Clockhammer was an alternative metal group from Nashville, Tennessee, active during the late 1980s through mid 1990s, [1] once described as "a cross between Frank Sabbath and Black Sinatra."
Originally the brain-child of Vanderbilt University undergrads, Christian Nagle and Matt Swanson, the 1987 line-up consisted of Byron Bailey (vocals, guitar), Nagle (vocals, guitar), Swanson (bass), and Ken Coomer (drums). Clockhammer soon gained a local following, opening for such bands as Firehose, DC3, and Meat Puppets. After an altercation between Nagle and Swanson in the summer of 1988, Nagle left to finish college and the band continued as a trio.
In the early 1990s the trio's music became popular in the college radio scene and many predicted Clockhammer would be a breakthrough success. [1] Bailey's guitar playing reached a plateau by the time the debut album was recorded, evident in the intro to the song "Extra Crispy." The lyrics to songs like "Sun Goes Black" show an artistic edge over most jazz metal at the time. Bailey's guitar playing would draw large crowds at Nashville's Exit/In, which was "the place" for alternative music in the Music City. Infighting doomed the lineup in October 1991 when Bailey left the band on the eve of a 22-day tour. [2] As causes of the break-up, Bailey cited health problems that made small-van touring difficult but primarily "excruciatingly strained interrelationships in the band."
Bailey and Nagle went on to re-form Clockhammer in 1993, with Mark Smoot (bass), and Chris Gallo (drums). Nagle and Smoot had played together in the short-lived project Chainsaw Jazz, and Smoot and Gallo in the group Jaws of Life. This last version of Clockhammer produced only one album, So Much For You on the German label Houses in Motion and it was never released in the US. The label-dictated list of songs was not entirely to the band's liking, and as family, money, management, and other concerns loomed, the group amicably disbanded in 1995.
Byron Bailey was reportedly influenced by the likes of King Crimson and Cream.
Ken Coomer recorded and was a member of Wilco and went on to produce several projects, including, Latin sensation Chetes, Son's Of Bill, Will Hoge and more. and Swanson with My Dad Is Dead and Lambchop. Nagle was a founding member of the Japanese band, Illuminati, and is now a teacher and author in Tokyo, Japan. Bailey played drums and bass for the short-lived Portland, Oregon band, Vista Bridge. He now teaches English in Poquoson, VA. Smoot continues to record and perform music in the Washington, D.C. area. Chris Gallo plays with Richmond, Virginia-based Hex Machine, a tour-opener for Clutch.
Clockhammer combines metal, jazz, and funk with Byron Bailey's vocals. Bailey's vocal style has been described as that of a "pissed off angel."
Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf, John McBain and Tim Cronin ; they have since gone through several lineup changes, leaving Wyndorf as the only constant member. Monster Magnet has released ten studio albums to date, and they are best known for their 1990s hits "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Space Lord". The band has also been credited for developing and popularizing the stoner rock genre, along with Masters of Reality, Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Sleep.
Helmet is an American alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989 by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton. Helmet has had numerous lineup changes with Hamilton as the only constant member. Since 2010, the band has consisted of Hamilton, drummer Kyle Stevenson, guitarist Dan Beeman and bassist Dave Case.
Nicholas Menza was an American musician who was the drummer of the thrash metal band Megadeth from 1989 to 1998. He recorded drums on four of Megadeth's albums: Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994), and Cryptic Writings (1997).
Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, formed in 1988.
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The Mr. T Experience is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California, United States. They have released eleven full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally. Their music is best classified as pop punk and is intentionally playful, comical, and satirical, often dealing with issues of love and relationships. The band's name is taken from actor and television personality Mr. T.
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Omen is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by lead guitarist Kenny Powell.
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