Bryan Beller
Encyclopedia
Bryan Beller is an American bass guitarist known for his work with Mike Keneally
, Steve Vai
, Dethklok
, James LaBrie
of Dream Theater
, and Dweezil Zappa
.
ger, documenting his personal and professional experiences on being a Professional Musician and "Bassist For Hire" in Los Angeles on his blog, "The Life of Bryan," from 1995 until 2005.
In 2003, Beller released his debut CD, View
, which was self-financed product and released on his own label, Onion Boy Records. View, which ranges from jazz/rock to vocal pop to thrash to acoustic solo to world beat, has been described as having “sublime moments of melancholia, beauty, and joy.”
In 2008 Beller released his second solo CD Thanks In Advance
; a special-edition DVD of the album entitled To Nothing was released along with it. In 2011 Beller released a live CD titled Wednesday Night Live
in both CD and DVD format.
Beller's current band, The Aristocrats (which also includes Guthrie Govan
on guitars and Marco Minnemann
on drums), released their debut album The Aristocrats in 2011. Also in 2011, he released a second live CD with his wife Kira Small called Live at The White House. He is also a Contributing Editor for Bass Player magazine. In November 2011, Beller conducted an audio interview with Music Life Radio about his career.
Heads, preamps, and power amps:
Speaker cabinets:
Combo amps:
Effects and other gear:
With The Aristocrats:
With Kira Small:
With Dethklok
:
With Brendon Small
:
With Steve Vai
:
With Z:
With Beer For Dolphins:
With Mike Keneally
:
With James LaBrie
:
With Yogi:
With Colin Keenan:
With Razl:
Other guest appearances:
Mike Keneally
Michael Joseph Keneally is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. Allmusic says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."Born on Long Island, New York, he...
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...
, James LaBrie
James LaBrie
Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...
of Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, and Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
.
Career
Beller was an extremely early blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger, documenting his personal and professional experiences on being a Professional Musician and "Bassist For Hire" in Los Angeles on his blog, "The Life of Bryan," from 1995 until 2005.
In 2003, Beller released his debut CD, View
View (album)
View is the debut album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai and Dethklok. The album was released in 2003 under Onion Boy Records...
, which was self-financed product and released on his own label, Onion Boy Records. View, which ranges from jazz/rock to vocal pop to thrash to acoustic solo to world beat, has been described as having “sublime moments of melancholia, beauty, and joy.”
In 2008 Beller released his second solo CD Thanks In Advance
Thanks In Advance
Thanks In Advance is the second album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai and Dethklok. The album was released in 2008 under Onion Boy Records.-Track listing:*All songs composed by Bryan Beller, except where noted....
; a special-edition DVD of the album entitled To Nothing was released along with it. In 2011 Beller released a live CD titled Wednesday Night Live
Wednesday Night Live
Wednesday Night Live is a live album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, and Dethklok. This album was released in 2011 under Onion Boy Records. The DVD version of this album was released in June 2011...
in both CD and DVD format.
Beller's current band, The Aristocrats (which also includes Guthrie Govan
Guthrie Govan
Guthrie Govan is a guitarist known for his work with the bands Asia , GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship as well as Erotic Cakes...
on guitars and Marco Minnemann
Marco Minnemann
Marco Minnemann is a German-born drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Lake Elsinore, California.-Biography:...
on drums), released their debut album The Aristocrats in 2011. Also in 2011, he released a second live CD with his wife Kira Small called Live at The White House. He is also a Contributing Editor for Bass Player magazine. In November 2011, Beller conducted an audio interview with Music Life Radio about his career.
Equipment
Basses:- Mike Lull Custom Modern 5-String
- Mike Lull Custom Modern 5-String Fretless
- Mike Lull Custom Vintage Jazz 4-String
- Mike Lull Custom T-Bass 4-String
- Mike Lull Custom T-Bass 5-String
- Fender Custom Shop '64 Re-Issue Jazz Bass
- Fender Precision Bass
- Taylor AB-4 Acoustic/Electric Bass
Heads, preamps, and power amps:
- Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550
- Gallien-Krueger MB Fusion
- SWR SM-900
- SWR Mo' Bass
- SWR SM-400
- SWR Grand Prix Preamp
- SWR Interstellar Overdrive Preamp
- ART TubePAC Preamp (2)
- SansAmp PSA-1 Programmable Preamp
- SWR Stereo 800 Power Amp
- Peavey DPC1000 Power Amp
- BGW x3800 Power Amp
Speaker cabinets:
- Gallien-Krueger Neo 4x12
- Gallien Krueger Neo 112-II
- SWR Megoliath 8x10
- SWR Goliath III 4x10 (2)
- SWR Goliath II 4x10 (2)
- SWR Goliath Junior III 2x10
Combo amps:
- SWR Super Redhead
- SWR Workingman's 12
- SWR LA 8
- SWR California Blonde
Effects and other gear:
- Boss FV-50 Volume Pedal
- Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
- Boss OC-2 Octave Pedal
- Electro-Harmonix MicroSynth
- Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp
- Digitech X-Series Bass Driver
- Dunlop M-80 Bass D.I.
- Aphex Bass Exciter
- Boss CE-2B Bass Chorus
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
- Demeter Opto-Compulator
- Dunlop CryBaby Bass Wah
- Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus
- Tech 21 Red Ripper
- Soundblox® Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion
- T.C. Electronics Stereo Chorus/Flanger
- SWR Mr. Tone Controls EQ
- Raven Labs PHA-1 Headphone Amp
- Raven Labs MDB-1 Mini-Mixer
- Raven Labs True Blue EQ
- T. Rex Bass Juice
- Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive
- DOD FX25 Envelope Filter
- SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver D.I.
- Akai Intelliphase P1 Analog Phaser
- Akai Headrush E1
- Alesis Nanoverb
- DBX 163x Compressor
- Voodoo Labs Amp Selector
- Boss BR1180-CD Digital Hard Disk Recorder
- Alesis QS8 Synthesizer
Discography
Solo:- 2003: ViewView (album)View is the debut album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai and Dethklok. The album was released in 2003 under Onion Boy Records...
- 2008: Thanks In AdvanceThanks In AdvanceThanks In Advance is the second album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai and Dethklok. The album was released in 2008 under Onion Boy Records.-Track listing:*All songs composed by Bryan Beller, except where noted....
- 2011: Wednesday Night LiveWednesday Night LiveWednesday Night Live is a live album by bassist Bryan Beller, known for his work with Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, and Dethklok. This album was released in 2011 under Onion Boy Records. The DVD version of this album was released in June 2011...
With The Aristocrats:
- 2011: The Aristocrats
With Kira Small:
- 2011: Live at The White House
With Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...
:
- 2009: Dethalbum IIDethalbum IIThe album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 45,000 copies in its first week of release.-Track listing:-Virtual personnel from Metalocalypse:* Nathan Explosion – vocals, lyricist* Pickles the Drummer – drums, backup vocals...
With Brendon Small
Brendon Small
Brendon Small is an American sitcom writer/producer, actor, comedian, voice actor, composer, and musician...
:
- 2011: Brendon Small's GalaktikonBrendon Small's GalaktikonBrendon Small's Galaktikon is the upcoming solo album debut by Brendon Small.Known for his work on the animated television shows, Metalocalypse and Home Movies, and as creator of virtual death metal band, Dethklok. The album will have Dethklok members Gene Hoglan on drums, and Bryan Beller on bass....
With Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
:
- 1999: The Ultra ZoneThe Ultra ZoneThe Ultra Zone is a 1999 album from guitarist Steve Vai.The Ultra Zone is structurally similar to Vai's previous album, Fire Garden, in that the first half of the album consists mainly of instrumentals, and the second half mainly of vocal songs; however, unlike Fire Garden, The Ultra Zone is not...
- 2000: The 7th Song: Enchanting Guitar MelodiesThe Seventh Song"The 7th Song, Enchanting Guitar Melodies " is a 2000 album by guitarist Steve Vai. It is his first compilation album, but unlike a standard "greatest hits" or "best of" album, all of the songs on it can be found on one of Vai's previous albums as the 7th track...
- 2002: The Elusive Light and Sound, Vol. 1
- 2003: The Infinite Steve Vai: An AnthologyThe Infinite Steve Vai: An AnthologyThe Infinite Steve Vai: An Anthology is Steve Vai's compilation album that was released in 2003 . This two-disc compilation spans Vai's entire solo career, featuring the best tracks from most of his albums including Fire Garden, Passion and Warfare, Alien Love Secrets and The Ultra Zone...
- 2005: Real Illusions: ReflectionsReal Illusions: ReflectionsReal Illusions: Reflections is the first studio album since Steve Vai's 1999 studio release The Ultra Zone. The album was released on February 22, 2005...
- 2007: Sound Theories, Vols. 1-2
- 2007 Visual Sound Theories (DVD)
- 2009: Where the Wild Things AreWhere the Wild Things Are (Steve Vai album)Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 album by American guitarist Steve Vai. The album was recorded and filmed at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN as part of Vai’s “Sound Theories” world tour. The 2 hour and 40 minute set contains several new tracks and re-orchestrated pieces culled from Vai's...
(CD/DVD) - 2010: Where The Other Wild Things Are
With Z:
- 1994: Shampoohorn
- 1995: Music For Pets (French Version)
- 1996: Music For PetsMusic for PetsMusic for Pets is an album by the band "Z", led by Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa, released in 1996.The creation of the album was a troubled one, with multiple recording sessions interrupted by the death of Frank Zappa, the creation and recording of new material based on what was popular at the time, and...
(U.S. Version)
With Beer For Dolphins:
- 1996: Soap Scum Remover (VHS)
- 1997: Half Alive In Hollywood
- 1998: Sluggo!
- 2000: Dancing
- 2000: Dancing With Myself ... and others (CD/DVD)
With Mike Keneally
Mike Keneally
Michael Joseph Keneally is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. Allmusic says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."Born on Long Island, New York, he...
:
- 1995: Boil That Dust Speck
- 2002: Wooden Smoke
- 2002: Wooden Smoke Asleep
- 2003: Pup
- 2004: Dog (CD/DVD)
- 2006: Guitar Therapy Live (CD/DVD)
- 2007: Boil That Dust Speck (Reissue - CD/DVD)
- 2008: Wine and Pickles
- 2009: Scambot 1
- 2011: bakin' @ the potato!
With James LaBrie
James LaBrie
Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...
:
- 2001: Mullmuzzler 2MullMuzzler 2MullMuzzler 2 is the second solo album by Dream Theater lead singer James LaBrie with his band MullMuzzler...
- 2005: Elements of PersuasionElements of PersuasionElements of Persuasion, released March 29, 2005, is Dream Theater lead singer James LaBrie's third solo album, his first two being Keep It To Yourself and MullMuzzler 2, which were released under his band MullMuzzler....
- 2008: Prime Cuts
With Yogi:
- 2001: Any Raw Flesh?
- 2003: Salve
- 2006: Half-Print Demigod
With Colin Keenan:
- 2008: Nothing Clever
- 2009: So Far Gone
- 2011: Nothing Clever
With Razl:
- 2008: Rotonova
- 2011: Microscopic
Other guest appearances:
- 1995: Various Artists - Tales From Yesterday: Yes Tribute
- 1997: Various Artists - Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas
- 1998: Various Artists - The SWR Sound
- 1998: Janet RobinJanet Robin-Career:Robin began her career as the youngest and only female guitar student of Randy Rhoads. She started performing professionally as a teenager in the mid-80's playing guitar in the all-female hard rock band Precious Metal . After Precious Metal broke up, Robin took studio work as a session...
- Open The Door - 1999: MullMuzzlerMullMuzzlerMullMuzzler was the name of the progressive metal solo side project by James LaBrie, the lead singer of Dream Theater, before recording under his own name in 2005. The band consisted of James LaBrie, Bryan Beller, Matt Guillory, Mike Mangini and Mike Keneally. The record company wouldn't allow...
- Keep It To YourselfKeep It to YourselfKeep It To Yourself is the debut album by MullMuzzler . It was released on August 24, 1999.-Track listing:# "His Voice" - 3:43 # "Statued" - 3:23... - 1999: Various Artists - Six Pack: Multi-Artist Radio Sampler
- 1999: Various Artists - Tribute To The Titans
- 1999: Neil Sadler - Theory Of Forms
- 2000: Dweezil ZappaDweezil ZappaDweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
- AutomaticAutomatic (Dweezil Zappa album)Automatic is an album by Dweezil Zappa, released in 2000.-Track listing:All songs written by Dweezil Zappa except as noted.# "Fwakstension" performed by Zappa / Terry Bozzio / Scott Thunes – 4:13... - 2001: Space Surfers - Bikini
- 2001: Janet RobinJanet Robin-Career:Robin began her career as the youngest and only female guitar student of Randy Rhoads. She started performing professionally as a teenager in the mid-80's playing guitar in the all-female hard rock band Precious Metal . After Precious Metal broke up, Robin took studio work as a session...
- Out From Under - 2001: Nick D'Virgilio - Karma
- 2003: Various Artists - A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd
- 2004: Various Artists - XL Bass Lines: A D'addario Music Sampler
- 2006: Tom LangfordTom LangfordTom Langford is an American alternative rock/folk singer and songwriter. Paste magazine described his music as "somewhere between Nick Drake's fragile beauty and Leonard Cohen's wry, literary folk."-Biography:...
- Here Comes Memory - 2006: Various Artists - After The Storm
- 2006: Various Artists - WesFest (DVD)
- 2007: Eros RamazzottiEros RamazzottiEros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...
- E²E² (album)e² is a greatest hits album by Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti, released in Europe and Latin America on October 26, 2007. This is his fourteenth album , and his second Greatest Hits Album after Eros in 1997.... - 2007: Various Artists - WesFest 2 (DVD)
- 2007: Marco MinnemannMarco MinnemannMarco Minnemann is a German-born drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Lake Elsinore, California.-Biography:...
- The Marco Show (DVD) - 2007: Touched - Onward And Downward
- 2008: Gary Schutt - Loss 4 Words
- 2008: Chris G. - Reflections - An Act of Glass
- 2008: Mother Eff - Are We Famous Yet?
- 2009: Andra Moran - In Small Things
- 2009: Triangle Exception - H-Town
- 2010: Various Artists - NPS Maakt Jazz, Volume 7
- 2010: Timesword - Chains Of Sin
- 2010: Various Artists - Wicked: Music From The WesFest Community
- 2010: Dave Weiner - On Revolute
- 2010: Godsticks - Spiral Vendetta
- 2010: Anders Helmerson - Tripple Ripple