The Forces of Evil
Encyclopedia
The Forces of Evil was an Orange County
-based third wave ska band, formed in January 2001 with the intention of creating a ska
supergroup. The band split in 2005 after releasing a four-song EP, which was available on their website. Their website hasn't seen an update since December 2004, and their touring has ceased.
), of Reel Big Fish
fame, formed The Forces Of Evil in January 2001 by recruiting three members of the then recently-defunct ska group Jeffries Fan Club
at their farewell concert, Justin Evil, drums (Justin Ferreira), Chris Evil trombone (Chris Colonnier) and Derek Evil, bass (Derek Gibbs
). Jay Evil, trumpet (Jay Lafayette of The Scholars) and Jonny Evil trombone (John Throop of Lone Raspberry) were later added to the line-up, and with the addition of friend John Evil, trumpet(John Christianson
), the band was made complete.
Between formation and June 2002, the band played many concerts across the U.S., playing both songs written by the band and covers of other songs from many genres.
In June 2002, the band released their first record, an EP titled Because We Care..., featuring tracks that had seen popular receptions during concerts. The first album to be released by The Forces Of Evil appeared in October 2003, titled Friend Or FOE? and featuring all of the tracks previously released on the EP as well as many new tracks, one of particular note being "Fight", which was the theme song for Ska Summit 2003, a huge achievement for such a newly-formed band and one that served to increase the group's popularity not only in US Ska circles but also in Ska fans across the world. As such, the band was signed by Jive Records
.
As of March 2005, The Forces Of Evil were still recording their second album for Jive Records
. According to their online message boards, The Forces of Evil have broken up. This has not been confirmed, though is supported by the fact that they released a Four Song Obituary album available freely on the web.
Barrett has recently stated that the Forces of Evil are finished as a band. He said that the work effort was too similar to the work he was doing with Reel Big Fish, and he has decided to concentrate his efforts on the other band. Recently both John Christianson and Derek Gibbs started playing in Reel Big Fish officially.
Barrett also said that the Forces of Evil was just a fall-back plan because he believed that Reel Big Fish was going to tank after releasing Cheer Up!
because he thought everyone would hate it. He said he started FoE because "if Reel Big Fish was over, then I'd still want to prove to everyone that I still love ska and love to play it." This was said in the commentary of Reel Big Fish's DVD You're All In This Together
in their new live album "Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album
." Barrett also noted the president of Jive at the time of the release of Friend or Foe? was angered by the fact that it was not the new Reel Big Fish album, and wondered why it wasn't. Former Reel Big Fish bassist Matt Wong
said he wondered the same thing as well.
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
-based third wave ska band, formed in January 2001 with the intention of creating a ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
supergroup. The band split in 2005 after releasing a four-song EP, which was available on their website. Their website hasn't seen an update since December 2004, and their touring has ceased.
History
Aaron Evil, guitar (Aaron BarrettAaron Barrett
Aaron Asher Barrett is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Reel Big Fish. Prior to forming with Reel Big Fish, Barrett played trombone in another ska-punk act, The Scholars, along with future Reel Big Fish bandmates Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry...
), of Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
fame, formed The Forces Of Evil in January 2001 by recruiting three members of the then recently-defunct ska group Jeffries Fan Club
Jeffries Fan Club
Jeffries Fan Club was a southern California Third-wave ska band formed in 1996. The band released several albums on now-defunct Vegas Records before breaking up in 2001. The band played their final show January 6, 2001 at The Glasshouse in Pomona, which was later released on CD under the title...
at their farewell concert, Justin Evil, drums (Justin Ferreira), Chris Evil trombone (Chris Colonnier) and Derek Evil, bass (Derek Gibbs
Derek Gibbs
Derek Gibbs is the current bass player for Reel Big Fish, and the now defunct Forces of Evil and Jeffries Fan Club. He was chosen to replace the band's previous bass player Matt Wong, who left the band to spend more time with his family and new born child...
). Jay Evil, trumpet (Jay Lafayette of The Scholars) and Jonny Evil trombone (John Throop of Lone Raspberry) were later added to the line-up, and with the addition of friend John Evil, trumpet(John Christianson
John Christianson (musician)
John Christianson is one of the current trumpet players in the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish in which his nickname is "Little Johnny Christmas."...
), the band was made complete.
Between formation and June 2002, the band played many concerts across the U.S., playing both songs written by the band and covers of other songs from many genres.
In June 2002, the band released their first record, an EP titled Because We Care..., featuring tracks that had seen popular receptions during concerts. The first album to be released by The Forces Of Evil appeared in October 2003, titled Friend Or FOE? and featuring all of the tracks previously released on the EP as well as many new tracks, one of particular note being "Fight", which was the theme song for Ska Summit 2003, a huge achievement for such a newly-formed band and one that served to increase the group's popularity not only in US Ska circles but also in Ska fans across the world. As such, the band was signed by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
.
As of March 2005, The Forces Of Evil were still recording their second album for Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. According to their online message boards, The Forces of Evil have broken up. This has not been confirmed, though is supported by the fact that they released a Four Song Obituary album available freely on the web.
Barrett has recently stated that the Forces of Evil are finished as a band. He said that the work effort was too similar to the work he was doing with Reel Big Fish, and he has decided to concentrate his efforts on the other band. Recently both John Christianson and Derek Gibbs started playing in Reel Big Fish officially.
Barrett also said that the Forces of Evil was just a fall-back plan because he believed that Reel Big Fish was going to tank after releasing Cheer Up!
Cheer Up!
Cheer Up! is the fourth full length release from ska punk band, Reel Big Fish.It is a slight departure from the band's other releases, veering toward more of a rock sound as opposed to ska, especially on the first five tracks, where nary a syncopated drum beat or upstroke on the guitar is heard...
because he thought everyone would hate it. He said he started FoE because "if Reel Big Fish was over, then I'd still want to prove to everyone that I still love ska and love to play it." This was said in the commentary of Reel Big Fish's DVD You're All In This Together
You're All In This Together
You're All In This Together is the name of a DVD recorded by Reel Big Fish at "The Alley" in California sometime in March, 2006. The DVD is sold with Reel Big Fish's live album Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album and became available for purchase off iTunes on July 18, 2006. It became...
in their new live album "Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album
Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album
Our Live Album Is Better than Your Live Album is a 2-disc live album by ska-punk band Reel Big Fish composed of both an extended length Reel Big Fish live set list, and a DVD of a March 2006 live show that also includes documentary footage on the band. The DVD portion was directed by Jonathan...
." Barrett also noted the president of Jive at the time of the release of Friend or Foe? was angered by the fact that it was not the new Reel Big Fish album, and wondered why it wasn't. Former Reel Big Fish bassist Matt Wong
Matt Wong
Matthew Wong, is a bassist and one of the founding members of the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish...
said he wondered the same thing as well.
Members
- Aaron Evil (Aaron BarrettAaron BarrettAaron Asher Barrett is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band Reel Big Fish. Prior to forming with Reel Big Fish, Barrett played trombone in another ska-punk act, The Scholars, along with future Reel Big Fish bandmates Scott Klopfenstein and Grant Barry...
) - Guitar, Lead Vocals(Reel Big Fish) - Juston Evil (Justin Ferriera) - Drums (Jeffries Fan Club)
- Chris Evil (Chris Collonnier) - Trombone (Jeffries Fan Club)
- Derek Evil (Derek GibbsDerek GibbsDerek Gibbs is the current bass player for Reel Big Fish, and the now defunct Forces of Evil and Jeffries Fan Club. He was chosen to replace the band's previous bass player Matt Wong, who left the band to spend more time with his family and new born child...
) - Bass (Jeffries Fan Club) - Jay Evil (Jay Lafayette) - Trumpet (the Scholars)
- Jonny Evil (John Throop) - Trombone (Lone Rasberry)
- John Evil (John ChristiansonJohn Christianson (musician)John Christianson is one of the current trumpet players in the California-based ska punk band, Reel Big Fish in which his nickname is "Little Johnny Christmas."...
) - Trumpet(Reel Big Fish)
Discography
- Because We Care... (EP, 2002)
- "Vague Love Song"
- "My Life"
- "Mistake"
- "Independent"
- "Angry Anthem #347"
- "Fight For Your Right to Skank"
- Friend or FOE?Friend or FOE?Friend or FOE? is the only LP by California ska punk band The Forces of Evil. The last track, Fight, was the theme song at the 2003 Ska Summit.-Track listing:#"Angry Anthem"#"Go To Hell"#"My Life"#"Dance The Night Away"#"Vague Love Song"...
(Album, 2003)
- "Angry Anthem"
- "Go To Hell"
- "My Life"
- "Dance The Night Away"
- "Vague Love Song"
- "Hey! Woo! Yeah!"
- "Mistake"
- "Worst Day"
- "Maybe I'm Wrong"
- "Independent"
- "Fight"
- "99 Hell" (Jay-Z Remix) (mp3 DownloadMP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, 2004)
- "Ball & Chain" (SublimeSublime (band)Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
coverCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
) (Forever Free: Sublime TributeForever Free (tribute album)-External links:*...
, 2005)
- Four Song Obituary (EP, 2005)
-
- "Good Old Days"
- "Ska Show"
- "Evil Approaches"
- "Missing Piece"