| GrimSkunk | |
|---|---|
GrimSkunk (2009) |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Punk |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Indica Records |
| Website | http://www.grimskunk.com/ |
| Members | |
| Franz, Joe Evil, Ben Shatskoff, Vincent Peake, Peter Edwards | |
| Past members | |
| Marc Saint-Maurice (1988-1999) Todd Wircham (1999 - 2004) Alain Vadboncoeur (1988-2009) |
|
GrimSkunk is a rock band from Montreal, Quebec with punk, rock, progressive and world music influences. Their style is self-described as "world punk"[1] It is regarded as being part of the foundation of the Quebec "alternative" scene, having influenced many young musicians and bands.
The band is known to integrate many languages in their songs, such as French, English, Spanish, Greek and Arabic. They have also integrated many styles of music, including punk, classic rock, metal, reggae, rap and world music among others.
Over the years, the band shared the stage with many established acts such as System Of A Down, Meshuggah, Manu Chao and Suicidal Tendencies, as well as peers Anonymus, Vulgaires Machins, Deadly Apples, The Sainte Catherines and many more.
Contents |
GrimSkunk formed in 1988 out of a previous hard rock group known as Fatal Illness.[2] GrimSkunk played their first show in April, 1989. Their first demo, Autumn Flowers, was released two years later, in April, 1991. The band, along with Groovy Aardvark, were among the first "alternative" bands to tour Quebec, thus creating a market for this genre.
In the first years of GrimSkunk's career, cannabis was always very present in the band's image. Hemp leaves were on their CD covers, and references to cannabis could be found in the albums' names (Autumn Flowers, Exotic Blend), in their songs' titles (Zig-Zag), and in their lyrics ("Pourquoi, pourquoi ne pas fumer? / C'est ben légal de boire", Why, why can't we smoke / Isn't it legal to drink?). The band's name itself is an allusion to skunk cannabis. Their second album, Meltdown was released in 1996.[2] In 1997, GrimSkunk members founded an independent Montreal-based record label, Indica Records.[2] From then on all their albums would be released on that label, which also helped promote local alternative bands.
In that same year, the band's longtime manager and friend Simon Gallipeault was killed in a "hit-and-run" longboard accident involving a car.[1][2] The band became self managed with Franz Schuller as the main "mouthpiece". The 1998 album, Field Trip, is dedicated to their lost manager and his voice is sampled before the track Live for today.
The bassist, Marc "Boris" Saint-Maurice, left in 1999 to become an activist in the marijuana legalization movement, founding the Bloc Pot[2] and the Marijuana Party of Canada. Todd Wircham replaced Saint-Maurice for a few years. He has since been replaced by Vince Peake, former Groovy Aardvark singer and bass player.[3]
The band went on a short hiatus in 2000 after singer Joe Evil suffered serious burns from a fire in his apartment.[4]
In 2002 the band released its seventh album, Seventh Wave, which was not well-received by certain critics and fans who did not like the musical change in direction.[3][5][6]
In 2002, they performed their first and only unplugged show in Saint-Roch Church in Quebec City.
In 2006, they released Fires Under the Road, which marks a return to the sound of their earlier albums.[6]