Mechanical Poet
Encyclopedia
Mechanical Poet is a Russia
n metal band formed in Moscow
in 2002. The band releases concept album
s in post-prog
and progressive metal
genres with original orchestral arrangements and electronic instruments.
For a few years the band known as Glazemaker was working on creating a "sound" of their own, till they evolved a sound which was a mixture between melodic metal with progressive metal
riffs and symphonic orchestration
s using electronic instruments.
In 2003 Sebastian Trifonoff left the band and was soon replaced by Epidemia
frontman Max Samosvat. With the new singer the band released its first EP, Handmade Essence. After the EP the band received several offers from various music companies, and finally signed a record deal with Italian
label Aural Music
In 2004 the debut album Woodland Prattlers, was released. Though the album had sold well, the union of Plotnikoff, Tokmakoff and Samosvat split in 2005 due to artistic disagreements.
In 2006 the Mechanical Poet returned with a new line-up: singer Jerry Lenin (ex-4 Tarakana, Lady's Man), guitar player Lex Plotnikoff, drummer Vladimir Ermakoff (also Black Obelisk
) and bass player Serge Khlebnikoff. In this line-up the band made their first ever live show (Plan B Club, Moscow, 04/08/2007) and released their third album Creepy Tales For Freaky Children (with session work of Epidemia
bass player Ivan Izotov). The album had simpler arrangements with a more post-prog
sound, something that was not accepted well by many metal fans of the band. Nevertheless, the album was highly acclaimed by punk
and alternative rock
audience. The album had bonus tracks in Russian
, which was the first time the band had Russian
songs. After the release of the album, Serge Khlebnikoff left Mechanical Poet.
In 2007 the band released another concept album
, Who Did It To Michelle Waters? A double album
telling a story about a suicide of a girl and the circumstances that led her to that. The double album
consisted of two parts, Music From And Inspired By The Original Sad Story and Original Score. The bass session player on the album was Daniel Zakharenkoff (a member of Black Obelisk
).
The 2008 saw band with new vocalist, Vladimir Nasonoff, and a new concept album Eidoline: the Arrakeen Code, based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe
.
On June 7, 2009 Mechanical Poet played their last show featuring ex-singers Max Samosvat and Jerry Lenin and announced they were going on indefinite hiatus.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n metal band formed in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 2002. The band releases concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s in post-prog
New prog
New prog is a term used to describe a number of recent alternative rock/experimental bands who incorporate elements from progressive rock.Most notable bands described as new prog include:...
and progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
genres with original orchestral arrangements and electronic instruments.
History
Mechanical Poet was founded in 2002 as a studio project by ex-members of Russian avantgarde act Glazemaker Lex Plotnikoff and Tom Tokmakoff.For a few years the band known as Glazemaker was working on creating a "sound" of their own, till they evolved a sound which was a mixture between melodic metal with progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
riffs and symphonic orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
s using electronic instruments.
In 2003 Sebastian Trifonoff left the band and was soon replaced by Epidemia
Epidemia
Epidemia is a Russian power metal band famous for doing the Elven Manuscript metal opera in 2004. It was formed by guitarist Yuri "Juron" Melisov in 1993, with the first songs made in 1995. The band was once nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award....
frontman Max Samosvat. With the new singer the band released its first EP, Handmade Essence. After the EP the band received several offers from various music companies, and finally signed a record deal with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
label Aural Music
In 2004 the debut album Woodland Prattlers, was released. Though the album had sold well, the union of Plotnikoff, Tokmakoff and Samosvat split in 2005 due to artistic disagreements.
In 2006 the Mechanical Poet returned with a new line-up: singer Jerry Lenin (ex-4 Tarakana, Lady's Man), guitar player Lex Plotnikoff, drummer Vladimir Ermakoff (also Black Obelisk
Black Obelisk (band)
Black Obelisk is a Russian heavy metal band founded in 1986 by bassist Anatoly Krupnov, who died in 1997. Different works and eras of band waved its style between hard rock and thrash metal.-History:...
) and bass player Serge Khlebnikoff. In this line-up the band made their first ever live show (Plan B Club, Moscow, 04/08/2007) and released their third album Creepy Tales For Freaky Children (with session work of Epidemia
Epidemia
Epidemia is a Russian power metal band famous for doing the Elven Manuscript metal opera in 2004. It was formed by guitarist Yuri "Juron" Melisov in 1993, with the first songs made in 1995. The band was once nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award....
bass player Ivan Izotov). The album had simpler arrangements with a more post-prog
New prog
New prog is a term used to describe a number of recent alternative rock/experimental bands who incorporate elements from progressive rock.Most notable bands described as new prog include:...
sound, something that was not accepted well by many metal fans of the band. Nevertheless, the album was highly acclaimed by 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...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
audience. The album had bonus tracks in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, which was the first time the band had Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
songs. After the release of the album, Serge Khlebnikoff left Mechanical Poet.
In 2007 the band released another concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, Who Did It To Michelle Waters? A double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
telling a story about a suicide of a girl and the circumstances that led her to that. The double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
consisted of two parts, Music From And Inspired By The Original Sad Story and Original Score. The bass session player on the album was Daniel Zakharenkoff (a member of Black Obelisk
Black Obelisk (band)
Black Obelisk is a Russian heavy metal band founded in 1986 by bassist Anatoly Krupnov, who died in 1997. Different works and eras of band waved its style between hard rock and thrash metal.-History:...
).
The 2008 saw band with new vocalist, Vladimir Nasonoff, and a new concept album Eidoline: the Arrakeen Code, based on Frank Herbert's Dune universe
Dune universe
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
.
On June 7, 2009 Mechanical Poet played their last show featuring ex-singers Max Samosvat and Jerry Lenin and announced they were going on indefinite hiatus.
Current
- Vladimir Nasonoff – vocals (2008–present)
- Lex PlotnikoffLex PlotnikoffLex Plotnikoff , is the Russian composer and guitar player, founder of progressive metal band Mechanical Poet. He is also known as music composer of game soundtracks and painter/graphic designer whose original style and dazzling technique became one of the most noted Mechanical Poet trademarks...
– guitars (2002–present) - Vladimir ErmakoffVladimir ErmakoffVladimir Ermakoff, one of the most honoured and famous Russian metal drummers, is a member of the heavy metal act Black Obelisk and of one of the most unusual Russian metal bands, Mechanical Poet. His skillful and original drumming style is a well-known feature of both mentioned bands. Vladimir...
– drums (2005–present) - Alexander Tavrizian - live keyboards (2008–present)
- Daniel Zakharenkoff - live bass (2008–present)
Former
- Jerry Lenin – vocals (2006–2008)
- Max Samosvat – vocals (2003–2006)
- Tom Tokmakoff – drums (2003–2005)
- Serge Khlebnikoff – bass (2006–2007)
Session and guest members
- Sebastian Trifonoff - original singer who left the band before its first album release
- Ivan Izotov – recorded bass for "Creepy Tales For Freaky Children" (2007)
- Nik Simonoff – played bass in the period from December 2007 to February 2008
- Alexander Shvetz – played bass in the period from February 2008 to April 2008
Discography
- 2003 - Handmade Essence (EP)
- 2004 - Woodland Prattlers
- 2007 - Creepy Tales For Freaky Children
- 2007 - Who Did It To Michelle Waters?
- 2008 - Eidoline: The Arrakeen Code
- 2008 - Ghouls (CDS)