Grim Skunk
Encyclopedia
GrimSkunk is a rock band from Montreal
, Quebec
with punk
, rock
, progressive
and world music
influences. Their style is self-described as "world punk" 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.
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.
In 1997, GrimSkunk members founded an independent Montreal-based record label, Indica Records
. 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. 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
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 He has since been replaced by Vince Peake, former Groovy Aardvark singer and bass player.
The band went on a short hiatus in 2000 after singer Joe Evil suffered serious burns from a fire in his apartment.
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.
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.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
with punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
influences. Their style is self-described as "world punk" 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
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. 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
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, Manu Chao
Manu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
and Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, as well as peers Anonymus
Anonymus
Anonymus is the Latin spelling of anonymous. This Latin spelling, however, is traditionally used by scholars in the humanities to refer to any ancient writer whose name is not known, or to a manuscript of their work...
, Vulgaires Machins
Vulgaires Machins
Vulgaires Machins is a French Canadian punk rock group from Granby, Quebec. Formed in 1995, the group consists of Guillaume Beauregard , Marie-Ève Roy , Maxime Beauregard and Patrick Landry ....
, Deadly Apples
Deadly Apples
Deadly Apples is a Canadian post-industrial and industrial rock act, founded in 2002 by Alex Martel in Montreal, Quebec. Martel is the only original member of Deadly Apples and serves as its frontman, producer, art director, songwriter and instrumentalist along with bandmates Antoine Lamothe and...
, The Sainte Catherines
The Sainte Catherines
The Sainte Catherines are a 6 piece punk-rock band who formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1999. The group's name comes from Rue Sainte-Catherine, one of Montreal's main streets. Their third record, The Art of Arrogance was released on local label Dare to Care Records in 2003 and on the German...
and many more.
History
GrimSkunk formed in 1988 out of a previous hard rock group known as Fatal Illness.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
Groovy Aardvark
Groovy Aardvark was a Canadian rock band noted for its longevity in the Quebec music scene. Their final concert was staged in August 2005.-Discography:*1994: Eater's Digest*1996: Vacuum*1998: Oryctérope*1999: Exit Stage Dive...
, 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
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
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
Zig-Zag (company)
Zig-Zag is a brand of rolling papers that originated in France. It is marketed in the USA by National Tobacco, in Europe by Republic Technologies, and in Japan by Tsuge Pipes...
), 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.
In 1997, GrimSkunk members founded an independent Montreal-based record label, Indica Records
Indica Records
Indica Records is a Canadian record label based in Montreal, Quebec, founded by rock band Grim Skunk in 1997. The label was put together by the band, manager Simon Gallipeault, label manager Kyria Kilakos and head of promo Mariana Gianelli. Indica is considered to be the biggest "alternative"...
. 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. 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
Bloc pot
The Bloc Pot is a provincial political party in Quebec, Canada that is dedicated to ending cannabis prohibition. It has contested three provincial elections but it has failed to win any seats in the National Assembly of Quebec. The party was launched in 1997 by Marc-Boris St-Maurice as a way to...
and the Marijuana Party of Canada
Marijuana Party of Canada
The Marijuana Party is a Canadian federal political party. Its agenda consists of ending prohibition of cannabis. With the exception of this one issue, the party does not have "official policy" in any other area...
. Todd Wircham replaced Saint-Maurice for a few years. He has since been replaced by Vince Peake, former Groovy Aardvark singer and bass player.
The band went on a short hiatus in 2000 after singer Joe Evil suffered serious burns from a fire in his apartment.
In 2002 the band released its seventh album, Seventh Wave
Seventh Wave (GrimSkunk album)
Seventh Wave is an album and a song from the Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 2002.- List of songs :#Leash on Me#Seventh Wave#Comatose#Headgames#Free#Peace of Mind#Shallow#Superheroes Never Die#Failed Again#Victim of Maturity#Girlfriend...
, which was not well-received by certain critics and fans who did not like the musical change in direction.
In 2002, they performed their first and only unplugged show in Saint-Roch Church
Église Saint-Roch
The Church of Saint Roch is a late Baroque church in Paris. Located at 284 rue Saint-Honoré, in the 1st arrondissement, it was built between 1653 and 1722.- History :...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
In 2006, they released Fires Under the Road
Fires Under the Road
Fires Under The Road is an album and a song from the Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 2006. The album marks the return of the classic GrimSkunk sound and is the first with new bass player Vince Peake....
, which marks a return to the sound of their earlier albums.
Members
- Franz Schuller - Rhythm guitar, vocals
- Joe Evil - Keyboard, vocals
- Ben Shatskoff- Drums
- Vincent Peake - Bass
- Peter Edwards - lead guitar
- Marc "Boris" Saint-Maurice - Bass (1988–1999)
- Todd Wircham - Bass (1999–2004)
- Alain Vadboncoeur - Drums (1988–2009)
Discography
- Autumn Flowers Demo (GrimSkunk Productions) 1991
- Exotic Blend E.P.Exotic Blend E.P.Exotic Blend is the first EP by the Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 1992. It features Uncle Costa from Blood Sausage on Perestroïska.- Tracklisting :#Loaded Gun#Perestroïska#Gormenghast#Bugs In Billy Bob's Bed#It's In My Head...
(GrimSkunk Productions) 1992 - Rooftop Killer 7" (GrimSkunk Productions, L'Oblique, en Guard Records) 1993
- Grim SkunkGrim Skunk (GrimSkunk album)Grim Skunk is the debut album by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 1994. Uncle Costa is featured on Martha and a video was made for Silverhead...
(Indica Records) 1994 - MeltdownMeltdown (GrimSkunk album)Meltdown is the second album by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 1996. The title of the song P.C.P. is an acronym for Problème de Consommation Personnelle meaning personal consumption problem related to drug use and features Uncle Costa and Shantal Arroyo on lead vocals. A video was...
(Indica Records) 1995 - Autumn Flowers - RerolledAutumn Flowers - RerolledAutumn Flowers, Rerolled is an album by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 1997. It contains re-recorded versions of songs from the 1991 demo tape Autumn Flowers. Ben Fortier provides lead vocals on Pourquoi pourquoi ne pas fumer and backing vocals on Zig Zag and Rhinoceros...
(Indica Records) 1997 - FieldtripFieldtrip (GrimSkunk album)Fieldtrip is the third album by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 1998. It is the last album to feature Marc "Boris" St-Maurice on bass. Shantal Arroyo appears on ¡Ya Basta! and La pistolera. Uncle Costa appears on Ska-se . I Ronee from Race appears on Looking For Gabbio...
(Indica Records) 1998 - EP 2000EP 2000Ep 2000 is the second EP by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 2000. Tracks 1 and 4 would later appear on the album Seventh Wave.- Tracklisting :#Check-moé ben aller #Misfit#Right On #My Girlfriend...
(Indica Records) 2001 - GrimSkunk Plays... Fatal IllnessGrimSkunk Plays... Fatal IllnessGrimSkunk Plays... Fatal Illness is a compilation of rerecorded songs by Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk from their early days known as Fatal Illness and was released in 2001.- Tracklisting :#You're Just Like Oscar#Rick Loves His Window#Poser Punk...
(Indica Records), 2001 - Seventh WaveSeventh Wave (GrimSkunk album)Seventh Wave is an album and a song from the Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 2002.- List of songs :#Leash on Me#Seventh Wave#Comatose#Headgames#Free#Peace of Mind#Shallow#Superheroes Never Die#Failed Again#Victim of Maturity#Girlfriend...
(Indica Records), 2002) - Live + DVD unplugged (Indica Records), 2003
- Fires Under the RoadFires Under the RoadFires Under The Road is an album and a song from the Quebec hard rock group GrimSkunk released in 2006. The album marks the return of the classic GrimSkunk sound and is the first with new bass player Vince Peake....
(Indica Records), 2006