Front Line Assembly
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Front Line Assembly | |
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| Origin | Canada |
| Years active | 1986 – present |
| Genres | EBM Industrial |
| Labels | Off Beat Records |
| Members | Bill Leeb Rhys Fulber Chris Peterson Jeremy Inkel |
| Past members | Michael Balch |
Front Line Assembly (also known by the acronym FLA) is a Canadian Elektro/Electro-Industrial band formed in 1986 by Bill Leeb and Michael Balch after Leeb left Skinny Puppy.
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[edit] History
Following the two demo tapes Nerve War and Total Terror, Front Line Assembly released their first album The Initial Command in 1987. Soon Rhys Fulber joined the band. The album State of Mind (1988) was the first to be released worldwide.
In 1989 Michael Balch left Front Line Assembly, and joined Ministry. The album Gashed Senses and Crossfire was released in 1989, and the track "Digital Tension Dementia" caught the attention of many underground music fans and DJs. Caustic Grip was released in 1990, and became an instant classic with underground fans. In 1991, the stand-alone single Virus (and also the music video) won extensive play in industrial and dance clubs world wide. The album Tactical Neural Implant in 1992 was next, and with it Front Line Assembly became one of industrial music's most popular bands. The next album Millennium (1994) featured a combination of metal guitars and electronic music which had become one of the characteristics of industrial rock and industrial metal during the 1990s. Hard Wired (1995) and the world tour following the release was Front Line Assembly's most successful period.
In 1997, Rhys Fulber left the band to concentrate on producing Fear Factory and other bands. Replacing Fulber was Chris Peterson, who already supported the band on their live shows. Two years after Fulber quit, the 1998 album FLAvour of the Weak was released, making a complete turn in Front Line Assembly's musical style. The metal influences were subdued and instead electronica dominated the band's new sound. Front Line Assembly made somewhat of a return to their former sound with the album Implode (1999), followed by Epitaph (2001). Chris Peterson left Front Line Assembly in 2002, and through most of that year it was rumored that the band had essentially broken up.
However, in 2003, Rhys Fulber rejoined the band. The single Maniacal was released in October 2003, launching a new phase in the band's career, and the album Civilization followed in early 2004. Chris Peterson later rejoined the band, and the trio of Leeb/Fulber/Peterson released Artificial Soldier in 2006. The support tour has been cut short due to a problem with the company supplying the tour bus, and the band acknowledged that they were returning home to Vancouver earlier than planned after playing roughly half of their scheduled tour in the United States (dates in New York and Canada were cancelled). The Band toured in Europe in August 2006 covering 18 cities.
In 2006 the band submitted tracks from their Artificial Soldier to the soundtrack for the horror film FrightWorld, slated for a 2007 release. "Artificial Soldier" in number two album for three months in the Hellenic Alternative Charts.
[edit] Members
[edit] Live
- Bill Leeb – 1986-present (keyboards, vocals)
- Rhys Fulber 1986-1997, 2002-present (keyboards)
- Chris Peterson – 1990, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006 (keyboards)
- Adrian White – 1995, 1996, 2002, 2006 (drums)
- Jason Filipchuk – 1998, 1999, 2002 (keyboards)
- Jared Slingerland – 2006 (guitar)
- Jed Simon – 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 (guitar)
- Jeremy Inkel – 2006 (keyboards)
- Jason Hagen – 1999 (drums)
- Craig Huxtable – 2006 (keyboards)
[edit] Studio
- Bill Leeb – 1986-present (keyboards, vocals)
- Rhys Fulber – 1986-1997, 2002-present (keyboards)
- Chris Peterson – 1997-2002, 2006 (keyboards)
- Jeremy Inkel – 2006 (keyboards)
- Michael Balch – 1987-1989 (keyboards)
- Jeff Stoddard – 1990 (guitars)
- Greg Reely – 1990-present (mixing)
- Devin Townsend – 1994, 1995 (guitars)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio & Live albums
- 1986 Nerve War
- 1986 Total Terror
- 1987 The Initial Command
- 1988 State of Mind
- 1988 Convergence
- 1989 Gashed Senses & Crossfire
- 1990 Caustic Grip
- 1992 Tactical Neural Implant
- 1993 Total Terror Part I
- 1993 Total Terror Part II
- 1994 Millennium
- 1995 Hard Wired
- 1995 Corroded Disorder
- 1996 Live Wired
- 1997 FLAvour of the Weak
- 1998 Re-wind
- 1999 Implode
- 2001 Epitaph
- 2004 Civilization
- 2006 Artificial Soldier
[edit] EPs
- 1988 Corrosion
- 1988 Disorder
Both vinyl EP's were later compiled and re-released in 1995 as the Corroded Disorder album.
[edit] Singles
- 1988 Digital Tension Dementia
- 1989 No Limit
- 1990 Iceolate
- 1990 Provision
- 1991 Virus
- 1992 Mindphaser
- 1992 The Blade
- 1994 Millennium
- 1994 Surface Patterns
- 1995 Circuitry
- 1996 Plasticity
- 1997 Columbian Necktie
- 1998 Comatose
- 1999 Prophecy
- 1999 Fatalist
- 2001 Everything Must Perish
- 2004 Maniacal
- 2004 Vanished
[edit] Other work
- 1989 Live - Limited LP
- 1993 Fear is the Mindkiller - Fear Factory remix ep
- 1996 The Remix Wars - Strike 2 - Remix CD
- 1997 Reclamation - Singles compilation
- 1998 Columbian Necktie/Evil Playground - 12" mixes
- 1998 Monument - Rarities collection
- 1998 The Singles: Four Fit - Singles compilation
- 1999 Explosion - Singles compilation
[edit] Side Projects
Side projects include:
- Conjure One
- Delerium
- Pro-Tech
- Synæsthesia
- Will
- Intermix
- Noise Unit
- Equinox
- Cyberaktif
- Mutual Mortuary
