment, Exodus, Death Angel, and Verbal Abuse. [2] [5] Kontos is recognized by his peers for his performance on songs—notably in "Davidian"—which are "considered by many as classic pieces of metal drumming". [2]
Kontos performed with Machine Head for the first time in 24 years with a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Burn My Eyes in 2019, [4] [6] though, he never officially rejoined the band. [7]
On April 19, 2023, Kontos was announced as the drummer for the reactivated band Forbidden. [8]
Kontos currently uses Ddrum drums, Soultone cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and Czarcie Kopyto pedals.
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 25, 1986, through Capitol Records. The project was originally handled by Combat Records, resulting in the original mix of the album being co-produced by Randy Burns. Capitol Records then bought the rights to the album and hired another producer named Paul Lani to mix it himself. The recording of the album was difficult for the band, because of the ongoing drug issues the members had at the time. Drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland were fired shortly after the album's promotional tour for drug abuse, making Peace Sells Samuelson's last Megadeth album. Poland reappeared as a session musician on Megadeth's 2004 album The System Has Failed. The title track, noted for its politically conscious lyrics, was released as the album's second single and was the band's first music video. The album's cover art, featuring the band's mascot Vic Rattlehead in front of a desolated United Nations Headquarters, was created by Ed Repka.
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer's final lineup consisted of King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph and guitarist Gary Holt, who initially joined as a touring member in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013. Drummer Jon Dette was also a member of the band.
Chris Poland is an American guitarist, best known as the former guitarist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Since 2002, Poland has been the guitarist of the instrumental rock/jazz fusion bands OHM and OHMphrey, among others, and has appeared on several projects and albums from a variety of different genres.
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the group consists of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and drummer Art Cruz. The band is considered a significant member of the new wave of American heavy metal movement.
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn, who remains the only original member of the band. Machine Head's aggressive musicianship made it one of the pioneering bands in the new wave of American heavy metal. Its current lineup comprises Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and drummer Matt Alston. Bassist Adam Duce, guitarists Logan Mader, Ahrue Luster and Phil Demmel, and drummers Tony Costanza, Chris Kontos and Dave McClain are former members of the band; Mader and Kontos toured with the band in 2019 and 2020 as part of the 25th anniversary tour for its first album, Burn My Eyes (1994).
Burn My Eyes is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Machine Head, released on August 9, 1994, by Roadrunner Records. The album's themes generally tie into the social disorder and corresponding inner tension that the band was exposed to in their native Oakland, California, reflected in Robb Flynn's lyrics, such as the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 and the Waco Siege of 1993. The album's title alludes to the third part of the phrase, "Burn my eyes and try to blind me" during the breakdown of "Old". The album shipped over 400,000 copies worldwide, becoming Roadrunner Records's best-selling debut album until the release of Slipknot's self-titled debut album. This is Machine Head's only studio album to feature drummer Chris Kontos.
Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band's current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since reunited with Skolnick, who had been out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve "Zetro" Souza, who had left to replace Paul Baloff in Exodus. Peterson and Billy are the only members to appear on all of Testament's studio albums. The band has released thirteen studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, thirteen singles and three DVDs. They are estimated to have sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era, and over 14 million copies worldwide as of 2016.
Forbidden is an American thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. They formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, but would change their name in 1987. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes. After breaking up for the first time in 1997, Forbidden reunited once again in 2007, went into an indefinite hiatus in 2012, but reformed in 2023. The current line-up of the band is Norman Skinner (vocals), Craig Locicero (guitar), Matt Camacho (bass), and Chris Kontos (drums).
Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its career, they have released demo tapes, three EPs and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, and often credited as one of the leading lights of the second wave of the genre. They are also considered to be a member of the "Big Six of Bay Area Thrash Metal," alongside Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit and Forbidden.
Bay Area thrash metal referred to a steady following of heavy metal bands in the 1980s who formed and gained international status in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Along with Central Florida, the scene was widely regarded as a starting point of American thrash metal, crossover thrash and death metal.
David Wayne McClain is an American drummer. He is best known as the former drummer for the heavy metal band Machine Head. He joined the band in 1995 and left the band in 2018 after 23 years in the band. He replaced Chris Kontos when the latter left shortly after their first album, Burn My Eyes. He was formerly a member of S.A. Slayer, Riot offshoot Narita, Turbin, Catalepsy, Murdercar, Ministers of Anger . Currently he has rejoined Sacred Reich in 2018, which he originally played for from 1991–1995.
Logan Conrad Mader is a Canadian record producer and musician. He is a guitarist for melodic death metal band Once Human and a former lead guitarist for heavy metal band Machine Head.
The Red Chord is an American extreme metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase with its 2002 debut album Fused Together in Revolving Doors. The second album, Clients, was released in 2005 and sold over 50,000 copies in the U.S. They released their third album, Prey for Eyes in 2007, which sold between 4,000 and 5,000 copies and debuted at No. 198 on the Billboard 200 chart. Their latest album, 2009's Fed Through the Teeth Machine, debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band formed in 1991 by vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn and bassist Adam Duce. They have released ten studio albums, two live albums, one extended play, one video album, and thirteen singles. Later that year, Logan Mader and Tony Costanza were hired as guitarist and drummer respectively. Costanza left the band shortly afterwards, being replaced by Chris Kontos. In 1993, they signed to Roadrunner Records and released their debut album, Burn My Eyes, in 1994. Their second album, The More Things Change..., was released in 1997.
Today Is the Day is an American noise rock and experimental metal band that originally formed in Nashville, Tennessee. The band's diverse sound combines influences from areas such as noise music, avant-garde metal, grindcore, post-hardcore, and alternative rock among other genres. Most of the band's recordings make extensive use of dissonance and sampling, as well as unusual production techniques and psychedelic overtones. Lyrical themes include depression, warfare, violence, altered states of consciousness, and mental disorders.
Attitude Adjustment is an American crossover thrash band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their debut album, American Paranoia, is considered to be an early "crossover" between hardcore punk and thrash metal.
Verbal Abuse is an American hardcore punk/crossover thrash band formed in Houston in 1981. They were one of the early bands of hardcore punk. In 1983, they relocated to San Francisco where they recorded a solid hardcore album. By 1985, along with multiple band member changes, they had transitioned to a crossover thrash sound, becoming a significant part of the nascent California crossover thrash scene. Eventually they settled in Oakland, California.
Konkhra is a Danish death metal/extreme metal band formed in Køge in 1989. Initially named Vicious Circle, they changed their name to Konkhra in 1990.
Decapitated is a Polish death metal band formed in Krosno in 1996. The group is composed of guitarist, founder and composer Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, vocalist Eemeli Bodde, bassist Paweł Pasek and drummer James Stewart. Decapitated are recognized as one of the death metal's most widely respected bands and one of the finest exponents of technical death metal. The band earned an international fan base in the underground music community and became an innovating act in the modern death metal genre.