Ross Robinson

Last updated

Ross Robinson
Also known asThe Godfather of Nu Metal
Born (1967-02-13) February 13, 1967 (age 57)
Angleton, Texas, U.S. [1]
Genres
OccupationRecord producer
Years active1991–present

Ross Robinson (born February 13, 1967) is an American record producer who discovered acts such as Korn, Glassjaw, The Blood Brothers, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Tech N9ne, The Cure, Sepultura, and many others. [2]

Contents

Biography

The son of Bob Robinson and inspirational speaker Byron Katie, [3] Robinson began as a thrash metal guitarist for the bands Detente and Murdercar and picked up his knowledge of producing from the studios where his band recorded demos and also worked at Blackie Lawless's studio, Fort Apache, in Burbank, CA. Robinson received his first production job for the 1991 Fear Factory album Concrete . Robinson would use the album as a showcase of sorts in helping him land producing slots with other acts, particularly the up-and-coming band Korn.

Robinson is regarded as "The Godfather of Nu Metal", [4] along with Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, despite denouncing the nu metal movement later on for becoming complacent and the newer bands for not expanding on the style that he helped create with Korn's first album, Korn (1994). [5]

Robinson has also been successful in the post-hardcore genre, producing At the Drive-In's album, Relationship of Command in 2000, as well as Glassjaw's albums, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence (2000) and Worship and Tribute (2002). Robinson has also worked with the likes of The Cure on their eponymous album (2004) and From First to Last on their album Heroine (2006).

In 2003 he produced The Blood Brothers' ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn , which was a departure for both the band and Robinson. In contrast to The Blood Brothers' previously raw, often under-produced songs (which lasted as short as 90 seconds at times), ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn featured much longer and more complex compositions.

Robinson was the owner of the IAM: Wolfpack label. In 2007 it was announced that he was starting a new label IAM: Wolfpack, which released the debut CD from Black Light Burns titled Cruel Melody . He is a co-owner of semi-private NY nightclub The Plumm, along with David Wells, Jesse Bradford, Noel Ashman and others.

From 2008, Robinson decided to produce new talents he discovered via Myspace. He recorded and mixed a young French trio called My Own Private Alaska, which mixes classical piano and scream based vocals. Their Amen album was released on March 1, 2010, through his label I Am Recordings.

He worked with the Slovenian band Siddharta on their new project Saga. He also produced Repeater's second album, We Walk from Safety .

Robinson has been producing indie rock bands such British bands Klaxons and Dananananaykroyd. In late 2008, the Luxembourgish dance rock band INBORN! were approached by Robinson. Having heard the band on the net, he offered to record their first official long player. The band entered Robinson's studio on October 1, 2010.

In 2010, Robinson returned to produce Korn's ninth album, 14 years after last working with band. Korn wanted to recapture the raw energy of the first two albums which Robinson produced. [6]

In 2013, Robinson produced Tech N9ne's rock EP Therapy.

Robinson also worked with Sepultura for their 2013 album The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart .

As of 2017, he has recently worked with The Used, Suicide Silence, and Frank Iero and the Patience among others.

Robinson had a minor role in producing Limp Bizkit's sixth studio album, then titled Stampede of the Disco Elephants , [7] however such contributions were later discarded after the album's refactoring and 2021 release.

Musician

Albums produced

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limp Bizkit</span> American nu metal band

Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's musical style is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. Borland's elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit's live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.

Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of musical technique, and emphasizes rhythm with instrumentation that is heavily syncopated. Nu metal guitarists typically use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. Vocal styles are often rhythmic and influenced by hip hop, and include singing, rapping, screaming and sometimes growling. DJs are occasionally featured to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic background music. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korn</span> American nu metal band

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band L.A.P.D. Their current lineup features Shaffer (guitar), Arvizu (bass), Brian "Head" Welch (guitar), Jonathan Davis (vocals), and Ray Luzier (drums), the last of whom replaced Silveria in 2007. The band is notable for pioneering and popularizing the nu metal genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slipknot (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, former vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in its early years, the band settled on nine members for more than a decade: Crahan, Gray, Joey Jordison, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root. Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image, aggressive style of music, and energetic and chaotic live shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Durst</span> American musician (born 1970)

William Frederick Durst is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director. He is the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released six studio albums.

<i>Korn</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Korn

Korn is the debut studio album by the American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 11, 1994, through Immortal and Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band was approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance in Huntington Beach, California. The band signed to their label because they did not want to "sign away all of their creative freedom". The band would record at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, with producer Ross Robinson, who also produced their 1993 demo Neidermayer's Mind. The recording took place from May to June 1994. After the recordings, Korn toured with Biohazard and House of Pain.

Alternative metal is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily downtuned, mid-paced guitar riffs, a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and harsh vocals and sometimes sounds that are unconventional within other heavy metal styles. The term has been in use since the 1980s, although it came into prominence in the 1990s.

Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as one of the most powerful independent metal labels of the 1980s and 1990s, it would eventually become a massive host of metal acts; most seen in Roadrunner United and the following live concert. Since then, the label had continued to put out major releases, though by the 2020s, most major acts had left the label and it had been acquired by Warner Brothers, being relegated to something much smaller than before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wes Borland</span> American guitarist and vocalist

Wesley Louden Borland is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and backing vocalist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock band Black Light Burns, and the co-founder of the experimental metal band Big Dumb Face.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glassjaw</span> American post-hardcore band

Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. It was formed in 1993 by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck. The band is known for their intense live shows, as well as their frequent line-up changes. Despite their limited commercial success and small discography, they are considered to be one of the most influential bands in the progression of the underground music scene in the eastern United States and United Kingdom for the post-hardcore genre.

<i>The Cure</i> (The Cure album) 2004 studio album by the Cure

The Cure is the twelfth studio album by English rock band of the same name, released on 25 June 2004 by Geffen Records. The album was entirely co-produced by American producer Ross Robinson and frontman Robert Smith and spawned the single "The End of the World".

<i>Three Dollar Bill, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all is the debut studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on July 1, 1997, through Flip and Interscope Records. It established the band's trademark sound with the singles "Counterfeit", which was influenced by hip hop and heavy metal, and "Faith", a cover of the 1987 song of the same name by George Michael. Limp Bizkit's rearrangement of the song incorporated scratching by DJ Lethal and heavier guitar playing by Wes Borland.

<i>The Burning Red</i> 1999 studio album by Machine Head

The Burning Red is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Machine Head. It is the band's second best selling album in the US, selling as many copies in three years as their debut album, Burn My Eyes, sold in almost eight years (1994–2002). The album has sold over 134,000 copies in the US and it was certified silver in 2011 by the BPI for sales of 60,000 in the UK. The Burning Red was Machine Head's first album with guitarist Ahrue Luster, as well as their first venture into nu metal.

<i>Cold</i> (Cold album) 1998 studio album by Cold

Cold is the debut studio album by American rock band Cold. The album produced two singles: "Go Away" and "Give".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradle of Thorns</span> American rock band

Cradle of Thorns was an American rock band. Formed in 1988 in Bakersfield, California by singer Ty Elam, the band was initially defined by their gothic rock style. After releasing their debut album, Remember It Day, independently in 1990, the band signed with Triple X Records, and would come to be defined by a more dance music-oriented style influenced by heavy metal and industrial rock. In 1998, the band changed their name to Videodrone and signed with Korn's vanity label Elementree Records, releasing their self titled fourth album, Videodrone the following year, which featured a mix of industrial music and nu metal. Videodrone disbanded two years later, but reformed under their original name from 2007 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratamahatta</span> 1996 single by Sepultura

"Ratamahatta" is a song by Brazilian metal band Sepultura. It was the third and final single from the band's 1996 album Roots. It is also the last Sepultura single to feature founding frontman Max Cavalera. The song is amongst the band's best-known and remains a concert staple to this day. A music video was created for the song using stop-motion animation which explores the themes of the song. This video can be found on the VHS Sepultura: We Are What We Are, which was later released on DVD as part of Chaos DVD.

Fear and the Nervous System was an alternative metal/industrial rock band formed by Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer. The band released one self-titled album in 2012 and disbanded in 2014.

Détente is an American thrash metal band founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The group's original line-up included Dawn Crosby on vocals, Steve Hochheiser on bass, Dennis Butler on drums and Ross Robinson and Caleb Quinn on guitars,.

<i>Still Sucks</i> 2021 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Still Sucks is the sixth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on October 31, 2021, through Suretone Records. Work on the album began in 2012, but the album lingered in development hell for the next nine years. The album's lead single "Dad Vibes" was premiered at the end of a performance at Lollapalooza on August 2, 2021, and officially released on September 30, 2021, marking their first brand-new material to be released in seven years.

<i>Therapy</i> (Tech N9ne EP) 2013 EP by Tech N9ne

Therapy is the sixth extended play (EP) by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Strange Music. The EP was produced by Ross Robinson and features guest appearances from Krizz Kaliko, Bernz, Wrekonize, Caroline Dupuy Heerwagen and Tyler Lyon. Session musicians include guitarist Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns and hardcore punk drummer Sammy Siegler. The EP is categorized by an aggressive nu metal sound.

References

  1. "Packing Heat: Ross Robinson, Record Producer". Altsounds.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  2. Prato, Greg. "Biography: Ross Robinson". Allmusic. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  3. Adato, Allison (November 24, 2002). "How a Self-Help Guru Is Born". Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2018 via LA Times.
  4. Hammerpublished, Metal (July 13, 2021). "'Nu metal godfather' Ross Robinson is on the new Metal Hammer podcast". loudersound. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  5. McIver, Joel (2002). Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk. Omnibus Press. p. 123. ISBN   0-7119-9209-6.
  6. "Roadrunner Records Latest News". Roadrunner Records Official Website. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. Graff, Gary (May 13, 2013). "Limp Bizkit Sprints to Finish 'Stampede,' Explains Album Title and DJ Lethal Split". Billboard.
  8. "station.lu". www.station.lu. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  9. "ANTHEMS OF THE HERO". SoundCloud. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  10. Simon (October 30, 2013). "REVIEW: WE ARE KNUCKLE DRAGGER – THE DRONE". The Monolith. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  11. "Night Verses Set July Release For Ross Robinson Produced New Album - Theprp.com". May 26, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  12. "Touché Amoré Singer Became Spokesperson for Grief". September 23, 2020.