Dungeon (band)

Last updated

Dungeon
Dungeonlive2005.jpg
Dungeon's last show, 11 December 2005
Background information
Origin Broken Hill, Australia
Genres Power metal, heavy metal
Years active1989–2005
LabelsModern Invasion
Members See below
Website www.dungeon.cd

Dungeon was an Australian melodic power metal band based in Sydney, considered by some as one of Australia's leading metal bands. [1] [2] [3] The group existed from 1989 to 2005, released six full-length albums, and toured heavily both throughout Australia and internationally.

Contents

History

(1989–1996) Formation and early period

The band was formed in the New South Wales outback mining town of Broken Hill in 1989 by guitarist Tim Grose featuring himself, bassist Eddie Tresize and drummer Ian DeBono. According to an extensive bio at the band's official website, Grose took on the singing role due to an inability to find a suitable vocalist. The band played popular rock and metal covers and shortly expanded to a five piece with the addition of Tim's niece Carolyn Boon on keyboards and Jason Hansen on guitar. Randall Hocking replaced Tresize and by the end of 1990 the group's line up featured Grose, Boon, Jamie Baldwin (bass), Dale Fletcher (guitar) and Darryl Riess (drums). By February 1991 however, only Tim Grose remained but a short time later guitarist Dale Corney joined him and the pair wrote and played as a duo for about a year before relocating to Sydney in 1992. A demo was recorded and Grose and Corney decided to rebuild a complete band line-up.

By 1995, Dungeon's live line-up featured Grose and Corney plus Stephen Mikulic on rhythm guitar (giving the band three guitarists), George Smith on bass and Andrew Brody on drums. Several tracks were also being recorded for a demo entitled "Changing Moods", with Grose providing bass and keyboards along with guitars and lead vocals. Brody played drums on the opening track "One Shot at Life" with Jim Yannieh, who had answered an ad in the street press, laying down the drums for the songs "Paradise", "The Promise" and "Slave of Love". Neither proved technically proficient enough to play on the title track, an eight-minute instrumental, so Grose contacted BMG, with whom he had a publishing deal, for recommendations. They recommended Virgil Donati, who completed the track during a four-hour session.

Brody and Smith left Dungeon in 1996 shortly after the demo appeared and were replaced by ex-Maximum Carnage members Wayne Harris and Justin Sayers. Mikulic also departed shortly afterward. In the meantime, Japanese label TDK-Core had taken an interest in Dungeon and expressed a desire to release "Changing Moods" as an album. Instead, Dungeon chose to re-work it, remixing some of the tracks with bass lines provided by Sayers, dropping a song called "The Promise" and adding nine new recordings including a cover of Blondie's "Call Me". Released under the name Demolition , the album sold well after it was released in Japan but Harris refused to take part in any promotional activity for the CD and was fired from the band. A friend of the group, Tyrone McMaster, adopted the name Ty Blakely and appeared in promotional packages accompanying the release, however this was merely to give Dungeon the appearance of a complete line-up as McMaster was not actually in the band. [4] It was not to be the last time Dungeon was to resort to this tactic.

In spite of Demolition's moderate success, Dungeon was dealt a blow when TDK-Core decided to stop releasing rock music. The album, which was only released in Japan, is now deleted.

(1996–2005) Major career

With Wayne Harris gone, Dungeon had no drummer but enough material for another album release. Around the same time, Sydney thrash band Addictive had disbanded. Drummer Steve Moore was put in touch with Dungeon through a mutual friend and by early 1997 the new line-up was rehearsed and beginning to appear regularly on the Sydney live metal circuit. Resurrection was then recorded in 1998, featuring a third version of "Paradise", keyboards from Gustav Hoffman and Sayers providing lead vocals on the tracks "Let it Go" and "Wake Up". The period of the recording process was a bleak time for the band and Grose quit at one point only to return after less than a week. [5] Sayers was also keen to move on to other projects but he remained with Dungeon for almost another year.

Several record labels including Century Media courted the band but Dungeon signed eventually to Sydney's Warhead Records in July 1999. Warhead specialised in releasing Australian heavy metal bands and Moore had been friends with the owner Brad Sims for many years. This possibly swayed the group's decision at the time. Justin Sayers decided to leave Dungeon at this point on friendly terms and played a small number of live shows with them until he was replaced by Brendan "Dakk" McDonald. McDonald had previously played guitar in a band called Dr Zeus, the same band that had supplied Dungeon with early drummer Andrew Brody. Resurrection was released in September 1999. While it sold well among the band's growing fanbase, Warhead Records folded early the next year and the album was never re-pressed. Despite this, it won them considerable notice and Dungeon supported Yngwie Malmsteen and Nevermore late in the year before making their first appearance at the Metal for the Brain festival. They would go on to play at the event every year until 2005.

Dungeon toured solidly for another eighteen months until Dale Corney left in September 2001. Stu Marshall then joined, playing his first show with them as they headlined at Metal for the Brain. Most of the A Rise to Power album had been written and recorded by this time, although Marshall was able to contribute some lead guitar and vocal parts before it was released. In mid-2002, the group supported German power metal band Edguy on a small scale Australian tour that concluded with them signing to Melbourne metal label Metal Warriors on stage after their performance in Sydney. A Rise to Power was released shortly afterward, with Metal Warriors owner Steve Ravic helping them secure a worldwide deal with Germany's LMP. A busy live schedule rounded out the year and included support slots with Mayhem and Destruction.

In May 2003, Dungeon went to Japan for festival appearances in Tokyo and Osaka. The tour was supported by a limited-release album of remixes and covers called Rising Power. The Tokyo show was filmed and released in mid-2004 as the Under the Rising Sun DVD. Shortly afterward, LMP released A Rise to Power on the international market, featuring a completely different and cartoonish cover illustration that the band would later renounce.

Dungeon supported Opeth in early 2004 before entering the studio to work on both a follow-up to A Rise to Power and a new version of Resurrection. Tim had always expressed dissatisfaction with the original version and demands from fans for the now-deleted album convinced Dungeon to redo it. Sessions had barely begun however when McDonald left rather acrimoniously and while Grose was able to play the bass parts on the albums, the band was due to undertake another tour with Edguy. A long-time friend of the band, Glenn Williams—who was at the time playing bass with a Brisbane hard rock band called Mobstar—took over McDonald's role for the tour. Moore was also replaced by Grahame Goode from Infernal Method. While this was mooted as a temporary move, Moore confirmed his resignation from Dungeon after the tour in August 2004. Grose and Marshall then headed overseas ahead of the release of One Step Beyond , performing as a duo in Japan and Croatia with local backing musicians, and doing some other promotional work in the U.S.

One Step Beyond was released in November 2004. Echoing the band's situation at the time of Demolition, Justin Sayers appeared in the accompanying booklet photos despite not having been a member of Dungeon since 1999. Goode was retained as drummer and since Infernal Method had disintegrated, founding member Petar Peric came into the group on bass. Following a handful of shows both Goode and Peric quit after their appearance at the Canberra leg of Metal for the Brain in February 2005. Goode's departure was particularly unfriendly and an air of animosity has surrounded his relationship with Dungeon ever since. Williams returned to the line-up and long time fan and experienced drummer Tim Yatras took over Goode's role in time for the band to play at Metal for the Brain in Brisbane the following weekend. Yatras was considerably younger than the rest of the group but already had an impressive resume having featured in a string of black and death metal bands from the NSW South Coast area including Malice and Battalion, with whom he had recorded a CD. He had also been the touring drummer with Sydney black metal band Nazxul the previous year. In April, Dungeon supported Nightwish and then Angra before a national tour with Megadeth. Dave Mustaine's approval of Dungeon was so high he personally selected them to support Megadeth on a European tour in June. Dungeon then played shows in Japan before returning to Australia in August after promotional work in Canada and the U.S.

(2005–2007) Break-up and aftermath

In September 2005, after a run of shows with wrestler Chris Jericho's band Fozzy, Dungeon issued a press release on their official website announcing that due to the departure of Marshall and Williams, Tim Grose decided to put an end to the band. They performed a final show at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills, Sydney on 11 December 2005. Justin Sayers, Dakk McDonald and Stephen Mikulic made guest appearances during the band's almost two-hour set. A final album entitled The Final Chapter was announced. Recorded by Grose and Yatras, with guests Andy Dowling (bass) and Mav Stevens (guitar), this album was released in mid-2006.

The band's various members have moved on to other projects. Grose and Yatras continued to work together under the name Lord with Dowling. This name was previously used by Grose in 2003 for a solo release. Lord continues to play the Dungeon back-catalogue live and follows a similar musical path. [6] Both men also featured in the Newcastle studio-based power metal band Ilium until Grose announced his departure in early 2008. Stu Marshall formed a band called 20 Grams with Yatras briefly on drums and later with Jordan Howe, a one-time member of The Harlots, on vocals. This band is now known as Paindivision and has gone on to issue two albums as of mid-2010. Former bass player Sayers plays in a heavy rock / punk act called Platinum Brunette that released an EP in early 2007 and now features Lord Tim guitar. This band released an album in early 2009. Stephen Mikulic is a member of Lycanthia. Grahame Goode and Pete Peric reformed Infernal Method shortly after their brief time with Dungeon, however that group split up for good in April 2007; Goode later joined the thrash band Killrazer and Peric is now with Nazxul. Glenn Williams joined Brisbane melodic metallers Sedition (former bassist Andy Dowling had left to join Lord.) One-time drummer Steve Moore played in thrash band Vaticide and now plays in a Brisbane rock and metal band. Dakk McDonald runs a CD/DVD duplication business. Of the band's early guitarists, Dale Fletcher died from a brain haemmorhage in January 2005, Jason Hansen builds handmade guitars and Dale Corney sings for a Broken Hill metal band called Soulforge.

Members

Final line-up

Former members

Discography

Changing Moods

Demolition

Resurrection

A Rise to Power

Rising Power

Under the Rising Sun

One Step Beyond

Resurrection

The Final Chapter

Related Research Articles

Ilium is an Australian melodic power metal band formed in Newcastle in 1998 as Iliad. Founding mainstay is guitarist-songwriter, Jason Hodges. Upon Adam Smith (ex-Oracle) joining on guitar they changed their name and have released eight studio albums; Sirens of the Styx, Permian Dusk, Vespertilion, Ageless Decay, Genetic Memory, My Misanthropia, Sirens of the Styx: Re-Styxed and Carcinogeist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Majesty</span> Australian band

Black Majesty is an Australian power metal band formed in 2001 as Kymera. The band was founded by guitarist Steve Janevski and bassist Cory Betts (ex-Pegazus). After the release of a three track sampler album, they signed a five-album contract with German-based label, LMP Records. The group released their fifth studio album, Stargazer, in July 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazxul</span>

Nazxul are an Australian black metal band which formed in 1993. They issued two studio albums, Totem and Iconoclast. In March 2021, their most recent studio album titled Irkalla was released with the lineup being Adrian Henderson on guitar, Lachlan Mitchell on keyboards and guitar, John McLaughlin on drums and Dalibor Backovic on vocals and bass guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortal Sin (band)</span> Australian thrash metal band

Mortal Sin were an Australian thrash metal band that formed in 1985 and existed over three distinct periods until 2012. The band released five albums and were the first Australian thrash metal band to tour internationally. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, they were one of "two leading lights... [of] a small, but fervent underground thrash/speed metal scene."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord (band)</span> Australian power metal band

Lord is an Australian power metal band from Wollongong, New South Wales. The group began as a solo project for "Lord Tim" Grose of Dungeon in 2003 and expanded into a complete band when Dungeon broke up in 2005. LORD has appeared with major acts that include Queensrÿche, Nightwish, Nevermore, Saxon and Gamma Ray. The band's name is usually stylised in all capital letters.

Armoured Angel were an Australian thrash and death metal band from Canberra, which formed in 1982 as Metal Asylum. The band's founding mainstay, Glen "Lucy" Luck provided bass guitar. They pushed the musical boundaries of the local thrash metal scene and were pioneers of Australian death metal. The group also helped establish Australia's metal festival, Metal for the Brain in 1991. They issued a studio album, Angel of the Sixth Order, in July 1999 before disbanding soon after.

Damaged was an Australian deathgrind band from Ballarat, Victoria, active from 1989 to 2004.

Fury were a thrash metal band formed in Broken Hill, Australia in 1993 and for a time were based in Adelaide, Australia. Due to talks with their record label, Fury became known as The Harrowed in Europe, although they retained their original moniker of Fury within Australia. The group's former guitarist, Ricky Boon, is blind due to the degenerative eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa. His cousin is "Lord Tim" Grose frontman and band leader of Lord and previously the now defunct Dungeon. They had released several tracks on American compilation albums for Dwell Records, recording covers for Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Death and King Diamond tribute albums. The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus whilst members Ricky Boon, Mick O'Neil and Tim Hinton focus on a new project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Tim</span> Australian musician

Tim Ian Grose, known professionally as Lord Tim, is an Australian musician. Based in Wollongong, New South Wales, he is best known as the founder of the power metal band Dungeon. The band started in 1989, released several albums, and was considered one of the leading metal bands in Australia. When the band broke up in 2005 after an international tour with Megadeth, Lord Tim continued its legacy with another band he had created, LORD, for which he is singer, guitarist and principal songwriter.

Tim Yatras is an Australian musician, composer and producer, best known as one half of black metal duo Austere, and the creator of the black metal/rock/trance act Germ.

<i>A Personal Journey</i> 2003 studio album by Lord

A Personal Journey is the debut studio album by the Australian heavy metal band Lord. This release was designed as a solo outlet for Lord Tim of the Sydney metal band Dungeon to release material he felt was inappropriate for that group.

<i>A Rise to Power</i> 2002 studio album by Dungeon

A Rise to Power is the third album from Australian heavy metal band Dungeon. It was released in Australia on 1 August 2002 by Metal Warriors and internationally by LMP in 2003, first in Europe on 30 June and then in the U.S. in July. Both versions feature different cover art; the Australian version was designed by drummer Steve Moore. Lord Tim has stated privately that he dislikes the cover of the European version of the album. On 2 September 2007, it was announced that this album would be re-released by Modern Invasion Music with a video clip for the song "Stormchaser" included as a bonus addition.

<i>Resurrection</i> (Dungeon album) 1999 studio album by Dungeon

Resurrection is the second album from Australian heavy metal band – Dungeon. Recording was fraught with difficulties including a brief period when first Sayers, then Grose – both left and then rejoined the group. The low budget available resulted in poor sound quality; nonetheless Dungeon was courted by Century Media before deciding to have the album released by Warhead Records. It was released in October 1999, as the final release from that label. In 2005, the album was completely re-recorded and released worldwide. The 2005 version featured Lord Tim, Steve Moore and Stu Marshall.

<i>One Step Beyond</i> (Dungeon album) 2004 studio album by Dungeon

One Step Beyond is the fourth album from Australian heavy metal band Dungeon. It was released in Australia in November 2004 by Metal Warriors and in Japan at the same time by Sound Holic. LMP released the album worldwide in February 2005. Unlike the albums that preceded and followed it, One Step Beyond featured the same artwork and track-listing in all markets where it was released. The Australian version was to contain covers of "Til the Living End" by Dokken and Queen's "The Hero" but Dungeon's German label LMP refused to allow them to issue an alternate edition and the tracks were later made available as downloads. LMP later issued a special edition for the US market that also included the band's self-produced 2004 live DVD.

<i>The Final Chapter</i> (Dungeon album) 2006 studio album by Dungeon

The Final Chapter is the sixth and final album by Australian heavy metal band Dungeon. It was released in October 2006 by Modern Invasion Music. The group played its last live performance on 11 December 2005, however singer-guitarist Lord Tim and drummer Tim Yatras announced that they would record a final album under the name Dungeon. The Australian version also contains re-recorded versions of two very early Dungeon tracks, "Don't Leave Me" and "Changing Moods".

<i>Demolition</i> (Dungeon album) 1996 studio album by Dungeon

Demolition was the first album by Australian heavy metal band Dungeon. It featured mainly demo-quality tracks, four of which had been remixed from a previous demo with added bass lines from Justin Sayers and a cover of Blondie's "Call Me". Virgil Donati plays drums on the instrumental track "Changing Moods". This album was only released in Japan and has never been made available anywhere else. "Paradise", "I Am Death" and "Time to Die" would be re-recorded to appear on Resurrection in 1999; a remix of "Call Me" would appear on the limited-release Rising Power in 2003 and "Don't Leave Me" was re-recorded as a bonus track for the band's last album The Final Chapter in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stu Marshall</span> Musical artist

Stu Marshall is a guitarist from Sydney, Australia. He is a member of Sydney heavy metal band Empires of Eden and Paindivision.

Paindivision is an Australian heavy metal band that was formed in late 2005 by guitarist Stu Marshall. He was also concurrently a member of the Sydney band Dungeon at this time. Paindivision has released two albums and toured in Australia and Japan. The band has opened for a range of touring acts as well, including Armored Saint, Death Angel, Black Label Society, Helloween, and Vanishing Point. The band's current members include bassist Dan Quinlan, drummer Frog, and guitarist Ben Thomas.

<i>Hear No Evil</i> (Lord EP) 2008 EP by Lord

Hear No Evil is an EP by Australian heavy metal band Lord. It was released in a limited edition of 500 hand numbered CDs on October 31, 2008 on the band's own label, Dominus Records.

<i>Set in Stone</i> (Lord album) 2009 studio album by Lord

Set in Stone is the third album by the Australian heavy metal band Lord. It was released in September 2009 by the band's own label Dominus in conjunction with Riot! Entertainment. This was the first Lord album with the guitarist Mark Furtner as an official member and the last for Tim Yatras, who left after it was recorded but before it was released.

References

  1. ↑ "Lord of all they survey". The Mercury . 1 June 2006.
  2. ↑ Naidoo, Meryl (6 December 2007). "Leading band set to show its metal". The Mercury.
  3. ↑ Young, Kane; Brockman, Tom (14 May 2009). "Good LORD, it's a heavy dose of Kylie". The Mercury.
  4. ↑ Fischer-Giffin, Brian The Australian Metal Guide p.67 2004 ISBN   3-931624-23-4
  5. ↑ Interview with Lord Tim, Pyromusic.net, 27 September 2005
  6. ↑ "Lords of heavy metal are hitting the road again". Canberra Times . 26 August 2010.
  7. ↑ "LORD: Information". lord.net.au. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
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.