History
Hoglan and Popson met back in 2004 while Jason was selling T-shirts for Meshuggah while they were on tour with Strapping Young Lad. Popson was taking a break from touring with Mushroomhead where he was known as J Mann. He never mentioned that he was Mushroomhead's frontman and it wasn't until late in the tour that Hoglan found out. Originally, the group was intended to be similar to Probot with Popson as the vocalist and a revolving door of guitarists and drummers. When Popson was finally ready to record, though, the only one who was not busy was Hoglan. In January 2007, Hoglan flew to Ohio and he and Popson wrote and recorded Absentee in ten days. Guitarist Rob Reinard (NDE) was brought in by studio engineer Bill Korecky. Bassist Craig Martini was also brought in for the band. Popson and Martini are longtime friends and have performed in bands in the past, including Unified Culture, State of Conviction and The Alter Boys. Shortly after finishing recording Absentee Martini left the band in good terms, relocating to Nevada and was replaced by Steve Rauckhorst, who Popson had previously known from the Cleveland scene and his time in Integrity. They played their first show in nearly six months at Peabody's in Cleveland. On May 5, 2011, Pitch Black Forecast announced Tom Shaffner of Keratoma fame would be their new second guitarist. The band's name was originally "Absentee" before switching it to Pitch Black Forecast and using the former as the name of the first album. The first track recorded, titled "Revolve", was included on the Melvins Tribute album We Reach: The Music of the Melvins and released on Popson's record label, Fractured Transmitter.
The band's second album, a five-track EP, titled Burning in Water... Drowning in Flame was recorded at Cleveland's Galahad Studios and was released on August 11, 2012, at a live show for Popson's bands Unified Culture and State of Conviction at Peabody's Down Under in Cleveland. The album features Devin Townsend and M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold
In mid-2014, the band's Facebook page mentioned a new album later in the year. The post stated the release would be a compilation of previously-released songs remixed and re-tracked to become "closer" to the vision Popson desired from the start. The title of the album was later revealed to be As the World Burns. It was released October 21 on compact disc, vinyl and digital download by Ohio-based Ferocious Records. The album features guest appearances by M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Devin Townsend, and the Human Furnace. The digital and CD versions both contain a 4-track EP entitled "Spitefuck" by Popson's other side project called Bitch Wrangler. A Best Buy Exclusive version of the CD contains 3 additional tracks.
Strapping Young Lad (SYL) was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had recruited permanent members; this line-up, which consisted of Townsend on vocals and guitar, Jed Simon on guitar, Byron Stroud on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums, lasted until the band's dissolution.
Tenet is a heavy metal band formed as a side project by Jed Simon of Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole.
Mushroomhead is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1993 in the Cleveland Warehouse District, the band is known for their avant-garde sound and horror film-inspired imagery which features masks and costumes as well as their unique live shows usually performed at smaller venues.
Eugene Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer, acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including use of abstract devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms. Though his playing style is very technically demanding, he retains high accuracy at extreme tempos, earning him the nicknames "The Atomic Clock" and "Human Drum Machine".
Zimmers Hole is a Canadian heavy metal band from Vancouver. The band formed in 1991, and features former Strapping Young Lad members Byron Stroud, Jed Simon and Gene Hoglan, along with vocalist Chris Valagao.
Alien is the fourth studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on March 22, 2005. The album was written by Devin Townsend and Gene Hoglan over a six-month time period. The album reached No. 32 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 35 on the Top Independent Albums chart.
Steve "Zetro" Souza is an American musician, best known for his work as lead vocalist with thrash metal band Exodus from 1986 to 1994, and again from 2002 to 2004. He rejoined Exodus for a third time in 2014. Souza is one of two singers, along with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the thrash metal band Tenet and was the lead singer for the thrash metal band Legacy. In 2011, Souza announced his new project, Hatriot. He stepped down as the frontman of the band in 2015, leaving the role of lead vocals to his son, Cody.
City is the second studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad, released on February 11, 1997. Frontman Devin Townsend assembled a permanent lineup of Strapping Young Lad to record the album, including prolific drummer Gene Hoglan, and Townsend's former bandmates Jed Simon on guitar and Byron Stroud on bass. The album was critically acclaimed, with Revolver naming it one of "the greatest metal albums of all time", and it is widely considered Strapping Young Lad's best work. The album was re-released in 2007 with several bonus tracks and altered cover art.
Strapping Young Lad is the eponymous third album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on February 11, 2003.
Mushroomhead is the debut album from heavy metal band Mushroomhead. It was released independently in Cleveland, Ohio, United States in 1995. Some songs have been remastered on XX. Many of the songs contain samples from movies. This is the only album to feature the original line-up, as member Mr. Murdernickel would leave the band after the album's release, although he has songwriting credits on a few tracks on the next album. The album was re-pressed in 2002 along with Superbuick and M3 with alternate artwork, though some major retailers do not carry them. In 2001, the album had sold over 47,000 copies, a considerable number for an album not available in most chain stores and retail markets.
Integrity is a hardcore punk band originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but based in Belgium since 2003. It was formed in 1988 by lead vocalist Dwid Hellion.
Physicist is the fourth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released on June 26, 2000, on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.
The Alter Boys is an American rock supergroup from Cleveland, Ohio. The band includes members of the bands Dog Fashion Disco, Polkadot Cadaver, Unified Culture, Mudfoot, Original Pranksta, Venomin James, and Mushroomhead. Also featured in the band was Ryan Dunn of the stunt show Jackass. They play in various musical styles and released their first album, The Exotic Sounds of the Alter Boys, in March 2005. They were signed to the Fractured Transmitter record label. However, in late February 2009, they were removed from the Fractured Transmitter site. Rotten Records re-released The Exotic Sounds of the Alter Boys in January 2009. Though they never broke up, Todd Smith has since stated that The Alter Boys are "dead".
Jason Jonathan Popson is an American vocalist and rapper for metal band Mushroomhead taking the stage name J Mann. Prior to his initial departure from the band he was identified by his face paint, which was based on the film Dead Presidents. Since 2014, he has worn a mask like the rest of the band.
Jedson Louis Simon is a Canadian guitarist. He was a member of supergroup Scar the Martyr and has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, Tenet, and Vimic.
Savior Sorrow is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Mushroomhead. It is their first release through Megaforce Records. This is the first Mushroomhead recording to not feature original vocalist Jason "J Mann" Popson and guitarist Bronson, who left the band in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The former is replaced by Waylon Reavis.
1994–2006 Chaos Years is a retrospective compilation album from the heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. The album contains tracks from all of the band's studio albums, as well as a DVD with live footage and music videos. The album had a European release on March 31, 2008.
The Righteous & the Butterfly is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Mushroomhead. It was released on May 13, 2014.
A Wonderful Life is the eighth studio album by heavy metal band Mushroomhead. It was released on June 19, 2020 and is their first album to feature Steve Rauckhorst on vocals. It is also the first Mushroomhead album without vocalist Jeffrey Hatrix and keyboardist Tom Schmitz and the only full album with Jackie LaPonza on vocals and Tom Shaffner on guitars.
