Peter Mengede

Last updated

Peter Mengede
Born1962
Brisbane, Australia
Genres Alternative metal, post-hardcore
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Guitar
Years active1978–present
Labels Amphetamine Reptile, Interscope, Epic, Sony
Associated acts Helmet
Handsome

Peter Mengede (born 1962) is an Australian musician best known as a former guitarist for Helmet. He formed his own group, Handsome, in 1995 with former members of Quicksand, Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law. They released one album in 1997 before disbanding.

Contents

Early life

Mengede was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland. His mother was of Russian descent. [1] Mengede performed in high school cover bands as a teenager, doing covers of artists such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. At the age of 16 he dropped out of high school and started playing in local Brisbane bands. [1] In 1981 he moved to Sydney, continuing to play in local bands. [1] He also spent time in Melbourne working at Monash Records, located in the student union building on the Monash University campus. Mengede saved up enough money to move from Melbourne to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. He eventually settled in New York City, due to his dislike of the Los Angeles music scene. [1] Shortly after arriving in New York, he supported himself through a series of odd-jobs, including working at a video store. [1] Mengede later got hired to work in distribution for the Dutch East India Trading record label, which led to him meeting Page Hamilton. [1]

Career

Helmet (1989–1993)

Helmet was formed in New York City in 1989 by singer-guitarist Page Hamilton, with the group's lineup being Mengede, bassist Henry Bogdan and drummer John Stanier. [2] They released their debut album, Strap It On , in 1990. [2] After signing with Interscope Records, the group released their second album, Meantime , in 1992 to chart success. The album peaked at number one [3] on the Billboard Heetseekers Chart while it also peaked at number 68 on the Billboard 200. [3] The single "Unsung" also peaked at number 32 and 29 on the Mainstream Rock [4] and Modern Rock Charts respectively. [4] On 18 February 1993, Mengede left the group. [2] [1]

Handsome (1994 –1998)

Handsome was started by Mengede after departing Helmet. [2] [5] By 1995, Handsome's lineup included former Quicksand guitarist Tom Capone [5] and former Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law drummer Pete Hines [5] as well as bassist Eddie Nappi [5] and Salt Lake City native Jeremy Chatelain. [5] Their debut album, titled Handsome , was released on 4 February 1997 [6] through Epic/Sony. [5] [6]

In support of the album, the group toured with Silverchair, Local H and Less Than Jake in the US, [5] while they supported Wu-Tang Clan and Voodoo Glow Skulls in Europe. [5] Following the completion of their 1997 tour, Handsome disbanded. [5]

Recent years

After living in New York City for fifteen years, he moved back to Brisbane in late 2001, and started playing with a new band called El Gordo. [1] Guitarnerd published a 2010 article on the Les Paul he used to record with Helmet and Handsome. [7] On 23 June 2011 in Brisbane, Peter joined Helmet on stage for the first time in nearly 17 years and played a number of classics from Strap It On and Meantime.

Mengede currently teaches guitar in Brisbane, and has a daughter, who was born after he moved back to Australia. [1]

Discography

with Helmet

Studio albums

Compilations and live albums

with Handsome

Related Research Articles

Helmet (band) American alternative metal band

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.

<i>Meantime</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Helmet

Meantime is the second studio album and major label debut by American alternative metal band Helmet. It was released on June 23, 1992 through Interscope Records.

<i>Betty</i> (Helmet album) 1994 studio album by Helmet

Betty is the third album by American alternative metal band Helmet, released in 1994 on Interscope. It is Helmet's highest charting album in the U.S.

<i>Aftertaste</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Helmet

Aftertaste is the fourth album by American alternative metal band Helmet, released in 1997 on Interscope. It was the band's final album with original members John Stanier (drums) and Henry Bogdan (bass). Guitarist Rob Echeverria, who appeared on Helmet's previous outing, Betty, left the group to join Biohazard. Subsequently, the album was recorded as a three-piece, with Page Hamilton covering all the guitar parts. Guitarist Chris Traynor came on board for the supporting tour.

Tommy Tutone American rock band

Tommy Tutone is an American power pop band, known for its 1981 hit "867-5309/Jenny", which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. They are an example to some of a one-hit wonder, even though they did reach the Top 40 the year before with "Angel Say No".

<i>Strap It On</i> 1990 studio album by Helmet

Strap It On is the debut album by American alternative metal band Helmet. It was first released in 1990 through Amphetamine Reptile Records, and later Interscope Records in 1991.

Quicksand (American band) American post-hardcore band

Quicksand is an American post-hardcore band from New York City, founded in 1990. Their debut self-titled EP was followed by two major-label albums, Slip (1993) and Manic Compression (1995). Quicksand's sound has been compared to that of post-hardcore bands Fugazi and Helmet. The band supported their releases with extensive touring but fell short of the mainstream success anticipated by their labels. These factors and internal stress led them to separate first in 1995 and again in 1999 following a failed year-and-a-half reunion. In June 2012, Quicksand reunited for a special one-night performance and since has been playing additional live shows. The band's third album, Interiors, was released on November 10, 2017.

Biohazard (band) American rock band

Biohazard is an American hardcore band formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1987. They are one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel, and drummer Anthony Meo. Guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei would join Biohazard soon after, changing the band to a four-piece. Since February 2016, the lineup has consisted of Graziadei, Hambel, and Danny Schuler.

Henry Bogdan, is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as the original bass guitarist and a founding member of the alternative metal band, Helmet. Henry Bodgan played bass for all of Helmet's albums released up until 1997 which included Strap It On, Meantime, Betty, and Aftertaste.

<i>Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997)</i> 2004 compilation album by Helmet

Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997) is a compilation album of Helmet in its original form, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Page Hamilton, bassist Henry Bogdan, drummer John Stanier, and guitarists Peter Mengede (1989–1993) and Rob Echeverria (1994–1996). It was released in early 2004 in a run-up to the much-anticipated new Helmet album to be released later that year.

Chris Traynor American musician

Chris Traynor is an American guitarist, bassist, and studio musician. He has played with Orange 9mm, Helmet, Bush, Rival Schools, Institute, Gavin Rossdale, and High Desert Fires.

Unsung (song) 1991 single by Helmet

"Unsung" is a single by the American alternative metal band Helmet from their 1992 album, Meantime. A music video was produced for the song and found significant airplay on MTV in the early 1990s. "Unsung" is recorded in Drop D tuning on both guitars and bass, and begins with a bass intro. Its stop-and-go dynamics and catchy rhythm made it somewhat of a flagship of the growing 1990s alternative metal scene. In 1991, a full year before the release of Meantime, Amphetamine Reptile records issued the "Unsung" 7" record, featuring an earlier recording of the song.

Jeremy Chatelain (bassist) Musical artist

Jeremy Chatelain is a musician originally from Utah. He formed the Utah-based bands Insight and Iceburn, and went on to sing in NYC band Handsome and later formed Jets to Brazil with singer Blake Schwarzenbach. In 2005 Jeremy joined the band Helmet to play bass, but left in September 2006. Since 2000 he has written and performed with Cub Country.

Christopher Garrison Weber is an American musician best known as the guitarist and founder of the groups U.P.O. and Hollywood Rose. With U.P.O., he released two albums, No Pleasantries (2000) and The Heavy (2004), while the Hollywood Rose demos, recorded in 1984, were released in 2004 titled The Roots of Guns N' Roses.

Helmet discography

The discography of Helmet, a New York-based alternative metal band formed in 1989, consists of eight full-length studio albums, two compilation albums, 15 singles, and 14 music videos. This list does not include material performed by members or former members of Helmet that was recorded with Adair, Anthrax, Band of Susans, Biohazard, The Cult, Disturbing the Peace, Exodus, Norma Jean, Testament, Tomahawk and White Zombie.

Handsome (band) American rock band

Handsome was an American rock supergroup formed in 1995. The group's lineup was singer Jeremy Chatelain, guitarists Peter Mengede, Tom Capone, bassist Eddie Nappi, and drummer Pete Hines. Capone would leave the group in 1997, replaced by Donni Campion. They released two 7" vinyl singles in 1995, two CD singles in 1997 and one album, Handsome (1997), through Epic/Sony before disbanding.

<i>Handsome</i> (Handsome album) Album

Handsome is the only studio album by American rock band Handsome. It was produced by Terry Date and released in 1997.

<i>Revenge</i> (Cro-Mags album) 2000 studio album by Cro-Mags

Revenge is the fifth studio album by New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released in 2000 on their own label Cro-Mag Recordings and was the band's first studio album in seven years, as well as their first release with guitarist Rocky George and its first without vocalist John Joseph since 1989's Best Wishes. As he did on Best Wishes, bassist Harley Flanagan handled the vocals on this album. Revenge was also the Cro-Mags' last full-length studio album until the release of In the Beginning in 2020.

Sergio Vega (bassist) American musician (born 1970)

Sergio Vega is an American musician. He is the bassist of post-hardcore band Quicksand, former bassist of alternative metal band Deftones, and a solo artist.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mengede, Peter. BoostingShapes podcast, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Meredith, Bill. "Helmet Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Helmet Album Charts". Allmusic . Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Helmet Singles Charts". Allmusic . Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Jeffries, Vincent. "Handsome Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  6. 1 2 Stepek, Peter. "Handsome Review". Allmusic . Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Peter Mengede's Honeyburst Les Paul". Guitarnerd. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
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.