Godhead (band)
Encyclopedia
Godhead, occasionally typeset as gODHEAD, is an American
alternative rock/metal
band from Washington, D.C.
. They are most often credited with being the only band signed to musician Marilyn Manson
's short-lived vanity label
, Posthuman Records.
that April. After fairly remaining in obscurity for a number of years, the band was noticed by Marilyn Manson
, frontman of the band of the same name
, and in 2000 signed a record contract with Manson, making them the first act of Posthuman Records. This deal culminated with the release of their breakthrough studio album
in January 2001 entitled, 2000 Years of Human Error
, which earned Godhead recognition by Ozzy Osbourne
and landed them a spot on Ozzfest
where the band headlined the second stage that same year. The album featured additional contributions by Marilyn Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez
, Scott Putesky
(original guitarist for Marilyn Manson, formerly known as Daisy Berkowitz), as well as Manson himself. Despite being briefly hindered by the dissolution of Posthuman, the band has steadily developed a following since their breakthrough.
Drummer James O'Connor left the band prior to the recording of their fifth studio album, Evolver
. He was replaced by Tom Z, who remained with the band for a very short time before being replaced by former Static-X
drummer Ken Jay
. Both Static-X's Wayne Static
and Reeves Gabrels
, best known for his long partnership with English
musician David Bowie
, would contribute to the album, which was released in 2003. In 2005, frontman Jason C. Miller
invited O'Connor to return as the band's drummer to which he accepted, though he departed from Godhead for a second time in 2006, following the completion of The Shadow Line
. He was replaced this time by Glendon Crain.
On March 24, 2008, the band revealed that that Ty Smith
of Bullets and Octane
would be replacing Crain as drummer. Shortly after, the band announced their plans to release a DVD featuring a special acoustic performance held in Los Angeles, California
earlier in the year, and as well announced their seventh studio album as in production. This album, later confirmed to be titled At the Edge of the World, features studio material, as well as five remix
es, and contains artwork by English artist Sam Shearon.
Throughout their career, Godhead has toured on their own, as well as with Ozzfest, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Rammstein
, Mudvayne
, Orgy
, Static-X
, Ra
, Ill Niño
, The Dreaming
, Gravity Kills
, Soil and American Head Charge
. In late October–December 2007, they toured in support of Jonathan Davis and the SFA
.
Jason Charles Miller is owner of Central Command Studios.
On October 27, 2009, Jason Charles Miller released his first solo album, Last To Go Home
.
Godhead is currently working on writing for the new album hopefully for a 2011 release.
profile, the band credits David Bowie
, The Cure
, Depeche Mode
, Pink Floyd
, Ozzy Osbourne
, and Nine Inch Nails
as their influences.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock/metal
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. They are most often credited with being the only band signed to musician Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (person)
Marilyn Manson is an American musician, artist and former music journalist known for his controversial stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band Marilyn Manson...
's short-lived vanity label
Vanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
, Posthuman Records.
History
The band was formed in 1994 under the early moniker Blind, but made their first performance as Godhead shortly after in Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
that April. After fairly remaining in obscurity for a number of years, the band was noticed by Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson (person)
Marilyn Manson is an American musician, artist and former music journalist known for his controversial stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band Marilyn Manson...
, frontman of the band of the same name
Marilyn Manson (band)
Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention...
, and in 2000 signed a record contract with Manson, making them the first act of Posthuman Records. This deal culminated with the release of their breakthrough studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
in January 2001 entitled, 2000 Years of Human Error
2000 Years of Human Error
-Personnel:* Jason C. Miller – vocals, rhythm guitar, mixing* Mike Miller – lead guitar, backing vocals* Ullrich "Method" Hepperlin – bass, programming* James O'Connor – drums* Marilyn Manson – producer, vocals...
, which earned Godhead recognition by Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and landed them a spot on Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
where the band headlined the second stage that same year. The album featured additional contributions by Marilyn Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez
Jeordie White
Jeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
, Scott Putesky
Scott Putesky
Scott Mitchell Putesky , more famously known as Daisy Berkowitz, is an American musician, and was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal group Marilyn Manson...
(original guitarist for Marilyn Manson, formerly known as Daisy Berkowitz), as well as Manson himself. Despite being briefly hindered by the dissolution of Posthuman, the band has steadily developed a following since their breakthrough.
Drummer James O'Connor left the band prior to the recording of their fifth studio album, Evolver
Evolver (Godhead album)
Evolver is the fifth studio album by the Industrial rock band Godhead, released by Reality Entertainment on July 15, 2003.The album has sold over 100,000 copies in the United States to date.-Track listing:#"The Hate in Me" - 3:41...
. He was replaced by Tom Z, who remained with the band for a very short time before being replaced by former Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
drummer Ken Jay
Ken Jay
Kenneth "Ken Jay" Lacey is an American musician, best known as the original drummer for Static-X.Jay was born in Jamaica, Illinois. He started Static-X with Wayne Static in 1994...
. Both Static-X's Wayne Static
Wayne Static
Wayne Static is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and programmer for the industrial metal band Static-X. He released his first solo studio album Pighammer on October 4, 2011.- Early life :Static grew up in Shelby, Michigan before moving to Chicago and eventually...
and Reeves Gabrels
Reeves Gabrels
Reeves Gabrels is an American guitarist, known for virtuosity, versatility, and originality. His compositions and improvisations defy genre and "explore sonic extremes with a great, adaptive intuition for what each song needs most."...
, best known for his long partnership with English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, would contribute to the album, which was released in 2003. In 2005, frontman Jason C. Miller
Jason C. Miller
Jason Charles Miller is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the industrial rock band Godhead. He is also an actor in various anime and movies.-Biography:Miller was born in Cheverly, Maryland...
invited O'Connor to return as the band's drummer to which he accepted, though he departed from Godhead for a second time in 2006, following the completion of The Shadow Line
The Shadow Line
The Shadow-Line is a short novel based at sea by Joseph Conrad; it is one of his later works, being written from February to December 1915. It was first published in 1916 as a serial in New York's Metropolitan Magazine in the English Review and published in book form in 1917 in the UK and America...
. He was replaced this time by Glendon Crain.
On March 24, 2008, the band revealed that that Ty Smith
Ty Smith
Ty Smith is an American studio and internationally touring drummer.Born January 2, 1977, and originally from Bethalto, Illinois, Smith self taught himself to play the drums starting at the age of three and continued through high school. He studied many styles and techniques from an early age...
of Bullets and Octane
Bullets and Octane
Bullets and Octane are a punk/hard rock band originally from St. Louis, Missouri and now based in Southern California . They originate from the band Ultrafink...
would be replacing Crain as drummer. Shortly after, the band announced their plans to release a DVD featuring a special acoustic performance held in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
earlier in the year, and as well announced their seventh studio album as in production. This album, later confirmed to be titled At the Edge of the World, features studio material, as well as five remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es, and contains artwork by English artist Sam Shearon.
Throughout their career, Godhead has toured on their own, as well as with Ozzfest, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
, Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
, Orgy
Orgy (band)
Orgy is an American synth rock band formed in 1996, from Los Angeles, California. Orgy described their music as "death pop".-History:Orgy was formed in 1996 by vocalist Jay Gordon and guitarist Ryan Shuck. Bassist Paige Haley, guitarist Amir Derakh, and drummer Bobby Hewitt soon completed the line-up...
, Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, Ra
Ra (U.S. band)
Ra is an American alternative metal band from Los Angeles, California, taking their name from the Egyptian sun god. The band has been around since the 1990s, but did not actually evolve into its current form until 2002...
, Ill Niño
Ill Niño
Ill Niño is an American six-piece metal band from New Jersey founded in 1998. The band has sold over 3.3 million units worldwide; they have 5 studio albums and 10 music videos.-History:...
, The Dreaming
The Dreaming (US band)
The Dreaming is a rock band in the Hollywood area founded in 2002 by Johnny Haro and Christopher Hall, former lead singer of the band Stabbing Westward.-Biography:...
, Gravity Kills
Gravity Kills
Gravity Kills is an American industrial rock band from Jefferson City, Missouri. Their music was described by one critic as "a blending of eerie industrial rock with a pop-infused melodic chorus and a bit of hard-core head banging."...
, Soil and American Head Charge
American Head Charge
American Head Charge is an industrial metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, earning nominations at the Kerrang! Awards on two occasions.-Formation:...
. In late October–December 2007, they toured in support of Jonathan Davis and the SFA
Jonathan Davis and the SFA
Jonathan Davis and the SFA is the solo band of Korn frontman Jonathan Davis.-History:Jonathan Davis and the SFA went on their first tour in the United States in November 2007, and a European tour in May 2008. Their debut album is planned for a release sometime in 2011 and a North American tour is...
.
Jason Charles Miller is owner of Central Command Studios.
On October 27, 2009, Jason Charles Miller released his first solo album, Last To Go Home
Last to Go Home (album)
Last To Go Home is the first solo album by Jason Charles Miller. It was released on October 27, 2009 by Count Mecha Music.-Track listing:# "Last To Go Home" – 3:55# "Drag Me Down" – 3:14# "Kill That Man" – 4:01# "Someone Else's Reason" – 3:49...
.
Godhead is currently working on writing for the new album hopefully for a 2011 release.
Musical style and influences
On their official MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile, the band credits David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
as their influences.
Discography
- America Now (1994)
- Godhead (1995)
- NothingnessNothingness (Godhead album)Nothingness is the second album by industrial rock band Godhead.-Track listing:# Letting Go - 3:47# Pilgrimage - 0:36# Knowledge Kills - 3:34# Childlike - 1:22# Take the Hate - 4:23# Ravencrow - 1:02# You Mean Nothing - 2:54# Hades - 1:30# Dec V - 2:55...
(1997) - Power Tool StigmataPower Tool Stigmata (album)Power Tool Stigmata is the third studio album by the American rock band Godhead. It was released on March 17, 1998 by Sol 3 Records. The album contains select songs that have since been re-recorded by the band for subsequent releases including 2000 Years of Human Error and Unplugged.-Track...
(1998) - 2000 Years of Human Error2000 Years of Human Error-Personnel:* Jason C. Miller – vocals, rhythm guitar, mixing* Mike Miller – lead guitar, backing vocals* Ullrich "Method" Hepperlin – bass, programming* James O'Connor – drums* Marilyn Manson – producer, vocals...
(2001) - EvolverEvolver (Godhead album)Evolver is the fifth studio album by the Industrial rock band Godhead, released by Reality Entertainment on July 15, 2003.The album has sold over 100,000 copies in the United States to date.-Track listing:#"The Hate in Me" - 3:41...
(2003) - Non-Stop Ride (2004)
- The Shadow LineThe Shadow Line (album)The Shadow Line is the sixth studio album by the industrial rock band Godhead, released on August 29, 2006.In 2005, frontman Jason C. Miller invited James O'Connor to return as the band's drummer to which he accepted...
(2006) - At the Edge of the WorldAt the Edge of the World (album)At the Edge of the World is the seventh studio album by the industrial rock band Godhead, released on October 7, 2008.-Track listing:#"Approaching the Edge "#"The Puppet"#"Stay Back"#"Just Take Anything"#"Hero"#"The Decline"...
(2008)
Band members
Current- Jason C. MillerJason C. MillerJason Charles Miller is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the industrial rock band Godhead. He is also an actor in various anime and movies.-Biography:Miller was born in Cheverly, Maryland...
– lead vocals, guitars (1992–present) - Mike Miller – guitars (1994–present)
- Ullrich "Method" HepperlinMethod (Godhead)Ullrich Hepperlin, known as Method, or the Method, is the programmer, bassist and keyboard player for the industrial rock band Godhead....
– bass, programmer (1998–present) - Ty SmithTy SmithTy Smith is an American studio and internationally touring drummer.Born January 2, 1977, and originally from Bethalto, Illinois, Smith self taught himself to play the drums starting at the age of three and continued through high school. He studied many styles and techniques from an early age...
– drums, percussion (2008–present) - Ashburn "Creature" Miller – bass (2009–present)
Former members
- Dwayne Reid – drums, percussion (1992–1994)
- John Pettitt – drums, percussion (1994–1996)
- Bruce Brandstatter – bass (1992–1997)
- Tom Z – drums, percussion (2003)
- Ken JayKen JayKenneth "Ken Jay" Lacey is an American musician, best known as the original drummer for Static-X.Jay was born in Jamaica, Illinois. He started Static-X with Wayne Static in 1994...
– drums, percussion (2003–2005) - James O'Connor – drums, percussion (1997–2003, 2005–2006)
- Glendon Crain – drums, percussion (2006–2008)
Cultural references
- The son of Ray Drecker, the main character in HBO's HungHung (TV series)Hung is a comedy-drama series, which premiered on HBO on June 28, 2009. The series was created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson and stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a struggling suburban Detroit high school baseball coach who resorts to male prostitution. The second season premiered on June 27,...
, is a fan of Godhead.