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The Bronx Casket Company | |
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Origin | New York City, U.S. |
Genres | Gothic metal, heavy metal, groove metal |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | The Music Cartel (1999–2003) Candlelight Records (2005–) |
Members | D.D. Verni Jack Frost Charlie Calv Rob Pallotta |
Past members | Myke Hideous Tim Mallare |
The Bronx Casket Co. is an American gothic metal band from New York City. They were formed in 1999 by Overkill bassist D.D. Verni. [1] The band's music features a blend of gothic metal and traditional heavy metal.
Their first release was titled The Bronx Casket Company, and was met with good reviews.
2001 saw the release of their second full-length release, Sweet Home Transylvania, which was met with the same enthusiasm. Although the band had never played a live show, fan interest continued to grow with songs like "Jesus Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "The Other Me" and "Black Valentine".
Allegedly, the only time the whole band were in the same room together was to shoot the promo photos for the album. Each member recorded his own part in a different studio as to accommodate their commitments to their other bands.
The strength of the songs on the band's second release caught the ear of playwright Andrea Lepcio. Soon after, Verni and Lepcio were collaborating with three-time Tony Winner Hinton Battle to direct and choreograph, and the seeds of The Bronx Casket Co… A New Musical were planted. Verni recruited several members from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to perform the show's music and, likewise, when the cast consisted of performers from Broadway shows Hairspray, Rent and Dance of the Vampires. There have been several performances off-Broadway for producers/backers and the show is still in the writing stages. It has a gothic/Broadway score with a twisted love story woven throughout. Songs from the first two Bronx Casket Co. releases are included in the show, as well as 13 new songs Verni penned just for the musical.
2005 marked the release of Hellectric, their first CD with new label Regain Records, their third full-length CD. "It takes three records I think", states Verni, "to really decide what a band is going to be". Hellectric is a blend of the more doom sound of the first release with the more metal sound of the second. It was produced and engineered by Verni at his New Jersey–based Gear Recording Studio.
Long-time friend Michael Romeo of Symphony X contributed all the orchestrations as well as co-mixing the record with Verni. Songs like "Little Dead Girl" and "Sherimoon" are catchy, while others like "Bleed With Me" and "Can't Stop The Rain" show the band using more orchestral arrangements and finesse. The record includes a Goth rendition of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit "Free Bird" – "If you're going to do a cover tune, you may as well defile a classic" states Verni.
Hellectric also marks the first video from the band. Directed by Lee Lanier at Beezubugbit Studios in Las Vegas, "Little Dead Girl" is in the vein of Tim Burton's immortal The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Hideous and Mallare left the band. Rob Pallotta became their new drummer, and Verni took over the role as lead singer. A new album was scheduled for release March 29, 2009, but was delayed until 2011.
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling as a touring drummer. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, the latter of whom would feature one-time Overkill lead guitarist Dan Spitz, the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM). The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly" who has appeared on many of their album covers.
Michael James Romeo is an American musician, best known as the guitarist, founding member, and main songwriter of the progressive metal group Symphony X. He is one of two members to appear on every Symphony X release.
Horrorscope is the fifth studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on September 3, 1991, through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. It was the first Overkill album to feature the duo of guitarists Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino, and the last to be released through Megaforce, although they remained on Atlantic until 1995. Like its predecessor, The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope was produced by Terry Date.
I Hear Black is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on March 9, 1993, by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first to feature drummer Tim Mallare.
W.F.O. is the seventh full-length studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on July 15, 1994, on Atlantic Records.
Wrecking Your Neck is a 2-disc live album released by the thrash metal band Overkill in 1995. A March 1995 show, once again in Cleveland, Ohio, was recorded for Overkill's first full-length live album and was released in April 1995; with the first pressing featuring a bonus CD containing the Overkill EP that had been out of print for ten years. A music video for the song "Bastard Nation" was also released. Wrecking Your Neck is also the last Overkill album to feature guitarists Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant, and their first release on CMC, following the end of their near-decade-long tenure with Atlantic Records.
The Killing Kind is the eighth studio album released by thrash metal band Overkill in 1996. It was the first album to feature new guitarists Joe Comeau and Sebastian Marino, and was released on CMC International, whereas their previous studio albums were released by either Megaforce or Atlantic Records.
From the Underground and Below is the ninth studio album by the thrash metal band Overkill released in 1997 by CMC International. Two cover songs were recorded during these sessions: "No Feelings" by Sex Pistols and "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple. Lead singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth considers From the Underground and Below to be one of his favorite Overkill albums.
Necroshine is the tenth studio album by thrash metal band Overkill released on February 23, 1999, on CMC International records.
Coverkill is a cover album released by thrash metal band Overkill in 1999. The album consists of cover songs by artists that influenced the band, including Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Kiss, Judas Priest, Jethro Tull, Ramones, Sex Pistols, the Dead Boys, and Manowar. This was Overkill's first release with guitarist Dave Linsk.
Bloodletting is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 24, 2000, by Metal-Is. It is the first after the departure of guitarists Joe Comeau and Sebastian Marino and the addition of Dave Linsk. Bloodletting also marked the first and only time since 1989's The Years of Decay that Overkill had recorded together as a four-piece.
Wrecking Everything is a 2002 live album by thrash metal band Overkill which is the counterpart to Wrecking Everything – An Evening in Asbury Park VHS/DVD. Recorded at The Paramount, Asbury Park, New Jersey on March 23, 2002. As of 2006, the album had sold over 5,300 copies and according to Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, the VHS/DVD has sold around 15,000–20,000 copies in the U.S.
Killbox 13 is the 12th studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released in 2003. It is the first album with rhythm guitarist Derek Tailer. The name stems from the fact that the band considers this to be their thirteenth release because they include the Overkill EP as their first, or that they had released the covers album Coverkill, which would have been their eleventh studio album. "Well, it is the thirteenth, but it's only really the thirteenth for people who followed the band. There was an EP called Overkill back in '84...", said Bobby Ellsworth.
ReliXIV is the 13th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released in spring 2005. The reason the Roman numeral 14 is included in the title is because the band includes the Overkill EP in their lineup of studio albums, which would make this album the 14th by their chronology. It can also be because Overkill released the covers album Coverkill, which would have been their eleventh studio album. While this diction left it unclear how the title was to be pronounced, Blitz just mentioned it as "Relics" when announcing songs from the album on stage. The album produced the popular "Old School", which has been played at every Overkill show since it was first released. As of late 2007, ReliXIV sold over 16,000 copies in the U.S.
John Dempsey, known professionally as Jack Frost, is an American guitarist. He is one of the founders of the heavy metal band Seven Witches and also a part of The Bronx Casket Company. Frost is also known for playing guitar on Savatage's tour in support of Poets and Madmen in 2001 and 2002 before being dismissed from the band for unspecified reasons. He also toured in Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna's backing band, and played in a cover band called Diesel which featured Taz Marazz of Seven Witches, Mike Lepond of Symphony X on bass, and Jim Pepe on lead vocals.
Immortalis is the 14th studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill. It was released in 2007 on Bodog Records. It is a pun of "Immortal15", and was preceded by Killbox 13 and ReliXIV. The album sold over 2,800 copies in its first week of release in the U.S and as of 2009, Immortalis sold over 15,000 copies in the U.S.
Myke Hideous is an American gothic rock singer and songwriter from New Jersey.
Carlo "D.D." Verni is an American musician, best known as a founding member, bassist and songwriter of the thrash metal band Overkill. He and vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth are the only two original members who have remained with the band throughout its entire history. In addition to his work with Overkill, Verni has recorded four albums with his side project the Bronx Casket Co. and released several solo projects. He is also the composer of The Bronx Casket Co.... A New Musical.
White Devil Armory is the 17th studio album by the American thrash metal band Overkill. It was released on July 18, 2014 in Europe through Nuclear Blast and July 22 in North America through eOne Music.