Rage Family Tree

September 21, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Rage are a German Speed/Power/Thrash band. They were originally name Avenger and released several demos, an ep, and their first album Prayers of Steel before changing their name to Rage. Bassist/vocalist Peavy Wagner is the heart of the band and only original and consistent member. The line up of Rage has changed often. The earliest line up was Peavy along side guitarist Jochen Schroeder and drummer Jörg Michael. That period of the band saw there other guitarist come and go, Alf Meyerratken, Thomas Grüning, and Rudy Graf, I’m not sure if Alf or Rudy contributed to any writing while in the band. In 1987 was the first major line up change with the band then consisting of Peavy, guitarist Manni Schmidt and drummer Chris Efthimiadis. The next change in the early 90’s would see Manni replaced with guitarists Spiros Efthimiadis and Sven Fischer. In 1999 another big change in the line up, with now Peavy along side Victor Smolski on guitar and keyboards and Mike Terrana on drums. Mike would be replaced with André Hilgers on drums in 2007. Another overhaul happened in 2015 with new guitarist Marcos Rodriguez and drummer Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos. The band has once again undergone another change with Jean Bormann and Stefan Weber now on guitar. This line up will be on the 2021 album yet to be released and their influences will not be listed at this time. All other members that have contributed to writing will have their influences noted, but keep in mind Peavy is the only consistent member.

Louie Bellson was a jazz drummer and pioneer of double bass drumming. Mike named him as an influence.

Buddy Rich

Irv Cottler

Irving Cottler was a big band jazz drummer (also another drummer with Sinatra). Mike named him as an influence.

Sonny Payne

Tony Williams

Cream are an important blues based psychedelic band. Mike named Ginger Baker as an influence.

Deep Purple are influential hard rock and early heavy metal. Peavy said they were one of his favorites when he was young.

Johnny Winter is an influential blues guitarist out of the late 60’s. Manni named him as an influence.

Led Zeppelin are one of the biggest and earliest hard rock bands. Peavy said they was one of his favorites.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Peavy said they were a favorite when he was young. Mike named Bonham as one of his biggest influences.

Rory Gallagher was a blues rock player from Ireland. Manni named him as an influence.

Cozy Powell has played for important bands including Rainbow and Black Sabbath. Mike named him as an influence.

Scorpions are hard rock and heavy metal legends who pioneered both in Germany. Manni named both Uli and Michael Schenker as influences.

Mother’s Finest was a funk rock band. Mike named drummer B.B. Queen as one of his main influences.

Tommy Aldridge

Judas Priest helped define heavy metal perhaps more than any band. Peavy said they were inspired by their simple but heavy riffs.

Rush are progressive hard rock legends. Peavy said they got him into progressive rock and named Geddy as a bass influence.

AC/DC are the quintessential hard rock band. Manni named them as an influence.

Terry Bozzio

Motorhead are hard rock and heavy metal legends. Peavy said Lemmy inspired him to play bass in the first place.

The Police were a post-punk, new wave band. Peavy said he was inspired by their stripped down yet energetic arrangements.

Simon Phillips

Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal bands. Marcos named them as an influence.

Venom are the fathers of extreme metal, inspiring the generations of extreme metal to follow them. Peavy was a fan despite their “lousy” playing.

Dave Weckl

Metallica are the fathers of thrash metal. Peavy and Marcos named them as an influence.

Dennis Chambers

Queensryche are important for the development of progressive metal. Peavy named Geoff Tate as a vocal influence early on.

Shawn Lane

Of course everyone knows the story of thrash father Dave Mustaine forming Megadeth after being kicked out of Metallica. Peavy named them as an influence.

If a band lasts long enough eventually they may just end up with members who grew up listening to the band. In this case, Marcos was a huge fan of Rage before joining.

Testament are Bay Area thrash legends. Peavy is a fan and said Chuck’s more brutal vocal style has influenced him more recently.

Peavy said he started playing guitar around 8 or 9 with classical style, then Spanish style and said The Beatles was an influence before discovering Motorhead and switching to bass. He said he finds inspirations in newer bands such as Opeth but it probably doesn’t show in his music. Other prog bands he listens to include Spock´s beard, Transatlantic, Dream Theater, and Liquid Tension Experiment. He named favorite classical composers as Bach, Villa Lobos, Rachmaninov, Dvorak, and Debussy.

Jochen Schroeder was on guitar for the first few albums as well as being co-writer. I’m unsure of his influences.

Alf Meyerratken was the lead guitarist in Avenger and co-wrote on some of Prayer of Steel. He was not in the band after the name change and I’m sure of his influences.

Thomas Grüning was the lead guitarist on the first Rage album and co-wrote on a few songs. I’m unsure of his influences.

Guitarist Manni was the guitarist through the late 80’s to the mid 90’s. His early influences are Status Quo and Ac/dc. His main influences include the bands noted above. When he named Michael Schenker he didn’t specifically limit to Scorpions although he did say Uli from the Scorpions. It is possible that Schenker’s other bands (MSG, UFO) are also an influence. Possibly Uli’s as well.

Drummer Chris Efthimiadis co-wrote while in the band throughout the late 80’s and 90’s, I’m unsure of his influences. His brother Spiros Efthimiadis would join on guitar in the late 90’s and also write in the band. I couldn’t find his influences either. Along side Spiros was Sven Fischer who also wrote in the band. I haven’t found his influences either.

Victor started with cello and piano before picking up guitar as a kid. He said he grew up with jazz and later rock. He doesn’t name many influences, he when to college for jazz and rock guitar and tries to combine all these different things.

Drummer André Hilgers only has one co-writing credit in the band. Some of his influences include Mike Portnoy, Deen Castronovo, Tomas Haake, Tommy Lee, and Tommy Aldridge.

Before joining Rage, Marcos played in a professional cover band for 10 years. He said they played everything from B.B. King to Pantera.

To my knowledge drummer Vassilios has not contributed to writing.

More Family Trees

Sources:

http://www.friday13thmetal.co.uk/Page%203%20-%20Interviews/Grave%20Digger/new_page_1.htm
https://www.wearethepit.com/2019/12/rages-peter-peavy-wagner-5-albums-that-change-my-life/
https://www.therockpit.net/2016/interview-peter-peavy-wager-rage/
https://www.bleeding4metal.de/index.php?show=interview&id=49
https://www.auxportesdumetal.com/interviews/rage2008-uk.html
https://kalejdoskopy.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/energy-of-metal-is-the-best-interview-with-victor-smolski-from-almanac/
http://themetalist.net/an-interview-with-victor-smolski-almanac/
https://buffalonews.com/news/the-buffalo-roots-of-beau-nasty/article_f07a06be-d0c8-5a64-a667-cd7b610f0dec.html
https://drummerszone.com/artists/mike-terrana/3357/profile/#biography
http://www.rocknreviews.net/Interview/Mike-Terrana/Interview.html
https://pearldrum.com/artist/andre-hilgers/13861
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3obg33kg5E

ZZ Top Family Tree

August 19, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

ZZ Top over the years has maintained a steady 3-piece line up with Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Dusty Hill on bass and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums. They all three have wrote music in the band. ZZ Top has always been a band rooted in blues. Let’s get into their influences…

Muddy Waters

Charles Mingus

Lightnin’ Hopkins

Howlin’ Wolf

Jimmy Reed

B.B. King

Freddy King

Albert King

Otis Redding

The Rolling Stones was one of the biggest bands out of the British invasion. Billy is a huge fan of Their Satanic Majesties Request. — The Rolling Stones was one of the biggest bands out of the British invasion. Billy is a huge fan of *Their Satanic Majesties Request.*

Jimi Hendrix was one of the most revolutionary guitar players of any time. Billy said he showed what could be done with a guitar beyond what the inventors would have ever imagined.

The 13th Floor Elevators was a psychedelic rock band formed by Roky Erickson. Billy named their first album as having a big impact on him.

Cream are an important psychedelic blues rock band. Billy said they had a profound influence on ZZ Top. Dusty said he was heavily influenced by Jack Bruce.

Jeff Beck, formerly of the Yardbirds, is a hugely influential guitarist. Billy named his album Truth as revolutionary. — Jeff Beck, formerly of the Yardbirds, is a hugely influential guitarist. Billy named his album *Truth* as revolutionary.

Stanley Clark

Depeche Mode are an influential new wave band. Billy is a fan.

Ministry are pioneers in industrial rock and metal. Billy is a fan.

As a kid, Dusty said he considered himself a singer first, but picked up bass because his brother played guitar and had a drummer. They needed a bassist so he learned to play.

I’m unsure of Frank’s influences.

Bands influenced by ZZ Top!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

Guitarist Rowan Robertson was a fan of ZZ Top

Industrial Metal pioneers, Front man Al named ZZ Top as pioneers in industrial.

Sources:

https://billygibbons.com/2016/11/charleston-city-paper-seven-questions-zz-tops-billy-f-gibbons/
https://www.loudersound.com/features/zz-tops-billy-gibbons-the-10-records-that-changed-my-life
https://forbassplayersonly.com/dusty-hills-texas-tale/

Fear Factory Family Tree

June 17, 2021 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Support The Metal!

Fear Factory are predominantly an industrial/groove metal band, although their earliest stuff has more of a death metal sound. Vocalist and main lyricist Burton C. Bell as been the only member to appear on every album. On a few albums he has a bigger hand in the writing. Except for two albums Dino Cazares has been on guitar and has been the main writer. Early on he shared in writing with original drummer Raymond Herrera. Bassist Christian Olde Wolbers wrote while in the band and played guitar for the two albums that don’t have Dino. Gene Hoglan drummed on one album and shares in writing on many of those tracks. There has been other bass players and drummer, but non of which that are credited as contributing with writing. Much of Fear Factory’s industrial sound comes from producer and keyboardist Rhys Fulber who occasionally is giving writing credit and shares heavily in writing for The Industrialist. Although he’s not an official member of the band I will be including his influences as well. Other session players have contributed to the industrial side but none are credited with contributing to writing.

PInk Floyd are one of the best known progressive rock band. Burton named them as an influence.

Kraftwerk are considered pioneers in electronic music. Rhys named them as his biggest influence.

Wings was formed by Paul McCartney with his wife and Denny Laine (Moody Blues). Dino named Paul as one of his favorite writers including his work in Wings.

AC/DC are the quintessential hard rock band. Dino said Angus was probably the first person to inspire him to pick up guitar.

Dokken were a big metal/glam band. Dino named George Lynch as an influence.

The Police were a popular post-punk, new wave band. Christian named them as his favorite band.

The Misfits are a super influential punk / hardcore band. Christian named them as an influence.

Buzzcocks were a well known punk band. Rhys named them as an influence.

Van Halen were had a huge impact on the world of rock and metal. Dino is a big fan of the first album and Eddie’s guitar tone. He based his guitar tone on Eddie’s sound.

Dead Kennedys is an important punk / hardcore band. Christian named them as an influence.

Killing Joke were a post punk band that helped influence industrial rock. Dino said they had a big impact on his guitar sound especially the chorus effect they used. Burton named them as an influence.

U2 are a post punk rock band. Dino named The Edge as an influence. Raymond said they are all fans of U2. Burton named their early stuff as an influence.

Def Leppard were a NWOBHM that became huge after going into a more pop direction. Dino named them when asked about favorite writers.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were a post punk band. Burton named them as an influence.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a English electronic band. Rhys named them as an influence.

Sisters of Mercy are an important goth rock band. Burton named them as an influence and said Wayne Hussey is one of the most underrated song writers.

Pete Shelley

Ministry are industrial rock/metal pioneers. Dino said they are fans. Raymond confirms the influence.

SPK were an 80’s industrial band. Rhys named them as an influence.

Metallica are the fathers of thrash. Dino named Metallica and James as an influence. He also praised the writing on the black album. Raymond named them as an influence.

Exodus are one of the earliest formed thrash bands. Dino named them as an influence. He love their first album and said they were his favorite band at one time.

Napalm Death are among the first and most important grindcore bands. Dino is a fan.

Suicidal Tendencies are an important hardcore / crossover thrash band. Christian named their first two albums as an influence.

Slayer were the most aggressive sounding of the early thrash bands. Dino named them as an influence. Raymond named Dave Lambardo as an influence.

Death Angel are a bay area thrash band. Dino named them as an influence.

D.R.I. are one of the most important of the crossover thrash bands. Dino and Christian named them as an influence.

Ratt were a prominent metal band on the glam side of things. Dino named Warren DeMartini as an influence.

Swans are a experimental rock band. Burton named them as an influence.

Possessed took thrash to a new level and are often considered the fathers of death metal, although now their sound is more often referred to as death/thrash. Dino named them as an influence.

Death are considered fathers of death metal by many and are certainly pioneers. Dino named them as an influence.

KMFDM are a German industrial band. Dino named them as an influence.

Dead Can Dance are a post punk, goth, dark wave duo. Rhys named them as an influence.

Faith No More are an influential alternative band. Raymond said they are all a fan.

Carcass are important for grindcore and melodic death. Dino is a fan.

Terrorizer was a death metal / grindcore band. Raymond named Pete Sandoval from his Terrorizer days as an influence.

Guns ‘n’ Roses were one of the biggest hard rock bands in the world at one time. Dino said he is a fan of their first album.

Public Enemy are an important hip-hop group. Dino named them as an influence.

Godflesh are pioneers of industrial metal. Dino and Burton said the earlier incarnation of Fear Factory, Ulceration, was a godflesh ripoff. Burton said they was the band that him and Dino really bounded over and his favorite band.

Nine Inch Nails are a popular industrial rock band. Dino said they are fans.

Massive Attack are a Trip Hop group. Rhys named them as an influence.

Rhys Fulber although only appear as a session player and not a member of the band, Dino said after meeting him they were able to add a lot of the more industrial aspects to their music. Rhys has also produced multiple FF albums. He has co-written songs and co-wrote most of the songs on The Industrialist.

Dino said he is not a fan of Kurt Cobain’s music but liked how he structured songs. He also said he liked the way Dave Grohl structures songs. He said he was a fan of producers Mutt Lang and Bob Rock. Dino took inspiration from industrial and hip-hop bands that used guitar samples for playing in a style that mimicked sampled guitars.

Christian said he developed an interest in hip-hop and from that realized sometimes a simple hook is better and more memorable than loads of complicated riffs.

Burton was in school and church choirs as a kid. He says he comes from more of a post-punk, industrial, and gothic background. He also says he’s a fan of move sound tracks, naming Blade Runner and composer Vangelis as well as Dredd composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan

Gene Hoglan was the drummer on Mechanize and and is given co-writing credits on a few songs.

Bands influenced by Fear Factory!

As this project advances, bands will be added here… there are many!

Sources:

https://blabbermouth.net/news/fear-factorys-dino-cazares-my-playing-was-never-influenced-by-pantera/#:~:text=Dino%20elaborated%20in%20a%20separate,%2C%20DEATH%20etc...%22
https://www.westword.com/music/fear-factorys-dino-cazares-on-living-in-the-technocratic-world-the-acts-been-singing-about-5716286
https://killyourstereo.com/interviews/1025779/fear-factory/
http://metalassault.com/Interviews/2013/12/21/in-depth-interview-with-fear-factory-guitarist-dino-cazares/
https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/dino-cazares-of-fear-factory
https://www.guitarworld.com/features/dino-cazares-aggression-continuum
https://www.musicomh.com/features/interviews/interview-fear-factory
https://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=8239
http://www.roughedge.com/features/fearfactory.htm
https://www.metal-rules.com/2008/11/05/christian-olde-wolbers-of-fear-factory/
http://www.dabelly.com/features/feature187.htm
https://www.loudersound.com/features/burton-c-bell-my-life-story
https://crypticrock.com/interview-burton-c-bell-of-fear-factory/
https://v13.net/2020/10/in-conversation-with-burton-c-bell-the-return-of-ascension-of-the-watchers-w-audio/
https://www.kerrang.com/features/im-proud-of-my-legacy-but-its-time-to-move-forward-burton-c-bell-on-leaving-fear-factory-and-whats-to-come/
https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/rhys-fulber-interview/
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/reviews/rhysfulber.htm

Stryper Family Tree

September 08, 2020 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Stryper are mostly known for the fact that they are a Christian metal band. Unlike many christian bands that are only using music as a way to spread the gospel, Stryper standout as actually being decent although admittedly extremely cheesy. They do some traditional heavy metal as well as a more glam style. They have maintained a consistent lineup with the exception of a couple bass player changes. The classic line up consists of Michael Sweet on guitar/vocals, Robert Sweet on drums, Oz Fox on guitar, and Tim Gaines on bass. Other bassists would be Tracy Ferrie and Perry Richardson. They would also have a few other members early on who never recorded with the band. The vast majority of songs have been written by Micheal with only a few songs over the years being written or co-written by other members. For that reason this tree will focus on mostly his influences.

Deep Purple are among the most influential bands on heavy metal while actually only doing a relatively small amount of heavy metal songs and being more of a hard rock band. Stryper covered Deep Purple on their The Covering album that was full of son… — Deep Purple are among the most influential bands on heavy metal while actually only doing a relatively small amount of heavy metal songs and being more of a hard rock band. Stryper covered Deep Purple on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

Few bands have been as important on rock as Led Zeppelin. Stryper covered them on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. Robert was influenced by Bonham. — Few bands have been as important on rock as Led Zeppelin. Stryper covered them on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them. Robert was influenced by Bonham.

The Fathers of Metal, Black Sabbath. Stryper covered a Dio era Black Sabbath song on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — The Fathers of Metal, Black Sabbath. Stryper covered a Dio era Black Sabbath song on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

Sweet were a glam/hard rock band. Stryper covered Sweet on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — Sweet were a glam/hard rock band. Stryper covered Sweet on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

With the incredible Michael Schenker on guitar, UFO was very influential. Stryper covered UFO on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — With the incredible Michael Schenker on guitar, UFO was very influential. Stryper covered UFO on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

Styx were arena rockers. Michael named them as one of the band he grew up listing to.

Scorpions had a balance of hard rock and heavy metal. Stryper covered Scorpions on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — Scorpions had a balance of hard rock and heavy metal. Stryper covered Scorpions on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

Kansas were a progressive rock band. Stryper covered them on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — Kansas were a progressive rock band. Stryper covered them on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

The Metal Gods! Michael says Halford is his all time favorite metal singer and an influence on him. He says they are huge Priest fans.

Kiss were a huge band known for their exciting live shows. Stryper covered them on their The Covering album that was full of songs that influenced them. — Kiss were a huge band known for their exciting live shows. Stryper covered them on their *The Covering* album that was full of songs that influenced them.

Journey were arena rockers with a bunch of pop hits. Michael named them as a band he grew up listing to and named singer Steve Perry as one of his favorite singers.

Boston were a hard rock / progressive rock band. Michael says they wee a big influence on him. He even filled in with them in recent years.

Y&T were a hard rock / heavy metal / glam band. Robert named their drummer Leonard Hays as an influence.

Van Halen brought a spark into music with Eddie’s flashy playing that would reshape the music world. Michael said they are heavily inspired by Van Halen. Robert named Alex as an influence.

Iron Maiden are one of the most influential bands. Michael named them as one of the bands he grew up listing to.

Ozzy has had some amazing guitar players over the years. Michael talks about being a huge Randy Rhoads fan. Oz also names him as a huge influence.

Michael also names Steve Perry and Paul Rodgers as favorite signers. He talks about growing up with his dad listening to a variety of things from Mario Lanza to Elvis Presley to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Robert says he was influenced by a lot of singer and guitar players and wanted to bring that showmen ship to drums.

More Family Trees

Sources

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-strypers-michael-sweet#:~:text=%E2%80%9COn%20Fire%E2%80%9D%20(Van%20Halen,new%20level%20in%20our%20band.&text=Definitely%2C%20man%2C%20and%20as%20a,one%20of%20my%20biggest%20influences.
https://themusicroom.me/michael-sweet-a-year-in-the-valley/
http://www.thirdstage.ca/boston/articles/interviews/604-more-than-a-feeling-an-interview-with-michael-sweet
https://amnplify.com.au/portfolio-items/interview-with-michael-sweet-from-stryper-18-07-18/
https://www.houstonpress.com/music/strypers-michael-sweet-god-formed-this-band-6770118
http://bravewords.com/news/stryper-drummer-robert-sweet-talks-gear-rock-stars-and-stripes-in-new-career-spanning-interview
https://twitter.com/sirozfox/status/975746852451639296?lang=en

Vicious Rumors Family Tree

August 24, 2020 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Although the Bay Area is known for it’s thrash metal scene, Vicious Rumors were heavy metal. They are often considered part of The USPM scene. Guitarist Geoff Thorp has been the heart of the band since the beginning and drummer has been on ever album with the exception of one. The classic line up consisted of Mark McGee on guitar, Dave Star on bass, and on vocals Carl Albert. Starting in the mid 90’s the line up would be far less consistent. This family tree at this time will only focus on the classic line up. This is because I am unsure of writing credits after that point. If at a future point I have information on later line ups and respective writing credits I will revisit the VR family tree.

Steve Howe

The Who are an inflectional rock band who ventured in to a harder sound at the time. Mark named them as an influence.

Jimi Hendrix was easily the most influential guitar player in his day. Geoff named him as an early influence along with others that he first heard from his older sister. Vinnie also named him as an influence.

David Gilmour

Aynsley Dunbar

Jethro Tull were a progressive rock band most remembered for their frontman’s use of the flute. Geoff named them as an early influence.

Deep Purple were super influential to many. Larry named them as a band he idolized. Mark and Vinnie also named Ritchie as an influence.

Led Zeppelin are easily one of the most influential hard rock bands. Geoff named them as one of his influences growing up. Larry said Bonham was the reason he started drumming. Mark named Led Zep as an influence. Vinnie named Jimmy as an influence.

Bill Bruford

Black Sabbath are the fathers of heavy metal. Geoff named them as an influence. Larry named them as a band he idolized.

Thin Lizzy have been a very influential hard rock band with their twin lead harmonies. Dave named them as an influence and said that Phil Lynott is his favorite bassists.

UFO are influential hard rockers. Dave named bassist Pete Way as one of his influences.

Neal Schon

Billy Cobham is a influential jazz drummer. Larry named him as an influence.

Steve Hackett

One of the great American blues based hard rock bands, Aerosmith. Geoff named them as an influence growing up.

Queen have been a big influence on many over the years especially guitarists and vocalists. Mark named them as and and influence and Vinnie also named Brian May as an influence.

Judas Priest are one of the most important and influential metal bands. Geoff named them as an influence growing up. Dave named Ian Hill as one of his bass influences.

Kiss are one of the biggest american hard rock bands known for their great live shows (and also the face paint). Dave named Gene as one of his bass influences.

Ted Nugent was an American hard rock guitar icon. Geoff named him as an influence growing up.

Terry Bozzio

AC/DC became the quintessential hard rock band. Geoff named them as an influence. Mark also named Angus as an influence.

Randy Rhoads

Randy is best known for his two albums with Ozzy, however before that he two albums with Quit Riot. It was with Quit Riot Randy first made an impression on Geoff after seeing them play live.

One of the most influential metal bands, Iron Maiden came out of the NWOBHM movement. Geoff named them as an influence.

Dimebag Darrel

Geoff talks about seeing The Runaways, Quit Riot (with Randy Roads), and Van Halen all before they became big. He said this really set a fire for him to take music seriously.

Geoff named Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath as the main influences for Vicious Rumors.

Vinnie Moore played on the first album and wrote some on it. His influences include Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppilin), and Brian May (Queen). Also Larry Carlton and Al DiMeola and later Joe Pass and Pat Martino. He said he started as a rock guy and got more into classical and jazz. When asked to name three musical hero he named Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen.

Dave Starr was the bassists on the first four VR albums. He started playing guitar before bass but switched when VR had trouble finding bass players. Dave says he’s a better guitar player than bassist. Some of his guitar influences are Glen Tipton, KK Downing, Scott Gorham, John Sykes, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley. He also names often names Savatage as one of his favorite bands.

Gary St. Pierre sung and wrote on the first album but I am unsure of his influences.

Jim Cassero and Mark Tate, guitars and vocals respectively, have writing credits on the first album but were no longer with the band when it was recorded.

Mark McGee also mentions being into bands like Scorpions, Aerosmith, UFO, Rush, and Kiss when he was younger but didn’t name them directly as influences. He also mentions being influenced by 70’s pop.

Carl Albert sung and wrote with the classic line up doing four albums with VR. He tragically died in a car accident fairly young. I’m unsure of his influences.

More Family Trees

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quqrn-lmq2o
http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=5767
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/geoff_thorpe_vicious.htm
https://rockoverdose.gr/geoff-thorpe-vicious-rumors-rock-overdose-new-album-concussion-protocol-takes-ride/
https://www.vintageguitar.com/2920/vinnie-moore/
https://www.deanguitars.com/vinnie_moore_alt.php#:~:text=He%20is%20playing%20his%20Signature%20Dean%20guitar%20%26%20pickup.&text=Once%20Vinnie%20Moore%20picked%20up,%2C%20Deep%20Purple%2C%20and%20Queen.
http://wildestarr.com/bio_davestarr.htm
http://www.leviathanrecords.com/chasioads.htm
http://www.guitarsite.com/news/features/interview_with_wildestarrs_dave_starr/
https://musicmonstersandmuscle.wordpress.com/larry-howe-vicious-rumors/
https://www.ballbustermusic.com/2015/11/03/interview-drummer-larry-howe/
https://www.sonomanews.com/article/entertainment/sonoma-musician-spotlight-mark-mcgee/
http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2013/03/mark-mcgee-of-luvplanet-interview/
http://www.davesontour.com/interviews/m_mcgee.html

Avatar Family Tree

August 19, 2020 by Joe Cearlock in Family Tree

Metal Family Tree

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Avatar has gained a lot of popularity over the years. They started with a very melodic death metal sound but since have evolved their sound becoming more mainstream but also less derivative from early pioneers of the genera. They have crafted a very eclectic sound. The band has had a consistent line up with only one change since the release of their first album. From that time the band consisted of vocalist Johannes Eckerström, Guitarist Jonas Jarlsby, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson. At that time the second guitarist was Simon Andersson, who was replaced by Tim Öhrström in 2011.
This list unfortunately is missing probably a lot of influences. In my research I was unable to find any interviews other than ones done by singer Johannes Eckerström. Fortunately he talks about band influences along with his personal ones but I’m sure the list is lacking important elements. This is one where I would really appreciate any sources that can improve this list. As I find more information it will be added. With that said, lets jump into what I have come up with so far.

Ludwig van Beethoven

The most famous of classical composers, Beethoven. Johannes said he grew up listening to Beethoven because of his parents and this was his first musical influence.

The Fathers of Heavy metal, Black Sabbath. Johannes in 2013 said the band was at a point where they are very riff focused and that comes from Sabbath.

Hard Rock legends Thin Lizzy are known for their guitar harmonies. Johannes said everyone in the band are fans.

Tom Waits

Queen has been a very influential band over the years. Tim mentions the band pulling influence from Queen.

Kiss are one of the most famous hard rock bands. Tim named the main “God of Thunder” riff as the first he learned to play.

AC/DC are the quintessential hard rock band. Tim talks about practicing “Riff Raff” learning to play.

Van Halen were an extremely influential band. Tim said hearing “You Really Got Me” from Van Halen was the first thing that made him want to play guitar.

Iron Maiden are easily one of the most influential metal bands known for their harmonies. Johannes names them as an influence. Jonas named them as a important early influence and the band that made him want to play guitar.

Ozzy has put out some very influential albums especially earlier in his solo career. Johannes said he was a big influence when he was younger.

Ministry were pioneers of industrial metal. Johannes names them as an influence.

Considered by many as the fathers of Power Metal, Helloween are hugely important. Johannes names singer Michael Kiske as an influence. He says after hearing Keeper of the Seven Keys pt 2 he got into music seriously. — Considered by many as the fathers of Power Metal, Helloween are hugely important. Johannes names singer Michael Kiske as an influence. He says after hearing *Keeper of the Seven Keys pt 2* he got into music seriously.

Immolation are a old school death metal staple. Johannes named Ross Dolan as a vocal influence.

Blind Guardian are easily one of the most important power metal bands. Hansi took vocal layering to a new level in metal and Johannes names him as an influence.

Mike Patton

Pantera changed the world of metal when they released Cowboys From Hell. Tim is a huge fan of Dime. — Pantera changed the world of metal when they released *Cowboys From Hell*. Tim is a huge fan of Dime.

Cryptopsy are a brutal technical death metal band. Johannes names their vocalist as a big influence.

In Flames were a melodic death pioneer before going in a…. different direction. This influence is no surprise as Avatar’s musical career as mirrored their predecessors in way. Johannes said they were an influence especially early on.

Marilyn Manson was a staple for edgie teens. Johannes named him as an influence.

Rammstein were huge in the 2000’s with their German industrial metal. Johannes named them as an influence.

Strapping Young Lad, the band of influential Devin Townsend. Johannes named them as an influence and Devin Townsend as one of his favorite singers.

The Haunted formed out of the remains of melodic death pioneers, At The Gates. Johannes frequently names them as a big influence. Jonas said they really taught him how to really riff.

Tim talked about Avatar being an influence on him before he was in the band.

Johannes has been vague with some influences naming “bands from Gothenburg where we are from, combined with the death metal scene of the late 80s/early 90s” He said he grew up with the music his parents listened to like Beethoven and then The Beatles. He also grew up with Guns n Roses and Kiss before later find German bands like Helloween. He called Michael Jackson a “musical genius and one of the greatest performers of all time”. He says he appreciates when actors sing because they know how to tell a story even if they aren’t the best singers. (He didn’t say if this includes William Shatner, but I hope it does). He says The Impaled was his first experience into the “fantasy” horror element but he wasn’t the biggest fan because of this he got into better bands like Carcass. He mentions borrowing a bunch of black metal but not liking a lot of it except Marduk.

More Metal Trees

Sources:

http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/interview-johannes-eckerstrom-avatar/
https://loudwire.com/remembering-dimebag-darrell-johannes-eckerstrom-avatar/
https://lotsofmuzic.weebly.com/home/one-day-in-avatar-country-our-interview-with-avatars-johannes-eckerstrom-and-a-reviewof-their-concert-in-toronto
https://myglobalmind.com/2016/12/10/interview-with-johannes-eckerstrom-lead-vocals-avatar-dublin-november-22nd-2016/
https://www.metalblast.net/interviews/the-last-laugh-an-interview-with-avatar/
https://mediamikes.com/2012/02/interview-with-avatars-johannes-eckerstrom/
https://www.loudersound.com/features/avatar-the-10-albums-that-changed-johannes-eckerstroems-life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_mA7F2-wok