Monks of Doom
Encyclopedia
The Monks of Doom are an American
alternative rock
band, formed in California
in 1986. Working within the indie rock
aesthetic framework (despite their later involvement with a major label), the band's music drew from post-punk
, progressive rock
and folk rock
traditions. The group is a noteworthy side project of the band Camper Van Beethoven
, with whom all Monks of Doom members have been involved.
Greg Lisher
and Chris Molla, bassist
(and in the case of the Monks of Doom, lead vocalist
) Victor Krummenacher
and drummer
Chris Pedersen
began the group as a casual side project to explore some of their interests that did not fit into CVB's sound. Their debut album, 1986's Soundtrack to the Film 'Breakfast on the Beach of Deception' , was mostly an in-studio experiment. The name is ironic - no film exists to which it is a soundtrack.
Molla left both groups shortly thereafter, and Bay Area guitarist David Immerglück
, then of the group The Ophelias, replaced him in the Monks of Doom. Immerglück shared lead vocal duties with Krummenacher. Their next record, The Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company, was less experimental and more vocally-oriented than the band's first record and live show. Immerglück joined CVB as guitarist and lap steel guitar
ist shortly before their breakup in 1990.
Following CVB's split, the Monks of Doom increased their activity. Through the next three years, they released two full length albums (Meridian and Forgery) and one EP (The Insect God) on three different labels, and toured extensively. I.R.S. Records
released Forgery, the final in this string of releases, and took over much of the band's back catalog.
In 1993, Immerglück left the band to focus on his work as a studio session player, where he would go on to play with John Hiatt
and later join the successful modern rock
group the Counting Crows
as a full-time member. The remaining members disbanded the group immediately thereafter. Krummenacher and Lisher went on to perform solo material and play with various other groups. The Monks of Doom were inactive for the next five years.
Pedersen's decision to move to Australia
in 1998 led the group to play a well-received "final" concert. The following year, Krummenacher and Lisher (along with Immerglück and Pedersen sporadically) once again began working with former Camper Van Beethoven members David Lowery
and Jonathan Segel
in various capacities, eventually resulting in CVB's reformation.
, The Kinks
, Rahssahn Roland Kirk, Nino Rota
, Wire
, Quicksilver Messenger Service
, Steve Hillage
, and Roy Harper
, many of which had previously featured in the band's live set. On previous releases, the band had recorded cover versions of songs by Snakefinger
, Eugene Chadbourne
, Syd Barrett
and Frank Zappa
.
In 2005, the band performed at the Cracker / Camper Van Beethoven Annual Campout in Pioneertown, CA, and another show in Hollywood. Most recently the group played two concerts in Brooklyn
, NY, in March, 2009.
Former members
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band, formed in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1986. Working within the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
aesthetic framework (despite their later involvement with a major label), the band's music drew from post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
traditions. The group is a noteworthy side project of the band Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
, with whom all Monks of Doom members have been involved.
Initial career (1986-1998)
In 1986, the band began as an offshoot of Camper Van Beethoven, who were enjoying increasing critical and commercial success. CVB guitaristsElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Greg Lisher
Greg Lisher
Greg Lisher is the lead guitar player for Camper Van Beethoven, from 1986 until 1990, and again from 2000 to present.He was the lead guitarist for the Monks of Doom, from 1986 until 1993, and again from 2003 to present....
and Chris Molla, bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(and in the case of the Monks of Doom, lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
) Victor Krummenacher
Victor Krummenacher
Victor Krummenacher is an American musician and bass guitarist who is a founding member of alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven. He also helped form CVB offshoots Monks of Doom and Camper Van Chadbourne and has pursued a solo career as a singer-songwriter...
and drummer
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 ....
Chris Pedersen
Chris Pedersen (musician)
Chris Pedersen is an American-born musician, best known as the drummer of the groups Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom. He currently resides in Australia.-Musical career:...
began the group as a casual side project to explore some of their interests that did not fit into CVB's sound. Their debut album, 1986's Soundtrack to the Film 'Breakfast on the Beach of Deception' , was mostly an in-studio experiment. The name is ironic - no film exists to which it is a soundtrack.
Molla left both groups shortly thereafter, and Bay Area guitarist David Immerglück
David Immerglück
David Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
, then of the group The Ophelias, replaced him in the Monks of Doom. Immerglück shared lead vocal duties with Krummenacher. Their next record, The Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company, was less experimental and more vocally-oriented than the band's first record and live show. Immerglück joined CVB as guitarist and lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
ist shortly before their breakup in 1990.
Following CVB's split, the Monks of Doom increased their activity. Through the next three years, they released two full length albums (Meridian and Forgery) and one EP (The Insect God) on three different labels, and toured extensively. I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
released Forgery, the final in this string of releases, and took over much of the band's back catalog.
In 1993, Immerglück left the band to focus on his work as a studio session player, where he would go on to play with John Hiatt
John Hiatt
John Hiatt is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New Wave, blues and country. Hiatt has been nominated for several Grammy Awards - although he has never won- and has been awarded a variety of other...
and later join the successful modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
group the Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
as a full-time member. The remaining members disbanded the group immediately thereafter. Krummenacher and Lisher went on to perform solo material and play with various other groups. The Monks of Doom were inactive for the next five years.
Pedersen's decision to move to 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...
in 1998 led the group to play a well-received "final" concert. The following year, Krummenacher and Lisher (along with Immerglück and Pedersen sporadically) once again began working with former Camper Van Beethoven members David Lowery
David Lowery
David Lowery is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter; he is the founder of alternative rock band, Camper Van Beethoven, and co-founder of the more traditional rock band, Cracker...
and Jonathan Segel
Jonathan Segel
Jonathan Segel is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has played with Camper Van Beethoven, Sparklehorse, Eugene Chadbourne, and Dieselhed.-Biography:...
in various capacities, eventually resulting in CVB's reformation.
Reformation (2003-present)
In 2003, the Monks of Doom also reformed, flying Pedersen in for occasional concerts and studio work. In 2006, they released What's Left For Kicks?, an album of cover songs from artists such as Neu!Neu!
Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, Rahssahn Roland Kirk, Nino Rota
Nino Rota
Nino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti...
, Wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
, Quicksilver Messenger Service
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Quicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band, formed in 1965 in San Francisco.-Introduction:Quicksilver Messenger Service gained wide popularity in the Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe and several of their albums ranked...
, Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
, and Roy Harper
Roy Harper
Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
, many of which had previously featured in the band's live set. On previous releases, the band had recorded cover versions of songs by Snakefinger
Snakefinger
Philip Charles Lithman , who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with The Residents.-History:Lithman was born in Tooting, South London, and came...
, Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne is an American improvisor, guitarist and banjoist. Highly eclectic and unconventional, Chadbourne's most formative influence is free jazz. He has also been a reviewer for Allmusic and a contributor to Maximum RocknRoll.Chadbourne started out playing rock and roll guitar, but...
, Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
and Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
.
In 2005, the band performed at the Cracker / Camper Van Beethoven Annual Campout in Pioneertown, CA, and another show in Hollywood. Most recently the group played two concerts in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, NY, in March, 2009.
Members
Current members- Victor KrummenacherVictor KrummenacherVictor Krummenacher is an American musician and bass guitarist who is a founding member of alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven. He also helped form CVB offshoots Monks of Doom and Camper Van Chadbourne and has pursued a solo career as a singer-songwriter...
– lead and backing vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
(1986–1993, 1998, 2003–present) - Greg LisherGreg LisherGreg Lisher is the lead guitar player for Camper Van Beethoven, from 1986 until 1990, and again from 2000 to present.He was the lead guitarist for the Monks of Doom, from 1986 until 1993, and again from 2003 to present....
– electricElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and acoustic guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (1986–1993, 1998, 2003–present) - Chris PedersenChris Pedersen (musician)Chris Pedersen is an American-born musician, best known as the drummer of the groups Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom. He currently resides in Australia.-Musical career:...
– drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals (1986–1993, 1998, 2003–present) - David ImmerglückDavid ImmerglückDavid Immerglück is an American multi-instrumentalist who is best known as a guitarist in the alternative rock bands Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven and the Monks of Doom...
– lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, keyboards, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
(1986–1993, 1998, 2003–present)
Former members
- Chris Molla – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1986)
Releases
- Soundtrack to the Film 'Breakfast on the Beach of Deception (1987, Pitch-A-Tent Records)
- The Cosmodemonic Telegraph Company (1989, Pitch-A-Tent Records)
- Meridian (1991, Baited Breath)
- The Insect God E.P. (1992, C/Z RecordsC/Z RecordsC/Z Records is a Seattle-based record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale with the release of the now-legendary, Deep Six LP, which collected the earliest recordings of the real pro-genitors of what later came to be known as grunge...
) - Forgery (1993, I.R.S. RecordsI.R.S. RecordsI.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
) - What's Left For Kicks? (2006, Magnetic Motorworks/Pitch-A-Tent Records)
External links
- Monks of Doom page at Magnetic Motorworks home page
- Monks of Doom discography at www.the-van.com, comprehensive Camper/CrackerCracker (band)Cracker is an American alternative rock band featuring founders/songwriters singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, featuring the hit songs "Low", "Euro-Trash Girl", and "Get Off This".Founders Lowery and Hickman...
/Monks of Doom and related fan site - Official Camper Van Beethoven page