Five Star Prison Cell
Encyclopedia
Five Star Prison Cell was a four-piece band from Melbourne
, Australia
, whose music was generally labelled as tech metal
or math rock
. They were known for their use of unusual time signature
s, dissonant guitar
riffs, and a vocal approach that explored many different avenues and styles.
Vocalist Adam Glynn came from Melbourne band Frankenbok
, Marc Whitworth had played drums
for Gold Coast
band Tension and Cameron Macdonald and Mark Holain played bass
and guitar
in Extra Virgin. The group was initially conceived as a one-off studio project but after Extra Virgin disbanded is was decided to continue with Five Star Prison Cell.
In 2005, the band released its debut album The Complete First Season through Faultline Records
. During the year the band toured throughout Australia and supported Arch Enemy
and Spiderbait
. Much of the following year was spent writing and recording another album.
On 14 November 2006, Five Star Prison Cell won the annual Musicoz award for best metal/hardcore act of 2006. A new album, Slaves of Virgo, was due during the year but held off until March 2007.
Five Star Prison Cell have rigorously toured Australia
and New Zealand
throughout their career and have shared the stage with many international acts including: The Dillinger Escape Plan
, Danzig
, Cephalic Carnage
, The Black Dahlia Murder, Arch Enemy and Clutch
.
In early 2010, Five Star Prison Cell completed recording their third album, titled Matriarch with Australian producer Forrester Savell (Karnivool
, The Butterfly Effect
, Helmet
). The album was released in May and supported by a nationwide tour.
April 2011 Five Star Prison Cell decided to disband and go their separate ways. No particular reason was provided other than wanting to focus on other areas in their lives. They remain best of friends and have left the door open to the possibility of doing another album in the future.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, whose music was generally labelled as tech metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
or math rock
Math rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
. They were known for their use of unusual time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s, dissonant guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riffs, and a vocal approach that explored many different avenues and styles.
History
Five Star Prison Cell was formed in 2004 from members of various other bands.Vocalist Adam Glynn came from Melbourne band Frankenbok
Frankenbok
Frankenbok is a Heavy Metal band from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Frankenbok were founded in 1997 by guitarist Aaron Butler and vocalist Adam 'Hutch' Glynn and have since released three full-length albums and one EP...
, Marc Whitworth had played drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
for Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
band Tension and Cameron Macdonald and Mark Holain played bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in Extra Virgin. The group was initially conceived as a one-off studio project but after Extra Virgin disbanded is was decided to continue with Five Star Prison Cell.
In 2005, the band released its debut album The Complete First Season through Faultline Records
Faultline Records
Faultline Entertainment Group also known as Faultline Records is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1998 by ARIA Nominated metal producer dw Norton and begun as a development label...
. During the year the band toured throughout Australia and supported Arch Enemy
Arch Enemy (band)
Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup, from Halmstad, formed in 1996. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, and Eucharist to name a few. It was founded by Carcass guitarist Michael Amott along with Johan...
and Spiderbait
Spiderbait
Spiderbait are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Finley in 1989 by bass guitarist Janet English, singer-drummer Mark Maher , and guitarist Damian Whitty. In 2004 the group's cover version of the 1930s Lead Belly song "Black Betty" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart...
. Much of the following year was spent writing and recording another album.
On 14 November 2006, Five Star Prison Cell won the annual Musicoz award for best metal/hardcore act of 2006. A new album, Slaves of Virgo, was due during the year but held off until March 2007.
Five Star Prison Cell have rigorously toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
throughout their career and have shared the stage with many international acts including: The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, Danzig
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...
, Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage
Cephalic Carnage is an American grindcore band formed in 1992 in Denver, Colorado. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos...
, The Black Dahlia Murder, Arch Enemy and Clutch
Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device which provides for the transmission of power from one component to another...
.
In early 2010, Five Star Prison Cell completed recording their third album, titled Matriarch with Australian producer Forrester Savell (Karnivool
Karnivool
Karnivool are an Australian progressive rock band formed in Perth in 1997. The group currently consists of Ian Kenny on vocals, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass guitar, and Steve Judd on drums. Karnivool emerged from a band Kenny and Goddard formed during high school...
, The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 American sci-fi psychological thriller film that is written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber and starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart...
, Helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
). The album was released in May and supported by a nationwide tour.
April 2011 Five Star Prison Cell decided to disband and go their separate ways. No particular reason was provided other than wanting to focus on other areas in their lives. They remain best of friends and have left the door open to the possibility of doing another album in the future.
Band members
- Adam Glynn - vocals
- Mark Holain - guitar
- Cameron Macdonald – bass
- Marc Whitworth - drums
Discography
- The Complete First Season - 2005
- Slaves of Virgo - 2007
- Matriarch - 2010
External links
- Five Star on MySpace
- Interview from Australian Music Online, 2/21/2005
- Five Star Prison Cell Feature Interview at BlisteringBlisteringBlistering, founded in 1998, is an international online magazine dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock music. Its editor-in-chief is David E. Gehlke, an American music journalist who has written for About.com, Metal Maniacs, and Throat Culture...
magazine - Australian Music Online profile
- Metalforge interview (and take on math metal)