Motograter
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| Motograter | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Santa Barbara, California |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 1995 – 2005 (Hiatus) |
| Genres | Nu Metal |
| Labels | Elektra |
Motograter is a nu metal music group from Santa Barbara, California. The band is named after their homemade instrument, designed with industrial cable and guitar pieces. They often paint themselves before concerts as a sort of pre-concert ritual. In 2005 the band announced that they were on hiatus, however, the band played a one-time reunion show on September 30, 2006.
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[edit] History
Motograter was founded in 1995 by Bruce Butler who plays the motograter instrument. They released two independent records in 1999 and 2000 before Motograter was signed to Elektra Records/No Name in 2002. Their self-titled debut album was released on June 24, 2003, just shortly before their first major tour began. This side stage gig at Ozzfest 2003 would ultimately lead to the band's struggles with Elektra. Like every other band on the second stage classified as nu metal (others included Twisted Method, grade 8 and Unloco), Motograter's record sales did not improve as much as their record company had hoped. Just like the aforementioned bands, Motograter's camp didn't say much regarding their future after the tour had ended. Dates were announced for a tour in January of 2004, but due to it being poorly planned, there was no promotion or tour support from Elektra. The tour was cancelled, but things were looking up, as the group hinted at Elektra being interested in both a second album and a European tour.
That wasn't to happen, though, as Motograter quickly learned that there were no plans in the works for their band. Not only did Elektra refuse to provide the necessary tour support or money for a new album, but they also kept them signed to a contract that ruled out a new deal. The band tried to get their things together. Following a headlining tour that was once again poorly advertised, Motograter did a series of dates with Kittie. They followed this up with an extensive, self-financed tour with dope that saw the band abandon their trademark body paint.
The band announced in 2005 that they were on hiatus to start some long-delayed side projects. Ivan and Chris who formed Ghost Machine are currently signed to Corporate Punishment Records, and will be releasing their second album titled Hypersensetive on November 21, 2006. Ivan is also working on another project called Five Finger Death Punch, who recently secured a booking agency deal with The Kirby Organization - one of the premier booking agencies for metal artists.
Motograter played a one-time reunion show at the Delicious Rox Festival in Missouri on September 30, 2006 (along with Ivan's new band Five Finger Death Punch). The lineup featured Ivan, JR, Matt, Bruce and Crispy.
[edit] The instrument
"The original idea for Motograter was bass and drums." Says Butler, who began collaborations with his friend Dave Brogan in 1995. He urged his longtime pal and fellow Texan Krzywonski to come out to California to get in on the action; it was the way Krzywonski played Butler's bass lying down in his lap that inspired the idea for the Motograter. "I said to Joey, Instead of you conforming to an instrument, why don't we make an instrument to conform to you?" They bought an old guitar, dissected it, found a welder (Anthony Paul Studios), and lo, the first Motograter was born, resembling a medieval ironing board, with bass strings, and rusty saws. They christened it the "Motograter" after the angle blades on tractors that smooth roads, motor graders. But though made for Krzywonski, the Motograter turned out to suit him less than the SMUR drumz, which the industrious duo had gone on to manufacture out of barrels-physically demanding to play, but easily handled by the bigger-framed lad.
[edit] Description
A motograter consists of two large industrial cables that grater hits with a drum stick and uses his finger to get different sounds. It seems to be in a sort of L shap and Grater sits in the middle. I've also seen machetes and other things that are said to be used as sound affects and what not. There have been many versions of the motograter.
- Motograter.com
[edit] Members
- Ivan L. Moody (Ghost) – vocals
- Chris Binns (Crispy) – drums
- Joey Krzywonski (Smur) – smur drums, vocals
- Bruce Butler (Grater) – motograter, sampling, vocals
- JR (JR) (aka JR) – guitar
- Matt Nunes (Nuke) – guitar (rejoined in 2006)
- Aaron (A-Bomb) – guitar
[edit] Former members
- Neal Godfrey – guitar
- TY Fury – guitar
- Zak (The Waz) – vocals (plays sometimes live shows with Motograter)
- Eric Gonzales – samples
[edit] Discography
- Hugh Chardon [EP] (1999)
- Indy [EP] (2000)
| Album Cover | Date of Release | Title | Label |
 |
June 24, 2003 | Motograter | Elektra/No Name |
