Brown Brigade
Encyclopedia
Brown Brigade is a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

-influenced 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 created by former Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

 guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

, after leaving Sum 41 in May 2006. The current members are: Dave "Brownsound" Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

, (vocals, 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...

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

, backing vocals), Johnny Owens
Johnny Owens
Johnny "No-Triggers" Owens is the drummer for heavy metal band Brown Brigade. He was recruited by Dave Baksh to join as the band's drummer, after Dave left Sum 41 to focus on Brown Brigade full-time. When playing live, Johnny plays drums along with Cess Rock who joins him on another percussion...

 (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 ....

), Chuck Coles
Chuck Coles
Chuck Coles is a Canadian musician. He the guitarist for heavy metal band Brown Brigade and the lead singer, guitarist, and "band leader" for the band The Organ Thieves....

 (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...

), and Cess Rock (live percussion).

Formation and Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness (2003, 2006–2007)

Dave Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

, ex-lead guitarist of Canadian punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 band Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

, formed Brown Brigade as a side-project with his cousin Vaughn Lal in 2003. The existence of the band was brought into the spotlight on May 11, 2006, when Baksh announced he would be leaving Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

 to focus his full attention on Brown Brigade. Baksh noted several reasons as to why he left Sum 41, in an interview with MTV published on June 8, 2006. He stated that he was displeased with how Sum 41 was being treated by the music industry, and said he wasn't able to focus enough on simply playing music. He also noted that he found Sum 41's music relatively easy to play, while also noting he did not mean to insult their music.

Brown Brigade was said to be 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 with a classic metal
Classic metal
Traditional heavy metal, also known as classic metal or simply heavy metal, is the seminal genre of heavy metal music before the genre "evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres."- Terminology:...

 sound, which is the music that Baksh has been longing to write and play since childhood. The music of the band is expected to be comparable to the sound of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, said Baksh then.

According to a May 2006 article in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

, Brown Brigade also recruited drummer Johnny Owens
Johnny Owens
Johnny "No-Triggers" Owens is the drummer for heavy metal band Brown Brigade. He was recruited by Dave Baksh to join as the band's drummer, after Dave left Sum 41 to focus on Brown Brigade full-time. When playing live, Johnny plays drums along with Cess Rock who joins him on another percussion...

, guitarist Craig "The Craigulator" Pattison (Baksh's guitar tech with Sum 41), and percussionist Cess Rock. Dave Baksh also stated that the band will have their own mascot much like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

 with Eddie the Head
Eddie the Head
Eddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...

 and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

 with Vic Rattlehead
Vic Rattlehead
Vic Rattlehead is the mascot of the heavy metal band Megadeth. Vic is a skeletal figure who embodies the phrase, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." His eyes are covered by a riveted-on visor, his mouth is clamped shut, and his ears are closed with metal caps.His image appears on several...

. The mascot the band chose was called "the Brown Knight" and he since then appeared in the band's music video for "Aggravation Plantation".

The band was signed to Aquarius Records in September 2006. Not long after, the band's official website was updated with the band's logo and the debut EP title Appetizer for Destruction
Appetizer for Destruction
Appetizer for Destruction is an EP released by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade in October 2006.It was released before the release of their debut album, mainly to give fans a taste of the band's sound, while the band is working on their full-length album...

, a reference to the Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

 album Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...

. The EP was released in October 2006 and sold exclusively on the band's live shows supporting Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....

 on their Canadian tour.

In February 2007, Baksh announced in a blog post on MySpace
MySpace
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....

 that the recording of the album was done and he will go down to LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 in March to help mix the album, which will have thirteen songs.

On July 5, 2007, a cover of the Iron Maiden song "Hallowed Be Thy Name" was released by a fansite to promote the band and the website's launch. The cover song was later included in the band's debut album
Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Into the Mouth of Baddness is the debut album by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade, formed by former Sum 41 guitarist, Dave Baksh, released on September 18, 2007. However, it was also released on iTunes in the U.S. and Canada one month earlier on August 14, 2007...

.

On August 14, 2007, the band's debut album Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Into the Mouth of Baddness is the debut album by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade, formed by former Sum 41 guitarist, Dave Baksh, released on September 18, 2007. However, it was also released on iTunes in the U.S. and Canada one month earlier on August 14, 2007...

was released in the US and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 exclusively through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 only. The album was released on a physical copy on September 18, 2007, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 only, through Aquarius Records.

In September 2007, guitarist Chuck Coles
Chuck Coles
Chuck Coles is a Canadian musician. He the guitarist for heavy metal band Brown Brigade and the lead singer, guitarist, and "band leader" for the band The Organ Thieves....

, formerly of pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...

 band Cauterize, joined the band as a second guitarist, after the departure of guitarist Craig Pattison.

Search for vocalist and planned album and EPs (2008–2009)

As vocalist and guitarist Dave Baksh stated, the band was set to release three free online music EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

s, each to feature four songs, in the genres of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

. It was only known then that the punk EP will be called Buds for Life and that it was set to be dedicated to Baksh's former band mates from Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...

. The other two EPs were left untitled. The three EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

s were set to be released in Christmas 2007, all together, as a Christmas present, as Baksh said. They have yet to be released, and are said to be delayed for some time, by both Baksh and bassist Vaughn Lal.

It was announced on bassist Vaughn Lal's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

 page that the band's second studio album, apparently entitled Guyanese Democracy will be released... "eventually". Lal himself commented on the message and said that both the name and the "eventually" are a play on Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

' long delayed Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...

. Despite that, Lal said that the band did start work on their second album and that it will take some time to work on it and it won't be ready soon, but the expected punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

 EPs are soon to be released. He also commented that the title is a working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...

 only and they still might change it.

It was announced on September 12, 2008, on the band's MySpace
MySpace
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....

 bulletin that lead singer and guitarist Dave Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

 will quit his position as the band's singer and will remain only a guitarist, and that the band is currently looking for a new singer to take Dave's position. It was also said that the band's upcoming internet released punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

s were delayed because of the lack of a singer, and that they will be completed as soon as the band will find a proper new singer.

Through 2009, the band was less active due the involvement of Chuck, Dave, and John in another band that Chuck started - The Organ Thieves
The Organ Thieves
Organ Thieves is a southern and soul-influenced experimental hard rock side project by Brown Brigade guitarists Chuck Coles and Dave Baksh, formed by Coles in mid-2008...

. Dave Baksh has said in September 2009 that the band is still looking for a singer, while he, along with Chuck are busy recording The Organ Thieves' first full-length album.

New band format and hiatus (2009–2011)

On November 6, 2009, Dave announced that the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...

 EPs the band intended to record were officially scrapped due to the lack of time and a singer. Dave also said that due to his and Chuck's full-time involvement in The Organ Thieves and Vaughn's involvement in his new business, the band will go on a hiatus regarding the recording of the next album, although they have some material already written for the album.

On November 27, 2009, In a special chat with a fan site, Dave Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

 has announced that the band is working on a new format where they will write and record without doing much touring, staying basically a studio act, though allowing the band more freedom in collaborations with other artists and featuring guest musicians. He has also said the band will probably release song by song for free, rather than a full album, like they planned before.

On November 29, 2009, Dave has confirmed on the band's Myspace as well about the band's future and new format they intend to take on, which will keep the band strictly an online presence, releasing material over the internet, as well as physical split EP releases
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...

 and vinyls, but no touring. Dave has also hinted on a new recording line-up for the band, besides founding members Vaughn and himself, though the band then went on a hiatus.

Reunion (2011–present)

On November 16, 2011, Dave Baksh
Dave Baksh
David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

 has wrote on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 that Brown Brigade is getting ready to demo new material with a full band, with the title of the upcoming album being Guyanese Democracy, a title previously announced by bassist Vaughn Lal as a joke in 2008. It was the first time the project was mentioned by Dave since going on a hiatus in 2009.

Current members

  • Dave "Brownsound" Baksh
    Dave Baksh
    David Nizam "Brownsound" Baksh is a Canadian guitarist, singer and producer of Indo-Guyanese descent, best known as the ex-lead guitarist of punk band Sum 41, but has since became a singer/guitarist in his own heavy metal/reggae project Brown Brigade...

     – guitar, percussion (2003–present), lead vocals (2006–2008)
  • Vaughn Lal – bass, backing vocals (2003–present)
  • Johnny "No-Triggers" Owens
    Johnny Owens
    Johnny "No-Triggers" Owens is the drummer for heavy metal band Brown Brigade. He was recruited by Dave Baksh to join as the band's drummer, after Dave left Sum 41 to focus on Brown Brigade full-time. When playing live, Johnny plays drums along with Cess Rock who joins him on another percussion...

     – drums, percussion (2003–present)
  • Chuck Coles
    Chuck Coles
    Chuck Coles is a Canadian musician. He the guitarist for heavy metal band Brown Brigade and the lead singer, guitarist, and "band leader" for the band The Organ Thieves....

     – lead & rhythm guitars (2007–present)
  • Cess Rock – vocals, live percussion (2004–present)

Former members

  • Craig Pattison - lead guitar (2003–2007)
  • Travis Sanders - lead vocals (2006)

Discography

Release date Title Record label
November 2006 Appetizer for Destruction
Appetizer for Destruction
Appetizer for Destruction is an EP released by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade in October 2006.It was released before the release of their debut album, mainly to give fans a taste of the band's sound, while the band is working on their full-length album...

(EP)
Aquarius Records
September 18, 2007 Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Into the Mouth of Badd(d)ness
Into the Mouth of Baddness is the debut album by Canadian heavy metal band Brown Brigade, formed by former Sum 41 guitarist, Dave Baksh, released on September 18, 2007. However, it was also released on iTunes in the U.S. and Canada one month earlier on August 14, 2007...

Aquarius Records

Sources


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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