Powerman 5000

Powerman 5000

Powerman 5000 (aka PM5K) is a Boston-based rock band formed in 1991. Frontman Spider One is the younger brother of Rob Zombie.

Biography

Early years (1991-1996)

In 1991, Spider dropped out of art school and bought a cheap 4-track home studio and drum machine. Working under the title "MC Spider", he recorded "Much Evil" with producer Lamar Lowder. Building on local success, he built a band under the name Powerman 5000. Their style was in the nature of rap/metal that had yet to gain popularity. In 1993, longtime guitarist Adam 12 (Adam Williams) joined the band. In 1994 and 1995, Powerman released two independent records, True Force and The Blood Splat Rating System. Both albums were local successes. In 1996, they performed on the second stage of Ozzfest and appeared on an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 where David and Donna filmed a music video for their song "Strike the Match".

Dreamworks and Tonight the Stars Revolt! (1997-2002)

In 1997, the band signed to Dreamworks Records and released a re-recording of The Blood Splat Rating System (with two new tracks) titled Mega!! Kung Fu Radio. The band toured, performing on the main stage at Ozzfest 1997, and released singles such as "Organizized" and "Tokyo Vigilante #1". In 1999, Guitarist M.33 (Mike Tempesta) joined the band as they got their biggest break. Creating a strange fusion of science fiction (which had always interested Spider) and "Action Rock" (the term for their own high-energy powerful rock), they released Tonight the Stars Revolt!, which contained the hit singles "When Worlds Collide", "Nobody's Real", and "Supernova Goes Pop". The album sold over a million copies and assured the band's success.

A follow-up album titled Anyone For Doomsday? was recorded and a single ("Bombshell") had been released to radio stations, but the album was cancelled just before its scheduled release. Anyone For Doomsday? was later released under Spider's own new label, Megatronic Records, but has since gone out of print due to legal issues. Arguments exist as to whether the record was cancelled due to the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the negative title, but the album was finished and scheduled to be released in August 2001, a full month before the attacks. Spider has said in interviews that the album was dropped because it sounded too much like the previous album and that he wanted to release something fresh and different instead of repeating himself. Conflicts thereafter caused longtime members Dorian 27 (Dorian Heartsong) and Al3 (Allen Pahanish) to leave the band. Ad7 (Adrian Ost) and Siggy Sjursen were brought in to replace them. "Bombshell" resurfaced, as the entrance music for the WWE wrestling tag-team, The Dudley Boyz. The song was featured on the snowboarding video game Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder long before its release, and in the soundtrack for the movie Freddy vs. Jason as well as the Ivan Reitman comedy Evolution.

The contact much of American culture had with the band came from their original remake of the classic 1980's club hit Relax (song), originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The recrafted version of Relax featured prominently in the comedy film Zoolander, and helped to spread the band's appeal.

Transform (2003-2005)

In 2003, the band released Transform, a more punk-fueled album, completely dropping the costumes that had been featured throughout the band's Tonight The Stars Revolt! era. Containing the hit singles "Free" and "Action", the album sounded much more live and less filled with industrial metal electronics. After the release of Transform, Dreamworks Records was bought out by Interscope Records, and Powerman 5000 decided not to make the move. Undeterred, Spider continued with his own offshoot label Megatronic Records. In 2005, new music was released, both in the form of a rarities album titled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Vol. 1 and in new music from an upcoming album.

Destroy What You Enjoy (2006-2007)

A new tour was also started, but M.33 had been kicked out of the band for starting fights and Adam 12, while present on the upcoming album, was not touring. Former Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso and former Halfcocked (the first band on Spider's label) guitarist Johnny Rock were brought in to round out the live show. The band then signed to DRT Entertainment, who released the album entitled Destroy What You Enjoy on August 1, 2006. The song "Wild World" was the first single on the album.

Latest studio album (2007-Present)

On May 21, 2007, Powerman 5000 claimed via a Myspace blog post that they will be releasing a new studio album in 2007. The following is taken directly from said post: "Considering the bands track record of putting out cds once every three years it seems hard to believe that, yes we will put out a new disc in 2007!! It's all just beginning to develop and the wheres, whos and whats are to be determined but new rock is on the way!!" However no more details have been released regarding the album and the album failed to meet a 2007 release as well as a 2008 release.

Also, it has been announced that the band is putting together a live EP which too was originally planned for a 2007 release. They have also announced that they will head back out on tour in January of 2009 through the US.

On Jan.28, On the myspace page of Powerman 5000 they posted a three song preview of tracks from their upcoming 6th studio album. The tracks for preview are entitled, 'Super Villain', 'V is for Vampire' and 'Horror Show'. Powerman 5000 posted that "Super Villain" would became available for digital purchase on Feb. 10th via iTunes, Amazon, etc.

Powerman in the media

Powerman 5000 was credited for playing the song Almost Dead in the game Shadow the Hedgehog, which can be found in the album Lost and Found : Shadow the Hedgehog Vocal Trax. Powerman 5000 has also released tracks to games, such as FreQuency, Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder, SX Superstar, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2, and WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW. FreQuency featured "Danger Is Go!", off of their Anyone For Doomsday album. MX vs. ATV Unleashed featured "Heroes and Villains", THPS2(Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2) featured "When Worlds Collide", SX SuperStar and Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder as well as NHL Hitz 20-03 featured "Bombshell" and "When Worlds Collide," which were also featured in the video game series "Twisted Metal." "Bombshell" was also the entrance music for The Dudley Boyz when they were in the WWE. On top of that, the song "Action" was featured in NASCAR Thunder 2004. "Action" was always the first song played when the user started up the game.

Band members

Current

• Spider One – lead vocals (1991–present)
• Dave Pino – lead guitars (2007–present)
• Evan Rodaniche – rhythm guitars (2007–present)
• Gustavo Aued – bass (2008–present)
• Gordon Heckaman – drums, percussion (2008–present)

Former

• DJ Brian – turntables (1991–1993)
• Lamar Lowder – production (1991–1993)
• Jordan Cohen – percussion (1994–1998)
• Dorian 27 (Dorian Heartsong) – bass (1991–2001)
• Al 3 (Allen Pahanish) – drums, percussion (1991–2001)
• M33 (Mike Tempesta) – rhythm guitars (1999–2005)
• Adam 12 (Adam Williams) – lead guitars (1993–2005)
• Johnny Rock (Johnny Heatley) – lead guitars, backing vocals (2005–2007)
• Terry Corso – rhythm guitars (2005–2007)
• Siggy 00(Siggy Sjursen) – bass (2002–2008)
• Ad7, Mr. 7(Adrian Ost) – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2002–2008)

Discography

Main article: Powerman 5000 discography

Studio albums

• 1995: The Blood Splat Rating System
• 1999: Tonight the Stars Revolt!
• 2001: Anyone for Doomsday?
• 2003: Transform
• 2006: Destroy What You Enjoy
• 2009: Untitled 6th studio album

EPs

• 1994: True Force
• 2005: The Korea EP

Compilations & other works

• 1997: Mega!! Kung Fu Radio (adapted from The Blood Splat Rating System)
• 2004: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Vol. 1

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External links

• Official Website
• Powerman 5000 Media Site