Ronny Munroe
Encyclopedia
Ronny Munroe is an American heavy metal singer, most noted as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band
Metal Church
until the band broke up on July 7, 2009. He joined in 2004, replacing David Wayne
and Mike Howe
. He also had brief stints as the vocalist for Brutal Godz and Lillian Axe. He was also the lead singer of progressive rock
band Presto Ballet
. In October of 2011 Munroe joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
, as a vocalist.
for the band Madhouse. Munroe's first position as a vocalist was with the band Moxi. He was the lead vocalist for the Seattle band Paladin from 1986-1988. Paladin released a self-titled CD in 2007 via Retrospect Records
. He was the lead vocalist for the Seattle band Far Cry in the early 1990s Far Cry's CD was released in 2007 by Retrospect Records
. Munroe was with the Seattle band Rottweiller when he was asked to audition for Kurdt Vanderhoof
for a project Kurdt was working on. It was during that audition that Kurdt decided to resurrect Metal Church
with Munroe as their frontman. Ronny recorded three albums with Metal Church before the band called it quits in 2009. In 2010, Ronny joined up with Kurdt in his progressive rock band Presto Ballet
, releasing the Invisible Places album and the follow-up EP Love What You've Done With The Place. In October 2011 Ronny joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
as a vocalist for their Fall/Winter tour.
Ronny Munroe studied voice under David Kyle, who also taught Ann
and Nancy Wilson of Heart
, Chris Cornell
of SoundGarden
and Audioslave
, Geoff Tate
of Queensrÿche
, and Layne Staley
of Alice in Chains
. Munroe is best known for his broad vocal range
and power and his ability to capture his audiences attention.
Munroe released the Internal Quest EP
in 2007 and released his full-length debut The Fire Within on April 20, 2009 via his record label
, Rat Pak Records. Ronny released his third solo album Lords of the Edge on October 11th 2011 via his record label
, Rat Pak Records. Lords of the Edge includes contributions from guitarist Chris Caffery
, who also wrote Rock in a Hard Place for the album. Also playing on this record are guitarists Rick Van Zandt, Stu Marshall
and Michael Wilton
as well as Rick Ward on drums and Jeff Baker on drums.
With Presto Ballet
Solo
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...
Metal Church
Metal Church
Metal Church was an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, This Present Wasteland, was released in 2008....
until the band broke up on July 7, 2009. He joined in 2004, replacing David Wayne
David Wayne
David Wayne was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years.-Early life and career:...
and Mike Howe
Mike Howe
Mike Howe is an American heavy metal singer from Taylor, Michigan. From 1988 until 1994 Howe was the lead singer for the heavy metal band Metal Church, replacing David Wayne. After Howe joined Metal Church the riffing became heavier and the subject matter deeper...
. He also had brief stints as the vocalist for Brutal Godz and Lillian Axe. He was also the lead singer of progressive 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...
band Presto Ballet
Presto Ballet
Presto Ballet is a progressive rock band founded by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof. Their sound is highly reminiscent of 70's prog rock, as the band was founded chiefly as a tribute to classic progressive bands such as Yes and Kansas.-Debut album:...
. In October of 2011 Munroe joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
, as a vocalist.
Biography
Munroe started his music career as a drummerDrum 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 the band Madhouse. Munroe's first position as a vocalist was with the band Moxi. He was the lead vocalist for the Seattle band Paladin from 1986-1988. Paladin released a self-titled CD in 2007 via Retrospect Records
Retrospect Records
Retrospect Records is primarily a re-issue record label located in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in AOR , Melodic Metal and hard rock artists...
. He was the lead vocalist for the Seattle band Far Cry in the early 1990s Far Cry's CD was released in 2007 by Retrospect Records
Retrospect Records
Retrospect Records is primarily a re-issue record label located in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in AOR , Melodic Metal and hard rock artists...
. Munroe was with the Seattle band Rottweiller when he was asked to audition for Kurdt Vanderhoof
Kurdt Vanderhoof
Kurdt Vanderhoof, born in 1961, is an American guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Metal Church. He formed the band in 1980 after the alias given to his San Francisco apartment. Vanderhoof moved back to his hometown, Aberdeen, Washington....
for a project Kurdt was working on. It was during that audition that Kurdt decided to resurrect Metal Church
Metal Church
Metal Church was an American heavy metal band. They originally formed in Seattle, Washington as Shrapnel in 1980. Their first album was released in 1984, and the band's most recent work, This Present Wasteland, was released in 2008....
with Munroe as their frontman. Ronny recorded three albums with Metal Church before the band called it quits in 2009. In 2010, Ronny joined up with Kurdt in his progressive rock band Presto Ballet
Presto Ballet
Presto Ballet is a progressive rock band founded by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof. Their sound is highly reminiscent of 70's prog rock, as the band was founded chiefly as a tribute to classic progressive bands such as Yes and Kansas.-Debut album:...
, releasing the Invisible Places album and the follow-up EP Love What You've Done With The Place. In October 2011 Ronny joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
as a vocalist for their Fall/Winter tour.
Ronny Munroe studied voice under David Kyle, who also taught Ann
Ann Wilson
Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
and Nancy Wilson of Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
of SoundGarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
of Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, and Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
of Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. Munroe is best known for his broad vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
and power and his ability to capture his audiences attention.
Munroe released the Internal Quest EP
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...
in 2007 and released his full-length debut The Fire Within on April 20, 2009 via his record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Rat Pak Records. Ronny released his third solo album Lords of the Edge on October 11th 2011 via his record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Rat Pak Records. Lords of the Edge includes contributions from guitarist Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery
Chris Caffery is a heavy metal guitarist who is best known for his work as a member of Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra...
, who also wrote Rock in a Hard Place for the album. Also playing on this record are guitarists Rick Van Zandt, Stu Marshall
Stu Marshall
Stu Marshall is a guitarist from Sydney, Australia. He is currently a member of Sydney heavy metal band Empires of Eden and Paindivision.Marshall is best known as a member of the Sydney metal band Dungeon with whom he recorded three albums and toured extensively throughout Australia, Europe and...
and Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton is an American guitarist for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and began recording in 1981...
as well as Rick Ward on drums and Jeff Baker on drums.
Discography
With Metal Church- The Weight of the World (2004)
- A Light in the Dark (2006)
- This Present WastelandThis Present WastelandThis Present Wasteland is the ninth and final studio album by heavy metal band Metal Church. The album was released September 26, 2008 in Europe. This is the only Metal Church album to feature guitarist Rick Van Zandt....
(2008)
With Presto Ballet
- Invisible Places (2010)
- Love What You've Done With The Place (EP) (2011)
Solo
- Internal Quest (EP) (2007)
- The Fire Within (2009)
- Lords of the Edge (2011)