Baliset (band)
Encyclopedia
Baliset is an American
hard rock / heavy metal band based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is the project of Greg Massi, known for his work with the avant-garde
bands maudlin of the Well
and Kayo Dot
.
Massi left Kayo Dot in 2006, allowing him to concentrate his efforts on Baliset with Letourneau. They released a limited edition, 5-song demo
called Black Light Moon later that year.
, and a few months later on CD
, to generally favorable reviews. The album contained 8 songs, all of which were written and recorded between 2003-8 by Massi and Letourneau, with the assistance of several guest musicians, including fellow Kayo Dot alumnus Forbes Graham. The album artwork was provided by Eliran Kantor
, known for his work for metal
bands such as Testament
and Aghora
. The album was recorded and mixed at Zing Studios, with additional mastering and engineering at Menegroth The Thousand Caves studio by Colin Marston
in Queens, NY. The album's release was followed by a few shows in the Boston area by the live incarnation of the band, and the band continues to play live occasionally.
In October 2009, it was announced that Lauren Flaherty, who performed guest vocals on A Time for Rust, joined Baliset as the official lead singer.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock / heavy metal band based in Boston, Massachusetts, and is the project of Greg Massi, known for his work with the avant-garde
Avant-garde music
Avant-garde music is a term used to characterize music which is thought to be ahead of its time, i.e. containing innovative elements or fusing different genres....
bands maudlin of the Well
Maudlin of the Well
maudlin of the Well is an avant-garde metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. Their music contains elements from many different genres including doom metal, indie rock, jazz, progressive rock, post rock, progressive metal, death metal, gothic metal, as well as chamber music, ambient music and New...
and Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot is an American avant-rock/experimental music group that was formed in 2003 by Toby Driver. They released their debut album Choirs of the Eye on John Zorn's Tzadik Records label that year. Tzadik's descriptive label on that album reads: "Kayo Dot powerfully integrates elements of modern...
.
Background
Greg Massi began developing solo material under the moniker "Baliset" in 1996. From 1999-2006, along with college friend, drummer Adam Letourneau, Massi would go on to write and record songs for the project.Massi left Kayo Dot in 2006, allowing him to concentrate his efforts on Baliset with Letourneau. They released a limited edition, 5-song demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
called Black Light Moon later that year.
A Time for Rust
In March 2009, Baliset's first album entitled A Time for Rust, was released digitallyMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and a few months later on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, to generally favorable reviews. The album contained 8 songs, all of which were written and recorded between 2003-8 by Massi and Letourneau, with the assistance of several guest musicians, including fellow Kayo Dot alumnus Forbes Graham. The album artwork was provided by Eliran Kantor
Eliran Kantor
Eliran Kantor is a Berlin-based artist and illustrator known mostly for creating album covers for heavy metal bands such as Testament, Mekong Delta, Sigh and Anacrusis...
, known for his work for metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands such as Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and Aghora
Aghora (band)
Aghora is a progressive metal/technical metal band formed in 1995 by guitarist Santiago Dobles. In 2000 they released their first album, Aghora, recorded and produced by Santiago Dobles and Dan Escauriza in 1999, Miami, Florida. The album featured Sean Malone and Sean Reinert, both members of Cynic...
. The album was recorded and mixed at Zing Studios, with additional mastering and engineering at Menegroth The Thousand Caves studio by Colin Marston
Colin Marston
Colin Marston is an American musician and record producer residing in NYC. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music technology in 2004, and runs The Thousand Caves Recording Studios, located in Woodhaven, Queens, while not on tour with one of his four active...
in Queens, NY. The album's release was followed by a few shows in the Boston area by the live incarnation of the band, and the band continues to play live occasionally.
In October 2009, it was announced that Lauren Flaherty, who performed guest vocals on A Time for Rust, joined Baliset as the official lead singer.
Discography
- Black Light Moon (2006) (demo, limited to 200 copies)
- A Time for Rust (2009)
Current members
- Greg Massi - vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Adam Letourneau - drums, percussion
- Lauren Flaherty - vocals
- Rob Macleod - bass
Guest and session musicians
- T.L. Conrad - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- John Battema - keyboards
- Jim Fogarty - keyboards, percussion, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Forbes Graham - trumpet