Steve Sledje

Last updated

Steve Sledje
Born (1965-06-02) June 2, 1965 (age 59)
Occupation(s)Singer/songwriter, guitarist

Steve Sledje (born June 2, 1965) is the singer/songwriter and guitarist of the death metal band Hellstrum. Commonly called Sledje, he has pioneered a melding of industrial and metal styles that employs a death growl vocal style. His lyrics are at times dark and mystic on a backdrop of fast, shredding guitar chords and solos. [1]

Contents

Early years

Sledje grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. After attending Butler University as a music student, Sledje left for Berklee College of Music where he enjoyed a summer session in Boston, Massachusetts. This marked the beginning of a thirteen-year residency in Boston during which time he joined the bands Hit Squad and Tommy Gun. After those projects ended, Sledje organized his own band Stampede Machine. They released their debut CD "Hostile Environment" in 1995. [2] The CD was distributed internationally and can occasionally be found for sale on the Internet albeit at high prices. The band reportedly dissolved in 1997 or 1998 before the completed recording their second release.

Colorado years

Sledje began writing and recording on his own, and in 1999, he moved to Colorado Springs where he began collaboration with local musicians. [3] At the same time, he developed an interest in private music instruction which he was continuing as of 2009. While in Colorado, Sledje has played and recorded with many bands including Power Tribe and Dirtnap. He also recorded a solo collection of acoustic songs in 2004.

Hellstrum years

After experimenting with a wide range of styles and genres, he founded his current band with friend and drummer Mike Pittman. The Hellstrum project started in 2006 and offered a unique combination of industrial, metal, and gothic styles. [1] Tragically, Mike Pittman died in August 2007 [4] at the same time as Hellstrum’s first release, the self-released EP, “Chronicles Volume One.” [5] The band continued with some personnel changes and the current lineup includes Sledje on lead vocals and guitar, Jack Aragon on lead guitar, Brent Wagner on bass guitar, and Dino Cuneo on drums. Hellstrum has since released “Chronicles Volume Two” and continues to record in preparation for a future release.

Personal life

In recent years, Sledje has become a mentor to other musicians, a proponent of experimental music, and an outspoken advocate for gun owners. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

Death was an American death metal band formed in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in 1983 by guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, drummer/vocalist Kam Lee and guitarist Rick Rozz. Formed out of what would become the Florida death metal scene, Death is considered to be among the most influential bands in heavy metal music and a pioneering force in death metal. The band's 1987 debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as one of the first death metal records, alongside the first records from Possessed and Necrophagia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Townsend</span> Canadian musician (born 1972)

Devin Garrett Townsend is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He founded extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad and was its primary songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist from 1994 to 2007. He has also had an extensive solo career and has released a total of 28 albums across all of his projects as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strapping Young Lad</span> Canadian metal band

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.

Dead Horse was a thrash metal band from Houston, Texas, which was active in the 1980s and 1990s and again during the 2010s. They have also been described as death metal and crossover thrash. Dead Horse also incorporated elements of country music and Texas culture that can be heard on songs such as "Hank" from Horsecore and "Chiggers" from Feed Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrome (band)</span> American rock band

Chrome is an American rock band founded in San Francisco in 1976 by musician Damon Edge and associated with the 1970s post-punk movement. The group's raw sound blended elements of punk, psychedelia, and early industrial music, incorporating science-fiction themes, tape experimentation, distorted acid rock guitar, and electronic noise. They have been cited as forerunners of the 1980s industrial music boom.

<i>When Dream and Day Unite</i> 1989 studio album by Dream Theater

When Dream and Day Unite is the debut studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on March 6, 1989, through Mechanic/MCA Records. The album is composed mostly of material that originally surfaced during the band's early years as Majesty, and it is the only Dream Theater album to be recorded with their full original lineup. James LaBrie replaced Charlie Dominici as the lead vocalist on all subsequent albums.

<i>Accelerated Evolution</i> 2003 studio album by The Devin Townsend Band

Accelerated Evolution is the sixth studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, released in 2003. The album, written and produced by Townsend, was a mix of musical styles from alternative rock to hard rock to progressive metal. Townsend, the lead vocalist and guitarist, assembled a group of Vancouver musicians to perform with him on the album: guitarist Brian Waddell, drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen, bassist Mike Young, and keyboardist Dave Young. This lineup, the Devin Townsend Band, was Townsend's first dedicated lineup for his solo material, and was created as a counterpart to Townsend's extreme metal project Strapping Young Lad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Z</span> American guitarist (born 1968)

Roy Z Ramirez is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson, Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influenced hard rock band. Roy also helped write and produce the band Life After Death in 1996.

Daniel Patrick Lohner, frequently known as Renholdër, is an American musician and record producer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle. In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nine Inch Nails.

<i>Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing</i> 1995 studio album by Strapping Young Lad

Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is the debut studio album by Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on April 4, 1995. Century Media Europe released a remastered version of the album on June 12, 2006, which includes the video for "S.Y.L.", several bonus tracks, and a 12-page booklet containing extended liner notes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Bonnet</span> English singer

Graham Bonnet is an English rock singer. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist and as a member of several hard rock and heavy metal bands including Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri. He is known for his powerful singing voice but is capable of also singing soft melodies. His singing has been noted as "very loud" by both his contemporaries and himself, and he claims to be a self-taught singer with "no discipline for lessons". Bonnet's visual style, considered uncharacteristic of hard rock musicians, has been described as being a cross between Don Johnson in Miami Vice and James Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reb Beach</span> American guitarist (born 1963)

Richard Earl "Reb" Beach Jr. is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.

<i>Synchestra</i> 2006 studio album by The Devin Townsend Band

Synchestra is the eighth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and the second and final album he recorded with The Devin Townsend Band. The album was released in January 2006 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records.

<i>Voyage of the Acolyte</i> 1975 studio album by Steve Hackett

Voyage of the Acolyte is the first studio album by English guitarist, songwriter, and singer Steve Hackett, released in October 1975 on Charisma Records as his only album recorded and released while he was a member of Genesis. Hackett recorded the album during a break in group activity in mid-1975 and used guest musicians, including Genesis bassist Mike Rutherford and drummer/vocalist Phil Collins, to play on the record. It has a loose concept with the title and lyrics of each track inspired by a Tarot card.

Alessandro Nunziati, better known by his stage name Lord Vampyr, is an Italian musician, record producer and writer, famous for being the former vocalist of the gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires, as well as one of its founding members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monte Pittman</span> American musician

Monte Lee Pittman is an American musician and studio musician based in Los Angeles, known largely as Madonna's long-time guitarist and for playing for heavy metal band Prong. He has also worked as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empires of Eden</span> Musical artist

Empires of Eden is a collaborative power metal recording project conceived and overseen by guitarist Stu Marshall, celebrated for his work with Dungeon and Paindivision. Orchestrated from Sydney, Australia, Empires of Eden is characterized by complex musical arrangements and the involvement of guest musicians from all around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Neel</span> Musical artist

Johnny Neel was an American vocalist, songwriter, and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his songwriting, his work as a session musician, and being a member of the Allman Brothers Band and the Dickey Betts Band.

Michael Cooper is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Initially coming to attention as a country blues performer, his later work also straddles jazz, Polynesian, ambient, and various experimental and improvisational styles.

Shawn James Pittman is an American blues rock singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. In his career, he has worked with musicians from Double Trouble, plus James Cotton, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Hubert Sumlin, Kim Wilson, Lou Ann Barton, Gary Clark Jr., and Susan Tedeschi. Commencing recording in the late 1990s, Pittman has released 12 albums.

References

  1. 1 2 Unknown [ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "WebVoyage".
  3. ↑ "WebVoyage".
  4. ↑ "Reverb - Music news and gossip". Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Hellstrum - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives".
  6. ↑ "Nntpnews.net". www.nntpnews.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
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.