Granicus (band)
Granicus | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock |
Years active | 1969 | –1973
Labels | RCA |
Past members | Woody Leffel Wayne Anderson Allen Pinell Dale Bedford Joe Battaglia |
Website | www |
Granicus was an American hard rock band formed in 1969 in Cleveland.[1] Performing in clubs in Cleveland, the band were then later signed by RCA Records on March 15, 1973 and released their eponymous debut album in the same year.[2] The band later opened for such performers as Bob Seger, Cactus and Spirit to promote that first record, which has since been critically acclaimed in some classic rock circles. Disbanding in 1973, the group later reunited after finding their first record pirated and selling in Europe. In 2009, they released Thieves, Liars and Traitors on an independent label in 2010.[3] from a collection of unreleased material recorded in 1974. The group had experimented with several genres ranging from heavy blues rock and progressive rock to experimental psychedelia and metal, incorporating a musical style similar to first-album Rush.[4][5]
Formed by drummer Joe Battaglia, the group would practice in his home but later moved to a Cleveland warehouse, a better-suited environment to compose their music with high energy.[3] Commentating on coming of age in a Vietnam back-dropped America,[3] the groups music was highly influenced by late-60s psychedelic rock artists such as Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Blue Cheer as well as early-70s hard rock giants, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. The influence would greatly been shown when lead vocalist Woody Leffel would sing in a high-pitched voice similar to Robert Plant, Ian Gillan and Geddy Lee.[2][6]
In 2016, the band is attempting to regain control of their since-pirated first record, and is writing material for a third record.[citation needed]
Members
- Principal members
- Woody Leffel – vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
- Wayne Anderson – lead guitar
- Allen Pinell – rhythm guitar
- Dale Bedford – bass guitar
- Joe Battaglia – drums
- Guest artists on "Thieves, Liars and Traitors"
- Artie Cashin – guitar
- Jesse Rae – vocals
Discography
- Granicus (1973)
- You're In America
- Bad Talk
- Twilight
- Prayer
- Cleveland Ohio
- Nightmare
- When You're Movin'
- Paradise
- Thieves, Liars and Traitors (2010)
- Thieves Liars and traitors
- Space in Time
- Equator
- I'm Not Sick
- Hollywood Star
- Wizard of Was
- Taste of Love
- Slings and Arrows
- When You're Movin'/Back Seat of My Car/Bad Talk (Live Jam)
References
- ^ "Granicus". MTV.
- ^ a b Granicus at AllMusic
- ^ a b c "Band history".
- ^ Granicus (album) at AllMusic
- ^ Thierry Aznar. CAMION BLANC: HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL 40 années de purgatoire – Tome 1. CAMION BLANC. pp. 105–107. ISBN 978-2-35779-539-6.
- ^ Daniel Bukszpan; Ronnie James Dio (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Barnes & Noble Publishing. pp. 66–. ISBN 978-0-7607-4218-1.
External links
- LA Weekly website short biography