Church of the Cosmic Skull
Church of the Cosmic Skull are a British rock band from Nottingham.[1][2]
Church of the Cosmic Skull | |
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![]() Church of the Cosmic Skull live in London, 2020 | |
Background information | |
Genres |
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Years active | 2016-present |
Labels | Kozmik-Artifactz |
Website | www |
Members |
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Past members | Amy Nicholson |
Career
The group was formed by guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Fisher in 2016.[3][4] The group members had previously played in various bands in and around Nottingham, and a number of early songs had been written years before while in other bands.[3][5] Fisher was interested in progressive pop as much as progressive rock, and wanted the band to be primarily about good songwriting rather than technical expertise. His influences include Queen, The Beatles, Thin Lizzy, Kate Bush, David Bowie and Peter Gabriel.[3] The instrumentation makes prominent use of the Hammond organ, piano and strings, and multiple vocal harmonies.[6]
The band released "Evil in your Eye" from their first album Is Satan Real? on 21 August 2017 to celebrate the solar eclipse on the same day, celebrating the "hallucinatory nature of reality".[7] They have also covered Pink Floyd's "The Trial" on Magnetic Eye Records' tribute album The Wall Redux.[8]
The band released their first album with Bilocation Records,[3] the second with Kozmik Artifactz,[9] and the third on their own label, Septaphonic Records. While major record labels have shown interest, the band prefers to release material and promote themselves independently.[10] They are known for their white on-stage attire and their rainbow-themed album artwork.[11] Fisher has described the group as a "twofold entity: a new religious movement ... and a 7-piece supergroup" and believes that music can make people appreciate each other and avoid political propaganda.[3] Their 2019 album Everybody's Going To Die received positive reviews, with Mojo saying "Fans of Queen and Queens of the Stone Age will nod sagely", and Jonathan Ross adding that he was "Enjoying this new band’s take on prog".[12]
Personnel
- Bill Fisher - guitar, vocals
- Joanne Joyce - vocals
- Caroline Cawley - vocals
- Michael Wetherburn - keyboards, vocals
- Joe Stone - electric viola[13]
- Sam Lloyd - bass
- Laurence Stone - drums[3]
Former members:
- Amy Nicholson - cello, vocals[3]
Discography
References
- "CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL - 'Everybody's Going To Die'". Rock Zone. 13 December 2019.
- Glass, Polly; Lewry, Fraser. "20 great bands to shake up the 2020s". Classic Rock Magazine.
- Lay, Sarah (13 September 2016). "Interview: Church of the Cosmic Skull". Louder Than War.
- "ALBUM REVIEW: Church of the Cosmic Skull, Science Fiction". The Obelisk. 25 May 2018.
- "ARTIST OF THE MONTH: CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL – Interview – Nusic.org.uk".
- "Church Of the Cosmic Skull – Cold Sweat". Classic Rock Magazine. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- "Church of the Cosmic Skull celebrate eclipse with Evil In Your Eye video". Louder. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- "Hear Melvins Out-Strange Pink Floyd With Sludgy "In the Flesh?" Cover". Revolver. 1 November 2018.
- "Science Fiction - Church of the Cosmic Skull | User Reviews". AllMusic.
- "Church Of The Cosmic Skull - Everybody's Going To Die Album Review/Stream [2019]". METALHEAD WORLD.
- "Review: Church of the Cosmic Skull - Science Fiction | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com.
- "An Evening With: Church of the Cosmic Skull". Head First Bristol. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- "Emerald Haze – Dublin, Irland 1.September 2017". 7 September 2017.
- "Church of the Cosmic Skull". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- "The best albums and tracks of 2018: how our writers voted". The Guardian. 21 December 2018.
- "Le nouvel album de Church of the Cosmic Skull en écoute intégrale". www.hornsup.fr.
- "Everybody's Going to Die". Sputnik Music. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.