Dead Artist Syndrome

Last updated

Dead Artist Syndrome
Also known asD.A.S.
Origin Orange County, California, U.S.
Genres Christian rock, gothic rock
Years active1990 (1990)–1995, 2001–2020
Labels
Website facebook.com/brian.healy.587
Past members

Dead Artist Syndrome was a Christian gothic rock band formed in 1989 in Orange County, California. The group consisted of singer-songwriter Brian Healy and a rotating cast of side men. Healy was dubbed the "father of Christian goth" by Rozz Williams, [1] and was an ordained minister. The name of D.A.S. according to Healy is "Dead Artist Syndrome means greater in death than in life, be it James Dean, Van Gogh or Jesus Christ". His debut album Prints of Darkness was a notable, groundbreaking release. [1] The band had been sporadically active due to health issues, releasing two albums in the 2000s, and another in 2015. In 2006, Dead Artist Syndrome was named "Outstanding Orange County Band" by the editors and readers of Rock City News, a Los Angeles local music paper. [2] For several years Healy was privately in poor health his gallbladder exploded while recording vocals resulting in emergency surgery, and a neurological disorder his wife Marie Tullai Healy described as "a combination of Michael J. Fox and the late Foster Brooks everybody thought he was drunk, Brian was falling down he broke his arm, slurring his speech trying to complete his record, next thing we know he's in a wheelchair, finally in 2012 they discovered the cause and he had brain surgery and is 100% back to his old self and had no idea any of this was going on, inside his head everything was fine". Healy said on his Facebook page 'He's back" and is actively recording, producing others and hosting Frontline Records Rewind Broadcast and podcast [3] Healy died January 12, 2020 of a brain hemorrhage. [4]

Contents

Dead Artist Syndrome has included members of Undercover, The Choir, L.S.U., The 77's, and Ping backing Healy.

Biography

First years (1990–1994)

Brian Healy while being a mainstream artist and actor was one of the first musicians to introduce gothic rock to the Christian music industry. In 1990, Healy independently released his first studio album, Prints of Darkness , as a one-man band. The album is characterized by post-punk influenced guitars, dark synthesizers and Healy's deep, gothic baritone vocals. Musicians Gym Nicholson and Ojo Taylor of Christian alternative rock group Undercover, Mike Sauerbrey of Christian alternative rock band The Choir and L.S.U. frontman and Blonde Vinyl Records president Mike Knott each made guest appearances. [5]

At the time, most Christian music enthusiasts who weren't familiar with gothic music didn't know how to classify Prints of Darkness. It was most often compared to one of the best-known gothic rock groups, The Sisters of Mercy. The album displayed satirical lyrics, a theme Healy would later become known for. Both Dead Artist Syndrome and its gothic rock style achieved more notice after Blonde Vinyl Records reissued Prints of Darkness in late 1991. The album begins with the song "Christmas", which is not a Christmas carol, but a rather sarcastic rock song that was said be a denouncement of the secularization and commercialization of what has become known as the "winter holiday season", Healy himself has stated "Christmas". is about separation from faith, church, friends and family at what is supposed to be the best day of the year" in many public and radio interviews. "Amy" is a haunting, romantic ballad, and while rumor to be about Amy Grant, Healy has stated "it's not, but I let people think what they want, that said the idea of Amy Grant actually hearing the song and being creeped out was amusing to me, it's my Alice Cooper side" while "Red" is a gloomy piece about a man who is mourning the loss of his wife, who may have either cheated on him, divorced him or died. The lyrics are said to symbolically to describe the apostasy of many churches, and relate to the Bible's description of the Church as the "Bride of Christ". The album ends with "Reach" which is a synthesizer-driven worship song. [5]

Healy released his second album Devils, Angels & Saints in 1992 on Eden Records. It was said that the album showcased a bit more accessible style while the music still fit in the gothic rock style of the early 1990s. Notable tracks include the sarcastic "Beautiful World", a passionate, gothic flavored cover of The Mamas & the Papas song "California Dreaming", as well as the haunting ballad "If the Stars Should Fall". Healy experimented with industrial sounds on "Obsexed", which is a commentary on sexual promiscuity, and features danceable synthesizers and processed vocals. [5]

The musical versability widened on the third Dead artist Syndrome album, Happy Hour while still retaining with Healy's dark humor and gothic rock style. The album begins with the rock song "Y.S.D." ("Young, Sexy and Dead") which is a tragic tribute to the Marilyn Monroe and all others who lived fast and died young. Healy revisits the themes of apostasy and hypocrisy prevalent in Church on "Bride Song". Unlike the gloomy approach of "Red", "Bride Song" addresses the issue with dark humor and likens the church to a snotty, backstabbing woman. The so-called happy portion of the album's title is apparent on the songs "Radiation" and "Glory", both of which feature worship-filled lyrics, as radiation is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. Also, Healy experiments with "surf punk" sounds on "U.S.A", which features a "ba ba ba" chorus similar to Ramones' classic "I Want to Be Sedated". The aforementioned "Bride Song" also features an old school punk rock approach, while the title track is a dreamy, guitar-driven instrumental that closes the album.

Mike Roe, Mark Harmon and David Leonhardt of Christian alternative rock group The 77's assisted on both Happy Hour and Devils, Angels & Saints. [5]

Hiatus (1995–2000)

In 1995, Healy put Dead Artist Syndrome on hiatus for the rest of the decade. During that time, he became an ordained minister. He also became a father and survived a heart attack. [6]

The Christian goth scene that Healy pioneered grew notably during the latter half of the 1990s. The gothic rock-opera/metal group Saviour Machine became the Christian goth movement's standard bearer and were joined by numerous other bands. [5]

New era (2001–2020)

Healy reformed Dead Artist Syndrome in the early 2000s. He released a new album carrying the sarcastic title Jesus Wants You to Buy This Record in 2001; which was initially made available at Cornerstone Festival. The album was noted for its several new songs, including the gothic worship song "In Your Hands". The title track (a collaborative effort with D.A.S. sideman Jeff Elbel of Ping) was a biting, sarcastic commentary on the crass commercialism that has taken over parts of the CCM industry, "Life Amongst The Dead", "Pray" and "Rich Girl", which was originally recorded for Prints of Darkness, but left off because it was thought to be too sarcastic at the time. Healy co-worked up with Saviour Machine frontman Eric Clayton on a remake of the Daniel Amos' early 1980s song "Through the Speakers", and included covers of two songs from the 1970s: The Bee Gees' mournful ballad "I Started a Joke" and Cheap Trick's light-hearted rock song "Surrender", with the original's reference to Kiss replaced by Cheap Trick. Christian rock group The 77's made guest appearances on live versions of early songs "Christmas" and "Angeline", and Healy went acoustic on live recordings of "Hello" and "Beautiful World". [5]

In 2003, Healy released his sixth studio album, Saving Grace. His criticism of the shallowness and hypocrisy that is said to infect the church resurfaced in "Christian America", which is an industrial rock song that delivers its message in a witty, sarcastic style similar to 1980s Christian new wave musician Steve Taylor. [5] The album also includes a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Richard Cory", and a version of "Bride Song" recorded live at the Cornerstone Festival as an unlisted bonus track.

In a January 2013 interview, Ric Alba said he was working on a new Dead Artist Syndrome album with Healy, Ojo Taylor, Gym Nicholson, Riki Michele, Marc Plainguet, and John Picarri. [7] The project was released in 2015 titled Kissing Strangers.

Healy's acting career

Brian Healy's activities extend outside of the realm of music into film and acting. On a number of occasions Healy was a stand-in double for actor John Candy; including such notable films as Spaceballs , The Great Outdoors , [8] and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles . [9] The influences of Brian Healy's acting career can be seen in the dramatic aspects of his musical stage performances.

Music historian

Brian Healy is also considered a leading expert in radio and music programing. In 2008, he was awarded Rock City News Best DJ honors for his vast knowledge formatting various clubs and radio stations worldwide.[ citation needed ]

Discography

Related Research Articles

Goth subculture Contemporary subculture

Goth is a subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name goth was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-punk artists who presaged the gothic rock genre and helped develop and shape the subculture include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, the Cure, and Joy Division.

Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Many bands who perform Christian rock have ties to the contemporary Christian music labels, media outlets, and festivals, while other bands are independent.

Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted towards dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.

Death rock is a rock music subgenre incorporating horror elements and gothic theatrics. It emerged from punk rock on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1980s and overlaps with the gothic rock and horror punk genres. Notable death rock acts include Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave, Zombina and the Skeletones, and Super Heroines.

Rozz Williams Amerixian musican and poet

Rozz Williams was an American musician, poet, artist, and performance artist, most known for his work with the bands Christian Death, Shadow Project, and the industrial project Premature Ejaculation. Christian Death is cited by some as a pioneer of the American gothic rock scene as well as deathrock, and is considered to be one of the most influential figures of the scene. However, Williams disliked the "goth" label and actively worked to shed it during the 1980s and 1990s by focusing on punk rock, hard rock, cabaret, and spoken word music. Williams was also involved with his groups Daucus Karota, Heltir, EXP, Bloodflag, and his own version of Christian Death, along with recording a handful of solo albums. In addition to music, Williams was also an avid painter, poet, and collage artist.

Type O Negative Gothic metal band

Type O Negative was an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1989, by Peter Steele, Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, and Sal Abruscato, who was later replaced by Johnny Kelly. Their lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "the Drab Four". The band went platinum with 1993's Bloody Kisses, and gold with 1996's October Rust, and gained a fanbase through seven studio albums, two best-of compilations, and concert DVDs.

Eerie Von is a musician best known as the original bassist for the band Danzig. Eerie Von's preferred bass is the Fender Jazz Bass.

<i>Bloody Kisses</i> 1993 studio album by Type O Negative

Bloody Kisses is the third studio album by the American band Type O Negative and the last recording with their original line-up as drummer Sal Abruscato left in late 1993. The album includes one of their best known songs, "Black No. 1", which earned the band a considerable cult following. The album further established recurring motifs of the band's music, such as including cover songs recorded in the gothic metal style, sample-heavy soundscapes in between songs, and lyrics replete with dry, satirical humour.

Bela Lugosis Dead Song by Bauhaus

"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is a song by the English post-punk band Bauhaus. It was the band's first single, released on 6 August 1979 by record label Small Wonder. It is often considered the first gothic rock record.

Gothic metal is a fusion genre combining the heaviness of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. The genre originated during the early 1990s in the United Kingdom originally as an outgrowth of death-doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. Lyrics are generally dark and introspective with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.

Bride is an American Christian metal band formed in the 1980s, by brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. During the band's peak years it was known for covering a wide range of musical styles and remains popular in places like Brazil. Their song "Same 'Ol Sinner" is on the Digital Praise PC game Guitar Praise.

Michael Knott is an American singer-songwriter and frontman for various bands, many of them Christian. He has released some 35 albums, including solo albums and with bands such as LSU and Cush.

Spy Glass Blue is an American post-punk/new wave/Britpop band formed by Allan Aguirre of Scaterd Few, is credited for legitimizing and authenticating the post-punk genre in Christian alternative music (ACM) much in the same way that Scaterd Few defined punk rock in Contemporary Christian music (CCM). In the words of the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, Spy Glass Blue is a "rare example of Christian goth music." As Allan's solo effort shows Allan's artier side where Scaterd Few showed his edgier side. Aguirre likens the band's presence to the restructuring of other Christian Alternative bands: Mortal to Fold Zandura or the Crucified to Stavesacre.

Ethereal wave, also called ethereal darkwave, ethereal goth or simply ethereal, is a subgenre of dark wave music that is variously described as "gothic", "romantic", and "otherworldly". Developed in the early 1980s in the UK as an outgrowth of gothic rock, ethereal wave was mainly represented by 4AD bands such as Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, and early guitar-driven Dead Can Dance.

Dale Thompson is an American singer, musician and songwriter. In 1983, along with his younger brother Troy, Dale formed the band Matrix and began writing original material. In 1986, Matrix was signed to a record deal and changed their name to Bride. Between 1986 and 2013, Thompson released 14 studio albums with Bride, along with five solo albums, before disbanding the group, with the brothers remaining the only two original members throughout Bride's career. A lyric tenor in Bride's early days, Thompson was known for his powerful and stratospheric voice, as is evidenced on such early Bride songs as "Evil That Men Do", "Hell No" and "Here Comes the Bride".

Big Electric Cat is a gothic rock group from Sydney, Australia, formed by musicians Paul Sadler and Deborah Denton, who had moved from London to Sydney in 1989. In 1991, inspired by Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the future noir movie Blade Runner, and inspired by the film's dark, futuristic and other themes, they formed Big Electric Cat.

<i>Prints of Darkness</i> 1990 studio album by Dead Artist Syndrome

Prints of Darkness is the 1990 debut album by Dead Artist Syndrome. Originally released independently on Public Records and later by Blonde Vinyl Records, It was the first album released on a major label to introduce gothic rock to the Christian music industry gaining Brian Healy the title "The Father of Christian Goth". CCM Magazine categorically stated "The best example of what Christian Alternative Music is".

Aurelio Voltaire Cuban-American musician

Aurelio Voltaire Hernández, professionally known as Aurelio Voltaire or simply as Voltaire, is a Cuban-American musician, singer, and composer. His professional name is Voltaire, his given middle-name.

Rose Mortem is an American fashion designer. She is married to front man Ashton Nyte, of the Gothic rock band The Awakening. Rose is most widely known for her dark romantic fashion stylings and her involvement with underground music.

References

  1. 1 2 Jevon (October 1, 2005). "Brian Healy - Dead Artist Syndrome". Banophernalia.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2005.
  2. ↑ Healy, Brian, "D.A.S. Wins Outstanding O.C. Band Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ", MySpace Blog. Retrieved September 24, 2007
  3. ↑ feed://frontlinerecords.us/podcast/
  4. ↑ "Brian Healy". facebook.com.[ non-primary source needed ]
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Dead Artist Syndrome". Automata Zine. October 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  6. ↑ MacIntosh, Chris (August 2001). "The Phantom Tollbooth: Review of Jesus Wants You to Buy this Record" . Retrieved September 25, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Ric Alba - Interviews". Bert Montgomery. May 23, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Brian Healy". IMDb. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
  9. ↑ Automata Magazine: 5.0 (p. 20)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.