Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Nearly Forgotten Genre of Villain Rock!

First posted on June 8th, 2011 on The Retroist Retro Blog and Podcast - CW post link





          History has given us some great musical acts. We all remember The Misfits, the Groovie Ghoulies, and of course Cold Slither, but hands down the hardest rocking band the world has ever known has to be SCHEIM. I thought this week I would take a moment to pay tribute to these masters of metal! Founded in 1980 by five college students at Lou Scheimer University, SCHEIM started as small party band. The members were Eddie Skeletor on vocals, Tex Hex and Bob Overlord on lead and rhythm guitar respectively. Rounding out the band were Primethy J. Evil on the keytar and Rene Hordak on drums. They all went their separate ways after graduation and went on to political careers (of varying degrees of success) but they never lost touch with each other.


          Finally in 1987 SCHEIM began its triumphant return. At first their record sales were boosted largely by the enslaved population of planets that the band members had conquered (and who had to purchase the album under penalty of death). However word of mouth soon began to spread and they were quickly headlining their own concerts and getting heavy exposure on television and radio. By the time I saw them in 1989 on their “Ink And Pain” tour, SCHEIM had exploded onto the Heavy Metal scene. I was lucky to get tickets (by luck I mean my status as a Very Important Villain) Even though the concert was in an enormous stadium, it did nothing to diminish the raw, in-your-face power of the band. That concert was the single most incredible live show I have ever attended and the t-shirt I purchased is one of my most cherished possession.

          If you can afford the tickets, and SCHEIM is going to be in your area, I highly suggest getting yourself to the show. And if not, grab one of their albums at your local music shop, climb into your Hero-Crushing Battle Tank and crank it up! Individually, they may sometimes be thwarted in their evil pursuits, but they will always rule the world of Rock.

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