Helios Creed
Encyclopedia
Helios Creed is an American guitarist
, singer and bandleader. He first came to prominence in the mid 1970s with the San Francisco band Chrome
. They are credited with being the godfathers of what later became known as Industrial Rock music. The band Chrome broke up in the early 1980s when founding member Damon Edge moved to Paris. Helios then recruited a local hard rock rhythm section and launched a raucous solo career.
on drums, Paul "Bean" Kirk and Mark Duran on bass, and a mysterious woman named "Z" on keyboards. The music is usually mid-tempo to slow-tempo space rock
, hard rock
, acid rock
. The popular band, The Butthole Surfers, have cited Helios Creed as a major influence. H even contributed guitar work to their album Independent Worm Saloon as well as Gibby Haynes
and Jeff Pinkus
collaborating on a few albums. He has released records on Sub Pop
, Amphetamine Reptile, Cleopatra and other indie labels.
Creed uses a large number of effects on his voice and his guitar, including space echoes, phase shifters, flangers, guitar synthesizers, fuzz, and octave dividers.
Creed has said that he invented his trademark sound while trying to replicate the sound he heard in his head while "listening to Black Sabbath
on LSD on headphones when I was a teenager."
Creed has lived in Hawaii, San Francisco, Kansas, and currently lives in California. He still tours sporadically.
Creed is an avid model railroad enthusiast. He is the father of two sons and a daughter. Creed is 6' 6" tall.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer and bandleader. He first came to prominence in the mid 1970s with the San Francisco band Chrome
Chrome (band)
Chrome was an experimental rock group founded in San Francisco, California in 1976.Chrome took part of their inspiration for their rough and sometimes chaotic music from proto punk pioneers like The Stooges. The sound of the group was often coarse and featured heavy elements of feedback and...
. They are credited with being the godfathers of what later became known as Industrial Rock music. The band Chrome broke up in the early 1980s when founding member Damon Edge moved to Paris. Helios then recruited a local hard rock rhythm section and launched a raucous solo career.
History
Other members of Creed's bands have included Bill Roth, Paul Della Pelle, and Rey WashamRey Washam
Rey Washam is a drummer who has been performing for more than 20 years. He has collaborated with many bands, the most notable of which include: Scratch Acid, Rapeman, Ministry, the Big Boys, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad and Butthole Surfers offshoot Daddy Longhead...
on drums, Paul "Bean" Kirk and Mark Duran on bass, and a mysterious woman named "Z" on keyboards. The music is usually mid-tempo to slow-tempo space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, acid rock
Acid rock
Acid rock is a form of psychedelic rock, which is characterized with long instrumental solos, few lyrics and musical improvisation. Tom Wolfe describes the LSD-influenced music of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Cream,...
. The popular band, The Butthole Surfers, have cited Helios Creed as a major influence. H even contributed guitar work to their album Independent Worm Saloon as well as Gibby Haynes
Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
and Jeff Pinkus
Jeff Pinkus
Jeff Pinkus is an American bassist, best known for his work with American punk band Butthole Surfers from 1986-1994.In 1990, he and Butthole Surfers lead vocalist Gibby Haynes released Digital Dump, the only album from their psychedelic house music side project, The Jackofficers.Upon leaving the...
collaborating on a few albums. He has released records on Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
, Amphetamine Reptile, Cleopatra and other indie labels.
Creed uses a large number of effects on his voice and his guitar, including space echoes, phase shifters, flangers, guitar synthesizers, fuzz, and octave dividers.
Creed has said that he invented his trademark sound while trying to replicate the sound he heard in his head while "listening to Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
on LSD on headphones when I was a teenager."
Creed has lived in Hawaii, San Francisco, Kansas, and currently lives in California. He still tours sporadically.
Creed is an avid model railroad enthusiast. He is the father of two sons and a daughter. Creed is 6' 6" tall.
Appearances in Film and Video
Creed made a special guest appearance in this film from Friendly Pirate Production.- Black Ski Mask (2009)
Discography
- X-Rated Fairy Tales (1985)
- Superior Catholic Finger (1989)
- The Last Laugh (1989)
- Boxing the Clown (1990)
- Lactating Purple (1991)
- Kiss to the Brain (1992)
- Your Choice Live SeriesYour Choice RecordsYour Choice Records was a German independent record label founded in 1988 by producer Tobby Holzinger. The label specialized in independent punk music, including live releases of German and other international acts...
(1993) - Planet-X (1994)
- Busting Through the Van Allan Belt (1994)
- Cosmic Assault (1995)
- "NUGG" The Transport (1996)
- Activated Condition (1998)
- Chromagnum Man (1998)
- Colors of Light (1999)
- On Tour 1999 (2001)
- Spider Prophesy (2002)
- On the Dark Side of the Sun (2003)
- Inferior Plastic Finger (2004)
- Deep Blue Love Vacuum (2006)
- Not Without Sorcery (2008)
- Galactic Octopi (2011)
Side projects
Creed released two albums under the name Dark Matter. The Dark Matter albums are much more electronic and ambient than his guitar heavy solo work. They have been compared to early electronic krautrock.- Seeing Strange Lights (1996)
- Dark Matter Vol. 2 (1998)