Mt. Helium
Encyclopedia
Mt. Helium is an American
alternative rock
band from Los Angeles, California
, formerly known as The Apex Theory. The band has released two studio album
s and three extended play
s to date.
n-American Los Angeles
musicians Ontronik Khachaturian, Art Karamian and David Hakopyan. Drummer Sammy J. Watson joined the band after they were unable to find a committed drummer. The band released their first extended play
, Extendemo, in 2000. The following year, they signed with DreamWorks Records
, releasing their second EP, The Apex Theory on October 9, 2001. The band performed at the main stage during the 2001 Warped Tour
, and as co-headliners at the 2002 MTV2
tour.
On April 2, 2002, the band released their debut album
, Topsy-Turvy
. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard
Heatseekers chart
and #157 on the Billboard 200
. Months after the album's release, Khachaturian left the band, and they began to audition new vocalists before deciding that Karamian would take over as the band's vocalist. The band released an EP in 2004 entitled inthatskyissomethingwatching. After changing their name to Mt. Helium, the band released their second album, Faces
as a digital download on June 3, 2008.
. Former vocalist Ontronik Khachaturian described the band's sound as a "heavy Mediterranean
groove". Michigan Daily
writer Sonya Sutherland wrote that "The Apex Theory combines a heavy drum support, melodic guitars and honey sweet vocals to provide an entertaining and emotional message." The band's musical style was influenced by Mediterranean, Middle East
ern and Near East
ern music.
MTV News
writer Jon Wiederhorn wrote that "the Apex Theory's multi-textured music [...] combines metal
, prog-rock
, Mediterranean music and even jazz
. And the off-kilter rhythm, skittering drums, whirlpool guitars and aggressive vocals of 'Shhh ... (Hope Diggy)' are a perfect taster for the band's debut album".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
band from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, formerly known as The Apex Theory. The band has released two studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s and three extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s to date.
History
The Apex Theory was formed in 1999 by ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n-American Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
musicians Ontronik Khachaturian, Art Karamian and David Hakopyan. Drummer Sammy J. Watson joined the band after they were unable to find a committed drummer. The band released their first extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Extendemo, in 2000. The following year, they signed with DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
, releasing their second EP, The Apex Theory on October 9, 2001. The band performed at the main stage during the 2001 Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, and as co-headliners at the 2002 MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
tour.
On April 2, 2002, the band released their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Topsy-Turvy
Topsy-Turvy (album)
-Personnel:The Apex Theory* Ontronik Khachaturian — vocals* Art Karamian — guitar* Dave Hakopyan — bass* Sammy J. Watson — drums...
. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseekers chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
and #157 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Months after the album's release, Khachaturian left the band, and they began to audition new vocalists before deciding that Karamian would take over as the band's vocalist. The band released an EP in 2004 entitled inthatskyissomethingwatching. After changing their name to Mt. Helium, the band released their second album, Faces
Faces (Mt. Helium album)
-Personnel:Mt. Helium* Art Karamian — vocals, guitar* Dave Hakopyan — bass* Sammy J. Watson — drums...
as a digital download on June 3, 2008.
Musical style
Mt. Helium's style has been predominately described as alternative rockAlternative 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...
. Former vocalist Ontronik Khachaturian described the band's sound as a "heavy Mediterranean
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
groove". Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other...
writer Sonya Sutherland wrote that "The Apex Theory combines a heavy drum support, melodic guitars and honey sweet vocals to provide an entertaining and emotional message." The band's musical style was influenced by Mediterranean, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern and Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
ern music.
MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
writer Jon Wiederhorn wrote that "the Apex Theory's multi-textured music [...] combines metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, prog-rock
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...
, Mediterranean music and even jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. And the off-kilter rhythm, skittering drums, whirlpool guitars and aggressive vocals of 'Shhh ... (Hope Diggy)' are a perfect taster for the band's debut album".
Current members
- Art Karamian — guitarGuitarThe 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...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - David Hakopyan — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sammy J. Watson — drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
Discography
Studio albums- Topsy-TurvyTopsy-Turvy (album)-Personnel:The Apex Theory* Ontronik Khachaturian — vocals* Art Karamian — guitar* Dave Hakopyan — bass* Sammy J. Watson — drums...
(2002) - FacesFaces (Mt. Helium album)-Personnel:Mt. Helium* Art Karamian — vocals, guitar* Dave Hakopyan — bass* Sammy J. Watson — drums...
(2008)