Pist.On

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Pist.On (also spelled Pist*On, Pist-On, PistOn, and Piston) is a heavy metal band out of Brooklyn, New York. The band released two albums in the 1990s.

Contents

[edit] History

Formed around the core duo of Henry Font (vocals, guitars) and Val.Ium (bass, backing vocals), the band released two demos in the early 1990s, the second of which, Urine the Money, was produced by Josh Silver of Type O Negative. The band's friendship with Type O Negative (also based out of Brooklyn) brought them both help and scorn in subsequent years.

In 1996 the band, now rounded out by Paul Poulos (guitars, backing vocals) and Danny "Jam" Kavadlo (drums), released their first full-length album, Number One, to critical acclaim in both the United States and Europe. Subsequent tours with Type O Negative and Marilyn Manson helped improve the band's notoriety. Within a year, they moved from the independent Mayhem/Fierce record label to a major label, Atlantic Records. Also around this time, Poulos and Kavaldo each made the decision to leave the band.

New members Burton Gans (guitars) and Jeff McManus (drums) joined in time to see an Atlantic rerelease of Number One with new photos, artwork, and, perhaps most obvious of all, spelling; the band's name shifted from "Pist.On" to the "friendlier" spelling "PistOn". The removal of the "." led to endless criticism that the band had "sold out". Under the guise of their new name and label, the band again toured exhaustively. During this time, drummer Jeff McManus was forced into a brief respite for medical reasons, with Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative graciously filling in.

During the years 1996-1997, the band seemed poised for greatness. Their debut album, successful on its face, had been picked up and rereleased by a major label, the band had deep friendships and histories with well-known acts such as Type O Negative, Marilyn Manson, the Misfits, and Queensrÿche, and had energetic new blood in the form of two members. However, the promises and possibilities of this era never panned out, and after a handful of tours and negative reviews, the band was unceremoniously dropped by Atlantic.

1999 saw the release of the band's sophomore effort, $ell.Out, again through Mayhem Records. No stranger to sarcasm, the record is rife with crooked and spiteful poking at the music industry, the band's former label, the press, and, most importantly, the band itself. The album met with lukewarm reviews and sales, and breakup rumors swirled in the Pist.On camp. Jeff McManus then left the band, only to return months later as the band clamored to record and release the 3-song independent Saves EP in the spring of 2001.

Despite the optimism brought on by the Saves EP, the summer of 2001 saw the core duo of Pist.On broken, as bassist Val.Ium decided to leave the band in late August 2001. Though still not officially broken up, the Pist.On camp has been rather silent since.

[edit] Members

  • Henry Font - vocals, guitars
  • Val.Ium - bass, backing vocals (1993 - 2001)
  • Burton Gans - guitars (1996 - ?)
  • Jeff McManus - drums (1996 - ?)
  • Paul Poulos - guitars, backing vocals (1993 - 1996)
  • Danny "Jam" Kavadlo - drums (1993 - 1996)
  • Johnny Kelly - drums (fill-in)

[edit] Discography

  • First demo tape (1993) (independent)
  • Urine the Money - demo (1993) (independent)
  • Number One (1996) album (Mayhem/Fierce)
  • Number One (1997) album (Atlantic Records)
  • $ell.Out (1999) album (Mayhem Records)
  • Saves EP (2001) (independent)

[edit] Resources

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