Stabbing Westward
Encyclopedia
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock
and alternative rock
band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.
. In a 1996 interview, Hall stated, "Since we went to Western Illinois University
, Stabbing Westward had a certain 'kill everybody in the school' vibe to it! The school's way out in farm country and the country is really close minded. I was walking around like Robert Smith with real big hair, big baggy black clothes, black fingernail polish and eye makeup. They just didn't get it. We hated the town."
Moving to Chicago in 1986, the original lineup consisted of Hall on bass and lead vocals, Flakus on keyboards, and Jim Clanin on guitar (Clanin later purchased, and as of 2004, operates the Dairy Queen
in Macomb, Illinois
). In 1990, a four song demo tape was recorded by an early conception of Stabbing Westward. This "EP" called, "Iwo Jimma" featured an early version of "Violent Mood Swings" (titled, "Violent Mood Swing") which eventually wound up on the compilation CD, The Cyberflesh Conspiracy. Each of the three remaining demo songs were later reworked over the years ("Shame [Do You Think God Is Dead]" became "Shame", "P.O.M.F." became "The Thing I Hate", and "Plastic Jesus" became "Dawn").
Hall took a brief break to tour with Die Warzau
as that group's percussionist before continuing work on Stabbing Westward. Hall and Flakus later recruited Jim Sellers on bass and Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails
) on drums, as Hall had met Vrenna when playing in Die Warzau. Vrenna played drums on all the demo recordings that ultimately landed Stabbing Westward their record deal with Columbia Records. Those demo recordings included Violent Mood Swings, Lies, and Nothing. They were recorded at a studio in Evanston, Illinois
and included Stuart Zechman on guitar. After Vrenna returned to Nine Inch Nails, the band hired Dave Suycott who was a high school friend of Walters.
; London, England with producer John Fryer. This resulted in their major label (Columbia Records
) debut, Ungod
, which hit stores in 1994. The band landed an opening slot on the Depeche Mode
Exotic Tour
in Summer 1994 and opened North American tour dates in Fall 1994 for Killing Joke
, but Stabbing Westward album sales were still sluggish.
David Suycott abruptly dropped out of the band toward the end of the Ungod tour. Andy Kubiszewski was called in to replace Suycott's position for the remainder of the shows. This fast replacement required Kubiszewski to learn all of Suycott's parts while on his flight to meet with the band. Kubiszewski became a permanent fixture of Stabbing Westward.
Also, their song "Nothing" was featured in the "Club Hell" scene of the motion picture, "Bad Boys", as well as during the closing credits of "Johnny Mnemonic." The songs "Lies", "Lost" and "Can't Happen Here" were also all featured in the first "Mortal Kombat" movie. However, these songs weren't featured on the CD soundtrack.
, Nine Inch Nails
, and Prick, but had been the singer and songwriter in the Cleveland based Exotic Birds
. Shortly after Zechmans departure Andy played the band dozens of demos and Exotic Birds recordings. Included were "What Do I Have To Do", "Haunting Me", "Sometimes It Hurts", "Crushing Me", "Slipping Away", "Desperate Now", and "Goodbye". These tracks would later find space on both the Wither and Darkest Days albums. When the band headed to Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York
without a permanent guitar player, they decided to play all the guitar parts themselves, with Sellers and Kubiszewski taking on most of the guitar duties. The band later recruited Mark Eliopulos after the Wither, Blister, Burn & Peel recording sessions were completed to handle the live-element of the main guitar parts.
In 1996, the Wither Blister Burn & Peel
LP became a success, landing them their first certified gold album, aided by the singles "Shame" and "What Do I Have to Do?" which granted the band heavy rotation on MTV
, MuchMusic
and radio. Tour mates for this album included Sponge
, Kiss
, and The Sex Pistols.
where they began work on the 1998 album, titled Darkest Days
. Darkest Days was envisioned as a four-act story by the band (but never marketed as such). This is the only release featuring studio work by Mark Eliopulos. The first single, "Save Yourself," had success yet the album failed to sell as well as its predecessor. Stabbing Westward continued to tour with bands like Placebo
, The Cult
, Monster Magnet
, and Depeche Mode
, while playing numerous summer festivals.
The day before the band was to fly to Hawaii
to record the follow-up to Darkest Days with producer Bob Rock
, the band was dropped by Columbia Records.
The title "The Thing I Hate" was featured in its entirety as the opening theme to Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
(also released in 1998). The song "Torn apart" was featured as a remix with Wink, on the Spawn movie soundtrack in July 1997. The song "Save Yourself" was featured in 1997's Masterminds, in the 1998 teen-slasher movie Urban Legend
and in the 1998 animated movie Tekken
.
. Mark Eliopulos left, thus, yet another guitar change ensued, resulting in the recruitment of Derrek Hawkins as both a studio musician and live musician for the band. The addition of producer Ed Buller to the project led to a new, somewhat softer sound. The untitled album, Stabbing Westward
, was released in 2001 and featured the hit "So Far Away".
Before a fifth LP could be recorded, Stabbing Westward formally announced that the band had broken up on February 9, 2002.
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
and 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. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.
Early years (1985-1992)
Christopher Hall and Walter Flakus formed the band Stabbing Westward when they were in college. They came up with the name while working at the college radio station WIUS-FMWIUS
WIUS is a 120 watt student operated campus radio station in Macomb, Illinois, in west-central Illinois. The station is run by Western Illinois University and is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission....
. In a 1996 interview, Hall stated, "Since we went to Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
, Stabbing Westward had a certain 'kill everybody in the school' vibe to it! The school's way out in farm country and the country is really close minded. I was walking around like Robert Smith with real big hair, big baggy black clothes, black fingernail polish and eye makeup. They just didn't get it. We hated the town."
Moving to Chicago in 1986, the original lineup consisted of Hall on bass and lead vocals, Flakus on keyboards, and Jim Clanin on guitar (Clanin later purchased, and as of 2004, operates the Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...
in Macomb, Illinois
Macomb, Illinois
Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...
). In 1990, a four song demo tape was recorded by an early conception of Stabbing Westward. This "EP" called, "Iwo Jimma" featured an early version of "Violent Mood Swings" (titled, "Violent Mood Swing") which eventually wound up on the compilation CD, The Cyberflesh Conspiracy. Each of the three remaining demo songs were later reworked over the years ("Shame [Do You Think God Is Dead]" became "Shame", "P.O.M.F." became "The Thing I Hate", and "Plastic Jesus" became "Dawn").
Hall took a brief break to tour with Die Warzau
Die Warzau
Die Warzau was an industrial music band formed in 1987 by performance artists Jim Marcus and Van Christie.-History:...
as that group's percussionist before continuing work on Stabbing Westward. Hall and Flakus later recruited Jim Sellers on bass and Chris Vrenna (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...
) on drums, as Hall had met Vrenna when playing in Die Warzau. Vrenna played drums on all the demo recordings that ultimately landed Stabbing Westward their record deal with Columbia Records. Those demo recordings included Violent Mood Swings, Lies, and Nothing. They were recorded at a studio in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
and included Stuart Zechman on guitar. After Vrenna returned to Nine Inch Nails, the band hired Dave Suycott who was a high school friend of Walters.
Ungod (1993-1995)
The trio added Wax Trax recording artist Stuart Zechman on guitar and David Suycott on drums. In 1993, the band recorded in Eden StudiosEden Studios
Eden Studios was a commercial recording facility in west London. It opened in 1967, originally at 11 Eden Street in Kingston upon Thames, before moving to 20-24 Beaumont Road in Chiswick in 1972. It was started by Philip Love, Mike Gardner and Piers Ford-Crush. Love and Gardner owned the studio and...
; London, England with producer John Fryer. This resulted in their major label (Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) debut, Ungod
Ungod
Ungod is the debut album released in 1994 on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in six weeks of 1993 in Chiswick, England, and released in February 1994. With adequate album sales and touring with the likes of Depeche Mode a second album...
, which hit stores in 1994. The band landed an opening slot on the 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...
Exotic Tour
Exotic Tour
Exotic Tour/Summer Tour '94 was a 1994 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's eighth studio album, Songs of Faith and Devotion, which was released in March 1993...
in Summer 1994 and opened North American tour dates in Fall 1994 for Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
, but Stabbing Westward album sales were still sluggish.
David Suycott abruptly dropped out of the band toward the end of the Ungod tour. Andy Kubiszewski was called in to replace Suycott's position for the remainder of the shows. This fast replacement required Kubiszewski to learn all of Suycott's parts while on his flight to meet with the band. Kubiszewski became a permanent fixture of Stabbing Westward.
Also, their song "Nothing" was featured in the "Club Hell" scene of the motion picture, "Bad Boys", as well as during the closing credits of "Johnny Mnemonic." The songs "Lies", "Lost" and "Can't Happen Here" were also all featured in the first "Mortal Kombat" movie. However, these songs weren't featured on the CD soundtrack.
Wither, Blister, Burn & Peel (1995-1997)
When Stuart Zechman departed the band after the Ungod tour, the remaining band members found themselves without one of their major songwriters. As it turned out, new drummer Andy Kubiszewski would be the band's new songwriting pot of gold. Prior to playing in Stabbing Westward, Andy had not only played drums in The TheThe The
The The are an English musical and multimedia group that have been active in various forms since 1979, with singer/songwriter Matt Johnson being the only constant band member.-Early years :...
, 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...
, and Prick, but had been the singer and songwriter in the Cleveland based Exotic Birds
Exotic Birds
The Exotic Birds was a synthpop music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983 by three Cleveland Institute of Music percussion students, Andy Kubiszewski, Tom Freer and Tim Adams. They wrote their own music, and were described as synth pop and dance...
. Shortly after Zechmans departure Andy played the band dozens of demos and Exotic Birds recordings. Included were "What Do I Have To Do", "Haunting Me", "Sometimes It Hurts", "Crushing Me", "Slipping Away", "Desperate Now", and "Goodbye". These tracks would later find space on both the Wither and Darkest Days albums. When the band headed to Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
without a permanent guitar player, they decided to play all the guitar parts themselves, with Sellers and Kubiszewski taking on most of the guitar duties. The band later recruited Mark Eliopulos after the Wither, Blister, Burn & Peel recording sessions were completed to handle the live-element of the main guitar parts.
In 1996, the Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel is the second album released on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in New York State in late 1995, and was released on January 4, 1996 in New York City and Los Angeles...
LP became a success, landing them their first certified gold album, aided by the singles "Shame" and "What Do I Have to Do?" which granted the band heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
and radio. Tour mates for this album included Sponge
Sponge (band)
Sponge is a post-grunge band from Detroit, Michigan formed in 1991 by Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Tim Cross and Joey Mazzola. Sponge was signed to Sony Records in 1994 but have since switched to other labels....
, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, and The Sex Pistols.
Darkest Days (1998-2000)
Stabbing Westward relocated to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos 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...
where they began work on the 1998 album, titled Darkest Days
Darkest Days
Darkest Days is the third album released on Columbia Records by industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in L.A. in 1997 and released in April 1998. The album failed to achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel. The band was dropped from Columbia Records...
. Darkest Days was envisioned as a four-act story by the band (but never marketed as such). This is the only release featuring studio work by Mark Eliopulos. The first single, "Save Yourself," had success yet the album failed to sell as well as its predecessor. Stabbing Westward continued to tour with bands like Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
, The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
, Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
, and 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...
, while playing numerous summer festivals.
The day before the band was to fly to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to record the follow-up to Darkest Days with producer Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
, the band was dropped by Columbia Records.
The title "The Thing I Hate" was featured in its entirety as the opening theme to Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Duke Nukem: Time To Kill is a third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation.-Gameplay:The gameplay and controls are very similar to those of Tomb Raider, a fact humorously referenced throughout the game...
(also released in 1998). The song "Torn apart" was featured as a remix with Wink, on the Spawn movie soundtrack in July 1997. The song "Save Yourself" was featured in 1997's Masterminds, in the 1998 teen-slasher movie Urban Legend
Urban Legend (film)
Urban Legend is a 1998 horror film starring Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Jared Leto, Michael Rosenbaum, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Loretta Devine, Robert Englund, John Neville, Joshua Jackson, Regina King, and Tara Reid...
and in the 1998 animated movie Tekken
Tekken: The Motion Picture
is a Japanese animated adaptation of the Tekken video games by Namco produced in by ASCII Corporation and Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Originally released in Japan as a two-episode OVA, an English adaptation was produced by ADV Films, which edited both episodes into a single hour-long film and...
.
Self-titled (2001-2002)
Stabbing Westward signed to Koch RecordsKoch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
. Mark Eliopulos left, thus, yet another guitar change ensued, resulting in the recruitment of Derrek Hawkins as both a studio musician and live musician for the band. The addition of producer Ed Buller to the project led to a new, somewhat softer sound. The untitled album, Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward (album)
Stabbing Westward is the self-titled fourth album by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. It is their first and only album to be produced by Ed Buller and released on Koch Records...
, was released in 2001 and featured the hit "So Far Away".
Before a fifth LP could be recorded, Stabbing Westward formally announced that the band had broken up on February 9, 2002.
Post-breakup
- Lead singer Christopher Hall has formed the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos 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...
-based band The DreamingThe 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:...
. They released their first studio album "Etched in Blood" in 2007 and got radio play on XM Satellite RadioXM Satellite RadioXM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
as well as rock stations nationwide. The album was distributed in Best Buy and Hot Topic. The Dreaming spent 3 years touring as a headliner and co headliners with bands such as Trust Company and Flaw. The Dreaming is currently in the studio recording their follow up album. Their new album titled 'Puppet" is set to release on 11/1/11 Members of the band include Stabbing Westward and Econoline CrushEconoline CrushEconoline Crush is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada formed in 1992. Originally formed in Seattle, they eventually moved back to Vancouver...
drummer Johnny Haro, Murderdolls-guitarist Eric Griffin, bassist Martin Kelly from Living Dead Lights and guitarist Ryan Seelback. The Dreaming has been featured in the Elektra soundtrack and has a song in an upcoming UFC film. - Walter Flakus has been working with The Clay PeopleThe Clay PeopleThe Clay People is an industrial rock band based in Albany, New York. Singer-programmer Daniel Neet has been the only constant member throughout the band's history, leading the group as its sound has evolved to incorporate gothic, industrial and metal influences...
and ChoktChoktChokt is the name of Industrial metal and Alternative rock band consisting of three members, Pete Murray of Lo-Pro and Ultraspank, Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward, and John Stevens of Ghost Machine...
. He now hosts nights on Chicago rock station WLUP. - Jim Sellers and his wife have opened a natural foods market called Sellers Market.
- Andy Kubiszewski has filled in as the drummer for a handful of Prick shows, joined a new project called Affected with Chris Schleyer, written and produced several songs for the popular Russian pop duo t.A.T.u.T.A.T.u.t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
, and has composed music for dozens of TV shows (including Monster GarageMonster GarageMonster Garage is a television show for the Discovery Channel hosted by Jesse G. James. Each episode is an hour in length and was conceived and produced by Thom Beers.The show aired the series finale on June 12, 2006. Jesse G...
, Monster House, Ax MenAx MenAx Men is an American documentary reality television series that premiered on March 9, 2008 on History. The program follows the work of several logging crews in the second-growth forests of Northwestern Oregon, Washington and Montana. The show highlights the dangers encountered by the loggers...
, America's Toughest JobsAmerica's Toughest JobsAmerica's Toughest Jobs is a reality television show that lasted one season and aired on the American television network NBC. It pitted contestants against each other as they attempted a series of difficult and dangerous jobs...
, The Colony), SWORDS -Life On The Line, Hillstranded, and most recently Storage WarsStorage WarsStorage Wars is a reality television series on the A&E Network that premiered in 2010. The show features auctioneers Dan Dotson and Laura Dotson, as well as auction hunters Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Barry Weiss, and Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante...
. Recent film credits include Death SentenceDeath SentenceDeath Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
and JamJam (film)Jam is a 2006 drama film written by Craig E. Serling and Nicole Lonner and produced by Dianne Burnett for Burnett Entertainment in association with Thanksgiving Films. Directed by Serling as his first feature film, the film is the feature-length version of a short film by the same name that he shot...
. Andy recently played drums on former Prick bandmate Kevin McMahon's latest CD (sic). Andy also composes the music to the popular Habla Blah Blah line of Kids Cds. - Mark Eliopulos now plays guitar in the bands Violent New Breed, HTH, and Super Model.
Rumors of Reunion (2010)
In June of 2010, a news item appeared on Tunelab.com which read as follows:Stabbing Westward vocalist Christopher Hall and keyboardist Walter Flakus have reunited after eight years apart and are planning a late-summer or fall tour this year under their old moniker. Potential support acts are Gravity KillsGravity KillsGravity 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."...
and Hall’s current project The Dreaming. There are currently no plans to record a new album, but the possibility has not been ruled out for a 2011 release depending on how the two feel after touring this year.
The next day, another piece of news appeared on the same website:
As a followup to yesterday’s news post on Stabbing Westward reuniting and touring, TuneLab did speak to former keyboardist Walter Flakus, who stated had no knowledge of any reunion but wasn’t exactly adverse to the idea. We were originally told the information by the booking agency for former vocalist Christopher Hall’s current project The Dreaming. After seeking clarification from the agency, we have learned that Stabbing Westward will actually be made up of current members of The Dreaming, and vocalist Christopher Hall at some point was going to be approaching keyboardist Walter Flakus to reunite for the tour. The exact lineup of the band is up in the air, but their agency is in fact booking a tour for late-summer or fall for Stabbing Westward, The Dreaming, and potentially Gravity Kills.
Since this post, there have been no more announcements regarding a Stabbing Westward tour and it is unclear whether these two news items were merely just rumors or actual plans.
Members
- Christopher Hall - vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum machine programming (1992–2002)
- Walter Flakus - keyboard and programming mastermind (1992–2002)
- Jim Sellers - bass (1993–2002)
- Andy KubiszewskiAndy KubiszewskiAndy Kubiszewski is an American/Polish musician, songwriter, remixer and producer.Kubiszewski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. His start in rock music came while attending the Cleveland Institute of Music when he and a pair of classmates formed the new wave band Exotic Birds...
- drums, guitar, keyboard, backing vocals, songwriter (1995–2002)- began as live drummer at the end of the 1995 Ungod tour following David Suycott's departure.
- Derrek Hawkins - guitar, backing vocals (1999–2002)
- Chris Vrenna - drums (1992)
- Stuart Zechman - guitar (1993–1995)
- David Suycott - drums (1993–1995)
- Mark Eliopulos - guitar, backing vocals (1996–1999)
- Johnny Haro - drums (1998 - filling in for an injured Andy Kubiszewski)
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
| 1992 | Iwo Jima EP | |
| 1994 | Ungod Ungod Ungod is the debut album released in 1994 on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in six weeks of 1993 in Chiswick, England, and released in February 1994. With adequate album sales and touring with the likes of Depeche Mode a second album... |
Columbia |
| 1996 | Wither Blister Burn & Peel Wither Blister Burn & Peel Wither Blister Burn & Peel is the second album released on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in New York State in late 1995, and was released on January 4, 1996 in New York City and Los Angeles... |
Columbia |
| 1998 | Darkest Days Darkest Days Darkest Days is the third album released on Columbia Records by industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in L.A. in 1997 and released in April 1998. The album failed to achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel. The band was dropped from Columbia Records... |
Columbia |
| 2001 | Stabbing Westward Stabbing Westward (album) Stabbing Westward is the self-titled fourth album by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. It is their first and only album to be produced by Ed Buller and released on Koch Records... |
Koch |
| 2003 | The Essential Stabbing Westward The Essential Stabbing Westward The Essential Stabbing Westward is a compilation album by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward released on Sony Music as part of their Essential series. The album was released in 2003, a year after the band broke up in 2002... |
Sony |
| 2003 | What Do I Have to Do? What Do I Have to Do? (album) What Do I Have To Do? is a compilation album released on Sony Music by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was released in 2003, a year after the band broke up in 2002... |
Sony |
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
U.S. Modern Rock | U.S. Main- stream Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Violent Mood Swings" | - | - | - | Ungod |
| 1994 | "Lies" | - | - | - | Ungod |
| 1994 | "Nothing" | - | - | - | Ungod |
| 1996 | "What Do I Have to Do?" | 60* | 11 | 7 | Wither Blister Burn & Peel |
| 1996 | "Shame" | 69* | 14 | 7 | Wither Blister Burn & Peel |
| 1998 | "Sometimes It Hurts" | - | 39 | 20 | Darkest Days |
| 1998 | "Save Yourself" | - | 20 | 4 | Darkest Days |
| 1999 | "Haunting Me" | - | 34 | 19 | Darkest Days |
| 2001 | "So Far Away" | - | 21 | 23 | Stabbing Westward |
| 2010 | "Save Yourself Re-Recorded/Remastered" | - | - | - | - |
- "What Do I Have to Do?" and "Shame" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay, due to the fact no commercially available singles were released for the songs.
- "Save Yourself Re-Recorded/Remastered" has been released by Cleopatra RecordsCleopatra RecordsCleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...