Chuck Biscuits
Encyclopedia
Chuck Biscuits is a Canadian-born drummer, now a U.S. citizen, who is best known as an original member of the heavy metal/hard rock band Danzig
. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion
in the late 1990s. Biscuits has named his main influences as John Bonham
, Keith Moon
and Stewart Copeland
.
. Biscuits joined Black Flag
in 1982 and toured with them for 5 months. His only studio recordings for the band were demos for the My War
album, which have been widely bootlegged.
After Black Flag, he played with the short-lived Floorlords. When that band broke up, Biscuits planned to quit the music business and took courses in art and electrical engineering. However, producer Rick Rubin
invited Biscuits to become the drummer for Danzig. Biscuits had been vocalist/songwriter Glenn Danzig's
first choice as drummer for his band.
Biscuits joined Danzig in 1987 and appeared on the band's first four albums and one EP. In 1990 he also recorded drums for Glenn Danzig's final album with the band Samhain
. In 1994 he became the first member of the original Danzig line-up to leave the band, citing a contract dispute as the reason for his departure.
Biscuits participated in a special concert held on December 28, 1994 to honour the lifetime achievements of his brother Ken, who had died earlier in the year of a drug overdose.
On October 27, 2009, a blogger named James Greene, Jr. who claimed to have been in recent contact with Biscuits posted a report on his blog announcing that the drummer had died on October 24 of throat cancer
. This report quickly circulated to multiple media sources, but was soon questioned by Biscuits' friends and family as a hoax. That evening, Biscuit's sister-in-law e-mailed Greene to confirm that the musician was still alive. Biscuits himself never released a statement concerning the death hoax, and Greene would later argue that Biscuits was entirely responsible for the false report.
DC-10 marching sticks to drum. His drumkit at the beginning of Danzig was a black Premier
Resonator, though he switched to a chrome covered 70s era Ludwig
Classic Maple kit for Danzig II, and continued with that kit to record and tour for Danzig III and Danzig IV. Biscuits was usually seen using Zildjian
cymbals. His regular ride cymbal sound during his work with Danzig was a Zildjian 22" Earth Ride. Biscuits also favored Paiste
RUDE cymbals. He used medium and rock ride cymbals as crashes. Biscuits mainstay snare with Danzig was a Sonor
steel model, though he also used a Ludwig Piccolo snare.
With D.O.A. and Black Flag, Biscuits used an older blonde maple Ludwig kit. For Social Distortion, Biscuits used a Boom Theory kit, including a Bridgedeck snare built by Al Adinolfi.
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
in the late 1990s. Biscuits has named his main influences as John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
and Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
.
Biography
Biscuits is the brother of Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery, a fixture on the Vancouver music scene—at different times, both brothers played drums for D.O.A.D.O.A. (band)
D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to...
. Biscuits joined Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
in 1982 and toured with them for 5 months. His only studio recordings for the band were demos for the My War
My War
My War is the second full length album by the American hardcore punk band Black Flag. It was released in 1984 on SST Records.Black Flag's founder and primary songwriter Greg Ginn played bass guitar in addition to his usual guitar; "Dale Nixon" is a pseudonym.My War was released after a long period...
album, which have been widely bootlegged.
After Black Flag, he played with the short-lived Floorlords. When that band broke up, Biscuits planned to quit the music business and took courses in art and electrical engineering. However, producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
invited Biscuits to become the drummer for Danzig. Biscuits had been vocalist/songwriter Glenn Danzig's
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
first choice as drummer for his band.
Biscuits joined Danzig in 1987 and appeared on the band's first four albums and one EP. In 1990 he also recorded drums for Glenn Danzig's final album with the band Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
. In 1994 he became the first member of the original Danzig line-up to leave the band, citing a contract dispute as the reason for his departure.
Biscuits participated in a special concert held on December 28, 1994 to honour the lifetime achievements of his brother Ken, who had died earlier in the year of a drug overdose.
On October 27, 2009, a blogger named James Greene, Jr. who claimed to have been in recent contact with Biscuits posted a report on his blog announcing that the drummer had died on October 24 of throat cancer
Head and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
. This report quickly circulated to multiple media sources, but was soon questioned by Biscuits' friends and family as a hoax. That evening, Biscuit's sister-in-law e-mailed Greene to confirm that the musician was still alive. Biscuits himself never released a statement concerning the death hoax, and Greene would later argue that Biscuits was entirely responsible for the false report.
Equipment
Biscuits used Pro-MarkPro-Mark
Pro-Mark is a Houston, Texas-based American drumstick company owned by founder Herb Brochstein. It is a widely known stick company generally played in drum set, drum and bugle corps and concert bands.-History:...
DC-10 marching sticks to drum. His drumkit at the beginning of Danzig was a black Premier
Premier Percussion
Premier Percussion Limited is an English manufacturer of drums and percussion instruments.The company was founded in 1922 as the Premier Drum Company by London drummer Albert Della Porta and drum builder George Smith...
Resonator, though he switched to a chrome covered 70s era Ludwig
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
Classic Maple kit for Danzig II, and continued with that kit to record and tour for Danzig III and Danzig IV. Biscuits was usually seen using Zildjian
Avedis Zildjian Company
The Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world...
cymbals. His regular ride cymbal sound during his work with Danzig was a Zildjian 22" Earth Ride. Biscuits also favored Paiste
Paiste
Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...
RUDE cymbals. He used medium and rock ride cymbals as crashes. Biscuits mainstay snare with Danzig was a Sonor
SONOR
Sonor is a German percussion manufacturer. Founded in 1875 as a percussion manufacturer, Sonor drum sets and hardware are historically known for being constructed in a very durable, and therefore, unusually heavy manner...
steel model, though he also used a Ludwig Piccolo snare.
With D.O.A. and Black Flag, Biscuits used an older blonde maple Ludwig kit. For Social Distortion, Biscuits used a Boom Theory kit, including a Bridgedeck snare built by Al Adinolfi.
D.O.A. (1978–1982)
- Disco Sucks
- The PrisonerThe PrisonerThe Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
- Triumph of the Ignoroids
- World War IIIWorld War IIIWorld War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
- Vancouver ComplicationVancouver ComplicationVancouver Complication is a compilation album featuring many influential Vancouver punk bands. It was released in 1979, and has been reissued a number of times with several different cover designs.-Vinyl Track Listing:...
- Something Better ChangeSomething Better ChangeSomething Better Change is the debut album by Canadian punk rock band D.O.A.. The album was recorded between 1977 and 1980 in Vancouver, BC, Canada and was released in 1980 in on the label Can. Friends...
- Hardcore '81Hardcore '81Hardcore '81 is an album by the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A.. It is considered by some to be the first reference to the North American punk scene as hardcore.-Track listing:#"D.O.A"#"Unknown"#"Slumlord"#"Musical Interlude"...
- Let Them Eat JellybeansLet Them Eat JellybeansLet Them Eat Jellybeans!, subtitled "17 Extracts From Americas Darker Side", is a compilation album released by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles in 1981. It was one of the earliest compilations of underground music in the United States and its original release included an insert of all of the...
- Positively D.O.A. (No God, No Country, No Lies)
- Rat Music For Rat People Vol. 1
- Bloodied But UnbowedBloodied But UnbowedBloodied, But Unbowed is the debut album by the American band Desperado. Elektra records never released the album but it was heavily bootlegged on CD...
- War on 45War on 45War on 45 was an eight-song 12" EP released by the hardcore band D.O.A. in 1982. It was re-released in 2005 on CD with an additional eleven songs, but without the composition "Let's Fuck," for a total of eighteen tracks...
(partial)
Black Flag (1982)
- 1982 - The Complete 1982 Demos Plus More (Bootleg album)
- 2010 - Live at the On Broadway 1982Live at the On Broadway 1982Live at the On Broadway 1982 is a live album by the hardcore punk band Black Flag. The album features 2 separate live performances from the band performing at the On Broadway venue July 23–24, 1982...
(Live Album)
Glenn Danzig And The Power And Fury Orchestra
- 1987 - Less Than ZeroLess Than Zero (film)Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
soundtrack
Danzig (1987-1994)
- 1988 - DanzigDanzig (album)Danzig is the 1988 debut album of the American heavy metal band Danzig, led by Glenn Danzig who was formerly the songwriter and vocalist of the Misfits and Samhain....
- 1990 - Danzig II: LucifugeDanzig II: LucifugeDanzig II: Lucifuge is the second album by Danzig. It was released in 1990 on Def American Recordings and was reissued in the USA and UK in 1998 by Def American's successor, American Recordings.-Music and recording:...
- 1990 - Final DescentFinal DescentFinal Descent is an album by Samhain, first released in 1990, more than three years after lead singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Eerie Von had recruited guitarist John Christ and drummer Chuck Biscuits to form Danzig.-Original release:...
- 1992 - Danzig III: How the Gods KillDanzig III: How the Gods KillDanzig III: How the Gods Kill is the third album by Glenn Danzig's band Danzig, and the highest to chart at the time of its release in 1992 on Def American Recordings. It was reissued in 1998 by Def American's successor, American Recordings...
- 1993 - Thrall: DemonsweatliveThrall: DemonsweatliveThrall - Demonsweatlive is an EP by Danzig. It was released in 1993 on Def American Recordings.-Music and recording:The EP is split into two sections. The first section, Thrall, consists of three new studio recordings that were tracked live and completed by the band in a single day...
- 1994 - Danzig 4Danzig 4Danzig 4p is the fourth studio album by Danzig. It was released in 1994 on American Recordings following 1993's highly successful Thrall: Demonsweatlive EP and singer Glenn Danzig's 1992 instrumental solo effort, Black Aria.-Background:...
- 2001 - Live on the Black Hand SideLive on the Black Hand SideLive on the Black Hand Side is a double-disc live album from Danzig. It was recorded at various shows between 1992 and 2000, and released in 2001 on Glenn Danzig's Evilive Records label, distributed by Restless Records...
- 2007 - The Lost Tracks of DanzigThe Lost Tracks of DanzigThe Lost Tracks of Danzig is a compilation album by American heavy metal band Danzig. The set showcases a number of previously-unreleased Danzig songs, ranging from the band's first recording sessions in 1987-88 until the sessions for Danzig's 2004 studio album, Circle of Snakes.-Background:Glenn...
Social Distortion (1996-1999)
- 1998 - Live at the RoxyLive at the Roxy (Social Distortion album)Live at the Roxy is a live album by the Southern California punk rock group Social Distortion. It was released on June 30, 1998, on their own Time Bomb label...