Frank Watkins
Encyclopedia
Frank Watkins is an American heavy metal
musician best known as the former bass player for the death metal
band Obituary
. As of September 2010, Watkins is no longer a member of the band. Since late 2007 he has also been the bass player of the Norwegian
black metal
band Gorgoroth
.
career in 1986, before joining with Obituary
in 1989. He has played on every Obituary release, except for their debut album Slowly We Rot
and cites his musical influences as "anything dark,
aggressive, and pissed off" and tends to bring his punk
/hardcore
background to the realm of death
/black metal
. Frank prides himself not
only on the technical side of his music, but also in the business
aspect, managing, mentoring, and guiding other bands and musicians. He
formed his management company Back From the Dead Productions in 2007
in hopes to help bands create a positive career in the music business. In late 2007 Watkins became the bassist of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth
, and in 2009 he participated in the recording of the Gorgoroth album Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
. He debuted live with the band at the Hole in the Sky
festival in Bergen on August 29, 2009. This was the first concert Gorgoroth had performed since September 2007. In an interview with Metal Maniacs published online in August 2009, Watkins explained that for his work with Gorgoroth he had taken the stage name "Bøddel", which means "Executioner" in Norwegian.
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...
musician best known as the former bass player for the 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....
band Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
. As of September 2010, Watkins is no longer a member of the band. Since late 2007 he has also been the bass player of the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
.
Biography
Frank Watkins began playing music at the age of 12, and began his professionalcareer in 1986, before joining with Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
in 1989. He has played on every Obituary release, except for their debut album Slowly We Rot
Slowly We Rot
Slowly We Rot is a 1989 album by American death metal band Obituary. It was their debut album and is also the only album on which Obituary used E standard guitar tuning - all of Obituary's other albums use D standard tuning. Despite this, it is widely considered as Obituary's heaviest album...
and cites his musical influences as "anything dark,
aggressive, and pissed off" and tends to bring his 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...
/hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
background to the realm of death
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....
/black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
. Frank prides himself not
only on the technical side of his music, but also in the business
aspect, managing, mentoring, and guiding other bands and musicians. He
formed his management company Back From the Dead Productions in 2007
in hopes to help bands create a positive career in the music business. In late 2007 Watkins became the bassist of Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
, and in 2009 he participated in the recording of the Gorgoroth album Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt is the eighth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. It was released in October 2009 through Regain Records....
. He debuted live with the band at the Hole in the Sky
Hole in the Sky
Hole in the Sky was a metal festival located in Bergen, Norway that was arranged in the end of August each year from 2000 to 2011.It was arranged for the first time in 2000, in honor of the then recently deceased Erik "Grim" Brødreskift - ex-member of Borknagar, Gorgoroth and Immortal...
festival in Bergen on August 29, 2009. This was the first concert Gorgoroth had performed since September 2007. In an interview with Metal Maniacs published online in August 2009, Watkins explained that for his work with Gorgoroth he had taken the stage name "Bøddel", which means "Executioner" in Norwegian.
Bands
- Sacrosanct (1985–1986)
- Bad Rep (1986–1987)
- Hell Witch (1987–1989)
- ObituaryObituary (band)Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
(1989–2010) - GorgorothGorgorothGorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
(Since 2007)
Obituary
- Cause of Death (1990)
- The End CompleteThe End CompleteThe End Complete is a 1992 album by American death metal band Obituary.This album is Obituary's best selling, with over 200,000 copies sold in the U.S. and more than 550,000 worldwide. It reached #16 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart...
(1992) - World DemiseWorld DemiseWorld Demise is a 1994 album by American death metal band Obituary.-Track listing:#"Don't Care" – 3:08#"World Demise" – 3:43#"Burned In" – 3:32#"Redefine" – 4:39#"Paralyzing" – 4:57#"Lost" – 3:59#"Solid State" – 4:38#"Splattered" – 4:15...
(1994) - Don't CareDon't Care"Don't Care" is a 1994 single by American death metal band Obituary. It was released only in the USA, like a previous release of the album World Demise...
(EP) (1994) - Back from the Dead (1997)
- DeadDead (album)Dead is a live album by American death metal band Obituary. The title is a comical reference to its being a "live" album.-Track listing:#"Download" – 3:00#"Chopped in Half" – 0:46...
(Live Album) (1998) - AnthologyAnthology (Obituary album)Anthology is a 2001 greatest hits album by American death metal band Obituary.-Track listing:All music by Obituary except where noted#"Find the Arise" - Anthology is a 2001 (see 2001 in music) greatest hits album by American death metal band Obituary.-Track listing:All music by Obituary except...
(Compilation Album) (2001) - Frozen in TimeFrozen in TimeFrozen in Time is the 2005 comeback album by American death metal band Obituary. It was the band's first album in eight years since 1997's Back from the Dead....
(2005) - Frozen AliveFrozen AliveFrozen Alive is Obituary's first live DVD. It was recorded August 24, 2006 in Warsaw, Poland. It has songs from each of their albums through Frozen in Time...
(Live DVD) (2006) - Xecutioner's ReturnXecutioner's ReturnXecutioner's Return is the seventh studio album by the American death metal band Obituary. The name is derived from Obituary's original band name, which was Xecutioner. It was released on August 28, 2007...
(2007) - Left to DieLeft to DieLeft to Die is an extended play by American death metal band Obituary.- Track listing :# "Forces Realign" - 4:37# "Dethroned Emperor" - 5:04# "Slowly We Rot" - 4:38# "Left to Die" - 6:18-Credits:* John Tardy - Vocals...
(EP) (2008) - Live Xecution in Bad Berka 2008 (DVD) (2009)
- Darkest DayDarkest DayDarkest Day is the eighth studio album by the American death metal band Obituary. It was released on June 30, 2009 through Candlelight Records...
(2009)