Frankenbok
Encyclopedia
Frankenbok is a Heavy 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...

 band from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Frankenbok were founded in 1997 by guitarist Aaron Butler and vocalist Adam 'Hutch' Glynn and have since released three full-length albums and one EP. Frankenbok have toured Australia on numerous occasions, building a strong cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...

 in their homeland.

The current Frankenbok line-up consists of Aaron Butler (guitar
Guitar
The 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...

), Tim Miedecke (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 and backing vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

), Mick Morley (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

), Dan McDougall (vocals) and Nathan 'Yeti' Amatnieks (guitar). The group is currently signed to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

-based record label Prime Cuts.

Formative years, 1997-1999

Following his return from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 and having been heavily influenced by that regions death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 scene, Aaron Butler recruited former-Bacterium vocalist Adam 'Hutch' Glynn. Their moniker was taken from a demo tape Butler had made during his time in the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Whilst teaching some locals a few Australian colloquialisms, one participant mispronounced the slang term "fair dinkum" as "frankenbok".

Butler and Glynn were later joined by former-Zombonol members Tim Miedecke and Scott Lang, on bass and guitar respectively. Unable to find a suitable drummer, the band took to playing live with a drum machine. In 1998, a demo was recorded. Little comes of it and it is never officially released. Frankenbok's unusual mix of grinding, death metal rhythms, thrashing riffs and eclectic, Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...

-inspired vocals interspersed with guttural death growls helped them gain attention and standout from the majority in the metal scene of the time.

In 1999, following sustained gigging in the local underground metal scene, Frankenbok attract the attention of producer/engineer Richie 'DW' Norton (also known for playing guitar in Australian band Superheist
Superheist
Superheist was an Australian nu metal band that attained a significant degree of success with a string of EPs and singles and two full-length albums that charted in the Top 40 before suddenly disbanding in 2004.-Formation and early period:...

), who offers to record Frankenbok's debut album and release it via his Faultline Records
Faultline Records
Faultline Entertainment Group also known as Faultline Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1998 by ARIA Nominated metal producer dw Norton and begun as a development label...

 imprint.

Greetings & Salutations, 1999-2000

Recording sporadically between February and September at Backbeach Studios in Rye, Victoria, Frankenbok's debut album finally sees the light of day in early-2000. Greetings & Salutations features ten tracks, ranging from the grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....

 moments of 'Linguistics' to the tongue-in-cheek, Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...

-inspired 'P.Cloned'. Frankenbok later jokingly dubbed their sound as Taco Metal (bassist Miedecke described it as, "A lot of meat with a little bit of cheese") amidst the radical categorization within the heavy metal fraternity.

Despite the album being recorded with a drum machine, Mick Morley had joined the group in August 1999 before the album had been completed. This allowed Frankenbok more freedom and versatility on the live front, evidenced by the band winning the Melbourne Metro Nightclub's Battle of the Bands. Frankenbok went onto tour supporting US metallers Skinlab
Skinlab
Skinlab is a groove metal band formed in 1994 in San Francisco, California by vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel and guitarist Mike Roberts, now with San Francisco Bay Areas RAZE the STRAY, guitarist Gary Wendt Skinlab is a groove metal band formed in 1994 in San Francisco, California by...

 in May as well as making their first of many appearances at the Metal For The Brain
Metal for the Brain
Metal for the Brain was Australia's largest heavy metal music festival. The event was held in Canberra annually, usually towards the end of the year, and featured Australian bands almost exclusively...

 Festival in Canberra in October, alongside the likes of Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...

, Alchemist
Alchemist (band)
Alchemist is an Australian progressive metal band from Canberra whose style combines death metal, progressive rock, psychedelic, Eastern, Aboriginal and electronic influences. The band formed in 1987 and has so far released six studios albums, an EP and a compilation album. Work began on a new EP...

 and Blood Duster
Blood Duster
Blood Duster is a extreme metal/stoner rock band from Melbourne, Australia. Their name comes from the song "Blood Duster" by John Zorn, from the 1989 album Naked City.-History:...

. Following a continued strong showing on the livefront, the group would sign with Dark Carnival, the developmental offshoot of Roadrunner
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...

 Australia, in late-2000.

Loopholes & Great Excuses, 2001-2002

Released in early-2001 on Dark Carnival, The Loopholes & Great Excuses EP, recorded once again with DW Norton at Backbeach Studios, proved a minor hit for Frankenbok. Their tongue-in-cheek cover of Madison Avenue's kitsch dance hit 'Don't Call Me Baby' earned the group airplay on youth/alternative radio. In mid-2001 is the commencement of the six-week, nationwide 'Devastation Vacation' tour with Dreadnaught
Dreadnaught (heavy metal band)
Dreadnaught is a heavy metal band from Melbourne, Australia. The group was formed out of the remnants of some Tasmanian bands including Fridge from Launceston who recorded an album in 1994....

. Frankenbok also open for Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...

 and Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...

 in May. They would play Metal For The Brain for the second time on 20 October 2001. Also around this time the group landed the support slot for two cancelled Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...

 tours as well as the cancelled Kittie tour.

In 2002, their debut album Greetings & Salutations (Special Edition) was re-released on Dark Carnival with an additional eight bonus tracks recorded at the Bleach Club in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 in August 2001. Also around this time, Frankenbok would open for System Of A Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...

 and tour with Sydneysiders Psi.Kore as well as appearing at the Overcranked Festival in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, Australia. Despite regular touring and small-scale commercial success, vocalist Adam 'Hutch' Glynn would leave the band due to a falling out between band members and Glynn in November 2002 with recording time set for their follow-up to 'Loopholes...'.
Adam Glynn went onto form his own various side projects including technical metal band Five Star Prison Cell
Five Star Prison Cell
Five Star Prison Cell was a four-piece band from Melbourne, Australia, whose music was generally labelled as tech metal or math rock. They were known for their use of unusual time signatures, dissonant guitar riffs, and a vocal approach that explored many different avenues and styles.-History:Five...

 and the Beautiful Coitus Bund (with Rebekah Chapman).

Blood Oath, 2003-2005

Following Glynn's departure, Frankenbok carried out auditions to fill the vocal position, with former-Negative Hold frontman Adam B. Metal (a.k.a. Adam Miles) finally selected to fill the vacancy in January 2003. Drummer Mick Morley would suffer a hand injury in early-2003, causing Devolved
Devolved (band)
Devolved is a technical death metal band originally from the Gold Coast, Australia but based in Los Angeles, California since 2005. Led by founding member John Sankey the band has so far released three full-length albums with a fourth studio album scheduled for 2012, and toured throughout...

 drummer John Sankey to fill in behind the kit for Frankenbok's national tours with Skinlab
Skinlab
Skinlab is a groove metal band formed in 1994 in San Francisco, California by vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel and guitarist Mike Roberts, now with San Francisco Bay Areas RAZE the STRAY, guitarist Gary Wendt Skinlab is a groove metal band formed in 1994 in San Francisco, California by...

 and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 melodic metallers Soilwork
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork .Their sound is a fusion of the classic...

. The year also saw release of Frankenbok's second official studio album and first for Roadrunner Australia, entitled Blood Oath (in reference to the Australian colloquialism bloody oath).

Despite being recorded again at Backbeach Studios with DW Norton behind the mixing desk, 'Blood Oath' saw a change in direction for the band, with more thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 influences being introduced, more melodic passages present and Adam B. Metal's vocals being in stark contrast to those of former-vocalist Glynn. Despite their change in direction, 'Blood Oath' proved to be Frankenbok's most successful album to date and would eventually gain a European release in 2004. Live dates would follow, including an appearance at Metal For The Brain (in December 2003, 2002's event had been cancelled due to litigation which Frankenbok had also been confirmed for) and the nationwide 'Blood Letting' tour with Daysend
Daysend
Daysend was a metalcore/melodic death metal band from Sydney, Australia, assembled in 2002. Their debut album, Severance, was released the following year.-History:...

 (who featured members of former-touring companions Psi.Kore) in support of their recent album.

The following year (2004) included the 'Army Of Darkness' tour with Sunk Loto
Sunk Loto
Sunk Loto was an alternative metal band from Queensland, Australia. The band's members were vocalist, Jason Brown, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Luke McDonald, drummer Dane Brown and Sean Van Gennip who was the bass player in the band from 1998 until 2006...

, Full Scale and 8 Foot Sativa as well as further touring the east coast with Walk the Earth (producer DW Norton's group) and Frankenbok's first live dates overseas, touring New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 with local band 8 Foot Sativa in late-2004 on the 'Hatred Forever' tour. The 2005 edition of Metal For The Brain saw Frankenbok play both the Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

 (the traditional venue) and Brisbane (for the only time in the events history) dates. Despite sustained activity on the livefront, including another string of dates in New Zealand with 8 Foot Satvia in April, longtime guitarist Scott Lang would leave the group in late-2005 for professional reasons, relocating overseas to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. Fans were surprised when Frankenbok appeared at Brisbane's Overcranked Festival in early-2006 with Adam B. Metal now occupying the second guitarist slot as well as suplying vocals.

Murder Of Songs, 2006-present

Persistent touring, Lang's departure and their amicable split with their label Roadrunner in 2005, had also led to new recorded material being long overdue, despite the fact the band had been playing songs such as 'Worship Before The Dead' and other rough versions of songs as far back as 2004.

Throughout 2006, the group periodically lay down tracks for their third full-length release, handling the recording and producing duties themselves with the aim of capturing their renowned live energy onto tape. This marks the first time they record away from Backbeach Studios, with guitars and bass recorded at 'The Bat Cave', vocals tracked at 'The Fight Club House' and drums and final mixing overseen by Reggie Bowman at Scream Louder Studios. They also find the opportunity to play the final Metal For The Brain on 4 November 2006, the group's fifth appearance at the popular underground heavy metal festival (not including the cancelled 2002 event).

Despite the album being completed by the conclusion of 2006, it would not see release until mid-2007, due to Frankenbok having to find a suitable label. Murder Of Songs is finally released on 6 August 2007 on Perth-based label Prime Cuts. Including the already live favourites 'Sludge (I Will Make/Take These Horizons)', 'Walk This (LIE)fe' and 'What Is Real?', Frankenbok's third full-length would also prove to be their last with vocalist/guitarist Adam B. Metal who departed the group in early-2007 prior to the albums release. McDougall Brothers vocalist Dan McDougall is recruited as his replacement soon after. Plans to have former-guitarist Scott Lang return do not come to fruition however. The guitar slot was evenutally filled by Cheshire Pile guitarist Nathan 'Yeti' Amaknieks.

A small controversy, seen by many fans as a 'hatchet job', occurred just prior to the release of 'Murder Of Songs' when Zoo Magazine published a particularly unfavourable review which detailed little-to-nothing about the actual release and included unauthorized use of artwork:

"Aussie hard rockers Frankenbok havent done themselves any favours with this whiffy deposit of ten smelly turds. The songs are nothing if not ironically titled - Failure To Learn? More like Failure To Learn... When To Quit! Tired stuff from a band of blokes who ought to chuck it in and get jobs in IT. EX-VOCALIST ADAM GLYNN HAS GONE ONTO BETTER THINGS WITH FIVE STAR PRISON CELL. CHECK THEM OUT INSTEAD."


Despite this, the album fared well critically, receiving positive reviews from other sources.

Frankenbok inactive for most of 2007 due to guitarist Aaron Butler breaking his leg in January in a skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...

 accident. The break was so serious it required a further bone graft operation in October. With the line-up of Aaron Butler, Tim Miedecke, Mick Morley, Dan McDougall and Yeti now firmly in place and having made their live debut on 29 November 2007, there are plans for a possible follow-up EP in 2008.

Current line-up

  • Aaron Butler - guitars, 1997–present.
  • Tim Miedecke - bass and backing vocals, 1997–present (ex-Zombonol).
  • Mick Morley - drums, 1999–present.
  • Dan McDougall - vocals, 2007–present (ex-Block/McDougall Brothers/Repugnance).
  • Nathan 'Yeti' Amaknieks - guitar, 2007–present (ex-Headmess/4Arm/Embodied/Cheshire Pile).

Former members

  • Adam 'Hutch' Glynn - vocals, 1997-2002 (ex-Bacterium, Five Star Prison Cell
    Five Star Prison Cell
    Five Star Prison Cell was a four-piece band from Melbourne, Australia, whose music was generally labelled as tech metal or math rock. They were known for their use of unusual time signatures, dissonant guitar riffs, and a vocal approach that explored many different avenues and styles.-History:Five...

    ).
  • Scott Lang - guitar, 1997-2005 (ex-Zombonol).
  • Adam B. Metal (Adam Miles) - vocals and guitar, 2003-2007 (ex-Negative Hold, The Departed).

Full-length

  • Greetings & Salutations, released 2000 on Faultline Records
    Faultline Records
    Faultline Entertainment Group also known as Faultline Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1998 by ARIA Nominated metal producer dw Norton and begun as a development label...

    .
  • Greetings & Salutations (Special Edition), released 2002 on Dark Carnival.
  • Blood Oath, released 2003 on Roadrunner Records
    Roadrunner Records
    Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...

    .
  • Murder Of Songs, released 2007 on Prime Cuts.

EPs

  • The Loopholes & Great Excuses EP, released 2001 on Dark Carnival.
  • Devastation Vacation Promo Disc, released 2001. Split with Dreadnaught. Only available at shows on their 2001 tour.
  • The Last Ditch Redemption, released 2008 on Prime Cuts.

Compilations

  • Appeared on Route 666 Volume II, released 2000 on Shock Records
    Shock Records
    Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...

     with 'I'm Ok With It'.
  • Appeared on Loud Volume I, released 2001 on Universal Records
    Universal Records
    Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...

     with 'The Virtue Of Angels'.
  • Appeared on Hip New Sounds,released 2002 on High Voltage with 'Linguistics'.
  • Appeared on Full Metal Racket
    Full Metal Racket
    The Racket is an Australian heavy metal radio show airing on alternative youth broadcaster Triple J. It is hosted by Andrew Haug, who is also the drummer for Melbourne metal band Contrive...

     II
    , released 2002 on ABC/EMI
    EMI
    The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

     with 'Success Is Revenge'.
  • Appeared on A Blaze In The Southern Skies, released 2007 on Prime Cuts with 'Failure To Learn'.
  • Appeared on Black Box e-anthology, dark fiction, music and art, Brimstone Press
    Brimstone Press
    Brimstone Press was an Australian independent publisher of dark fiction . Brimstone Press was established in 2004 by Angela Challis and Shane Jiraiya Cummings and was based in Western Australia....

    , 2008.

External links

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