Meldrum
Encyclopedia
Meldrum is a multi-national Heavy Metal
band formed by ex-Phantom Blue
guitarist Michelle Meldrum
.
guitarist Michelle Meldrum
started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad
drummer Gene Hoglan
, later going on to form Phantom Blue
, with whom she released two albums and an EP between 1989 and 1993.
Meldrum was formed in Sweden
in late 1999 with Hasse Sjölander on the drums, who was later replaced by Fredrik Haake. They recorded their debut album Loaded Mental Cannon
in 2000, but due to trouble with the record company, the album wasn't released until 2001. Guest musicians included Brian Robertson
, Marcel Jacob
and John Norum
, who was also Michelle's husband.
In 2005 they toured for three months with Zakk Wylde
's Black Label Society
, appearing in sold out venues across the US and Europe
. In the fall of 2005 Meldrum joined Motörhead as special guests on their 30th anniversary tour throughout Europe. The band has also toured with Sepultura
, Danzig
, and Nashville Pussy
.
Their second album, Blowin' Up the Machine
(produced by Toby Wright
), was released through Frontiers
in Europe on May 11, 2007, and in the U.S. on September 11, 2007. Motörhead's Lemmy
, Gene Hoglan, and former Phantom Blue
drummer Linda McDonald
all guest on the album.
On May 18, 2008, Michelle Meldrum was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California, in critical condition. Three days later, on Wednesday, May 21, she died as a result of a cystic growth that had restricted oxygen and blood flow to her brain, rendering her braindead.
Michelle had just completed writing and recording Meldrum's soon-to-be-released third album Lifer with drummer Gene Hoglan
, along with the group's latest additions, Michele Madden (vocals) and Laura Christine (bass). The surviving band members plan to release the CD later in 2009 in tribute to their fallen bandmate.
On May 26, 2009, Meldrum, along with former vocalist Moa Holmsten, participated in a memorial concert in Hollywood, California
, for the benefit of Michelle's family.
of the Foo Fighters
.
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 formed by ex-Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
guitarist Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum-Norum was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.-Biography:...
.
History
AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum
Michelle Meldrum-Norum was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.-Biography:...
started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
drummer Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
, later going on to form Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
, with whom she released two albums and an EP between 1989 and 1993.
Meldrum was formed in Sweden
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....
in late 1999 with Hasse Sjölander on the drums, who was later replaced by Fredrik Haake. They recorded their debut album Loaded Mental Cannon
Loaded Mental Cannon
Loaded Mental Cannon is the debut album by the heavy metal band Meldrum. Guest appearances on the album include Brian Robertson , Marcel Jacob and founder/guitarist Michelle Meldrum's husband John Norum ....
in 2000, but due to trouble with the record company, the album wasn't released until 2001. Guest musicians included Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
, Marcel Jacob
Marcel Jacob
Marcel Karl Jacob was a Swedish musician, best known as the bassist in the hard rock bands Talisman and Last Autumn's Dream.-Biography:In 1978, Jacob formed the band Rising Force together with guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen...
and John Norum
John Norum
John Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
, who was also Michelle's husband.
In 2005 they toured for three months with Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
's Black Label Society
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one EP, and three video albums released since formation of the band.-Formation and Sonic Brew :...
, appearing in sold out venues across the US and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In the fall of 2005 Meldrum joined Motörhead as special guests on their 30th anniversary tour throughout Europe. The band has also toured with Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
, Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, and Nashville Pussy
Nashville Pussy
Nashville Pussy is an American hard rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. Their musical style mixes boogie rock, Southern metal and psychobilly. Much of the band's lyrical themes mostly revolve around sex, drugs, drinking, fighting, and rock 'n' roll...
.
Their second album, Blowin' Up the Machine
Blowin' Up the Machine
Blowin' Up the Machine is the second album by the heavy metal band Meldrum, featuring a modified lineup compared to that of their 2001 debut Loaded Mental Cannon...
(produced by Toby Wright
Toby Wright
Toby Wright is a record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn. He is currently in Nashville, Tennessee working on Kara Clark's latest Ep.-Producer:...
), was released through Frontiers
Frontiers Records
Frontiers Records is an Italian record label, predominantly producing melodic rock. It was formed in 1996 by Serafino Perugino and is based in Naples, Italy.-History:...
in Europe on May 11, 2007, and in the U.S. on September 11, 2007. Motörhead's Lemmy
Lemmy Kilmister
Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
, Gene Hoglan, and former Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
drummer Linda McDonald
Linda McDonald
Linda McDonald is the drummer of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens . In addition, she is a member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band The Little Dolls and the cover bands Valley Dolls, Crabby Patty and Unholy Pink...
all guest on the album.
On May 18, 2008, Michelle Meldrum was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California, in critical condition. Three days later, on Wednesday, May 21, she died as a result of a cystic growth that had restricted oxygen and blood flow to her brain, rendering her braindead.
Michelle had just completed writing and recording Meldrum's soon-to-be-released third album Lifer with drummer Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
, along with the group's latest additions, Michele Madden (vocals) and Laura Christine (bass). The surviving band members plan to release the CD later in 2009 in tribute to their fallen bandmate.
On May 26, 2009, Meldrum, along with former vocalist Moa Holmsten, participated in a memorial concert in Hollywood, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, for the benefit of Michelle's family.
Other projects
Moa Holmsten is special guest vocalist on Motörhead's 30th anniversary DVD, and recorded guest vocals for Lemmy's solo album on a song written by Dave GrohlDave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
of the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
.
Discography
- Loaded Mental CannonLoaded Mental CannonLoaded Mental Cannon is the debut album by the heavy metal band Meldrum. Guest appearances on the album include Brian Robertson , Marcel Jacob and founder/guitarist Michelle Meldrum's husband John Norum ....
(2002) - Blowin' Up the MachineBlowin' Up the MachineBlowin' Up the Machine is the second album by the heavy metal band Meldrum, featuring a modified lineup compared to that of their 2001 debut Loaded Mental Cannon...
(2007) - Lifer (TBA)