Omnibol
Omnibol | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1989–1994 (reunions: 2005, 2006, 2007) |
| Website | www |
| Past members |
|
Omnibol was a rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, that garnered local acclaim in the early 1990s. It was comprised of vocalist Jason Michas, guitarist Saki Kaskamanidis, drummer Amos Resnick, and bassist Robin Steen.
Standing out stylistically from the many West Coast groove and psychedelic jam bands of the time, Omnibol's sound melded rock and blues, heavy metal, funk, classic punk and progressive rock, featuring virtuosic guitar solos, lyrical bass lines, and a strong emphasis on rhythmic syncopation, including slap bass and double-kick bass drum. Harmonica solos often fleshed out the trio sound.
Lyrical ideas ranged from universal and existential themes, in tunes like ‘Grab the Lion’s Paw’ or the anthemic ‘IMU,’ to the more jocular and self-deprecating, as in the glam metal-esque ‘Death on the Line’ or the Frank Zappa-like ‘In the Back Alley’.
Varied influences included Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Frank Zappa, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, James Brown, Bob Marley, Blues Traveller, and Jaco Pastorius—as well as Primus and Fishbone.
History
Omnibol got their start creating music in the basement of the bassist's dad's apartment. Their first club show was at the Twilight Zone in Gastown in early 1991. In the subsequent three years, Omnibol played virtually every small- to medium-sized venue in town,[1] including multiple performances at the Commodore Ballroom,[2] The Town Pump, 86 Street Music Hall, The Cruel Elephant, Lunatic Fringe, and others.
In 1992, Omnibol recorded their first, self-titled demo cassette tape at Fiasco Bros. recording studio in New Westminster. It featured six original songs: ‘Nude,’ ‘If Only I Were Scum,’ ‘Homemade Festival,’ ‘Preying Mantis,’ ‘Death on the Line,’ and ‘Figure it Out.’ Later that year, they performed in front of what would be their largest and most memorable audience at the Hornby Island Mountain Bike Festival.
By early 1993, Omnibol had ceased performing, despite going on in 1994 to record a 12-song album (also self-titled) on compact disc at Beatty Lane Studios. This album featured Michas on vocals as well as a roster of guest vocalists and musicians. A CD release show was held at The Town Pump that year.
In 2000, in the incipient days of the Internet and online music downloading, Omnibol's song ‘Nude’ reached #1 on the website MP3.com,[3] outranking for a number of days tracks by rock legends like The Eagles and Aerosmith.
Each member went on to continue making music in various capacities. Kaskamanidis became one of the foremost composers for video games, working for companies like EA and United Front, while Michas, Steen and Resnick went on to record and release their own music and perform, collaborate and record with other musicians across an array of musical genres. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Omnibol gave a series of well attended reunion performances at the Fairview Pub.
Death
Saki Kaskamanidis passed away on November 11, 2016, a victim of the opioid crisis still devastating so many communities. In the wake of his death, friend and fellow musician Jeff van Dyck, of Brisbane, Australia, undertook to finish the incomplete songs that Kaskamanidis had been recording in his home studio. He eventually released the 14-track album "Theodosius" in June of 2019, which featured performances by many of Kaskamanidis's musical compatriots.
The surviving three Omnibol members Michas, Resnick, and Steen collaborated on four of the songs – ‘Tear This Temple Down,’ ‘Fast Lane,’ ‘Hopscotch,’ and ‘Fresh Escape,’ which eulogized their fallen bandmate and friend.
Discography
- 1992: Omnibol
- 1994: Omnibolous
External Links
References
- ↑ Michael Naumenko. "Saki Kaskas interview". Game OST. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- ↑ "Doing The Fried Funky Chicken" (PDF). The Ubyssey. Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia Vancouver. 1992-11-27. Retrieved 2019-11-26. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ MP3.com. "When Omnibol Topped The Charts". MP3.com. Retrieved 2019-09-20.
This article "Omnibol" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Omnibol. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
