Grimskunk

GrimSkunk is a rock band from Montreal, Quebec with punk, rock, progressive and world music influences. Their style is self-described as "world punk"It was formed in 1988 from the ashes of hard-core band Fatal Illness. It is regarded as being part of the foundation of the Quebec "alternative" scene, having influenced many young musicians and bands.

The band is known to integrate many languages in their songs, such as French, English, Spanish, Greek and Arabic. They have also integrated many styles of music, including punk, classic rock, metal, reggae, rap and world music among others.

Over the years, the band shared the stage with many established acts such as System Of A Down, Meshuggah, Manu Chao and Suicidal Tendencies, as well as peers Anonymus, Vulgaires Machins, Deadly Apples, The Sainte Catherines and many more.

History

GrimSkunk played their first show in April, 1989. Their first demo, Autumn Flowers, was released two years later, in April, 1991. The band, along with Groovy Aardvark, were among the first "alternative" bands to tour Quebec, thus creating a market for this genre.

In the first years of GrimSkunk's career, cannabis was always very present in the band's image. Hemp leaves were on their CD covers, and cannabis was mentioned in the albums' names (Autumn Flowers, Exotic Blend), in their songs' titles (Zig-Zag), and in their lyrics ("Pourquoi, pourquoi ne pas fumer? / C'est ben l?gal de boire", Why, why can't we smoke / Isn't it legal to drink?). The band's name itself is an allusion to skunk cannabis.

In 1997, GrimSkunk members founded an independent Montreal-based record label, Indica Records. From then on all their albums would be released on that label, which also helped promote local alternative bands.

In that same year, the band's longtime manager and friend Simon Gallipeault was killed in a "hit-and-run" longboard accident involving a car. The investigation was unsuccessful, as the driver fled the scene without helping Gallipeault. The band is now self managed with Franz Schuller as the main "mouthpiece". The 1998 album, Field Trip, is dedicated to their lost manager and his voice is sampled before the track Live for today.

The band's bassist, Marc "Boris" Saint-Maurice left the band in 1999 to become a full-time politician and activist in the marijuana legalization movement in Quebec and Canada, founding the Bloc Pot. Todd Wircham replaced Saint-Maurice for a few years. He has since been replaced by Vince Peake, former Groovy Aardvark singer and bass player.

The band went on a short hiatus in 2000 after singer Joe Evil suffered serious burns from a fire in his apartment.

In 2002 the band released its seventh album, Seventh Wave. The album was panned by fans after a reviewer for Le Journal de Montreal, frustrated with the band trying to go in a new direction, wrote a critic seen as "unwarranted, childish and subjective". He wrote that the band had "sold its soul to the devil", which caused turmoil among fans. Some of them subsequently refused to buy the album, and accused the band of selling out.

In 2002, they performed their first and only unplugged show in Saint-Roch Church in Quebec City.

In 2006, they released Fires Under the Road, which marks a return to the sound of their earlier albums.

Members

Franz Schuller - Rhythm guitar, vocals
Joe Evil - Keyboard, vocals
Alain "Ulf" or "VdaBC" Vadboncoeur - Drums, vocals, percussions
Vincent Peake - Bass
Peter Edwards - lead guitar
Marc "Boris" Saint-Maurice - Bass (1988-1999)
Todd Wircham - Bass (1999-2004)

Discography

Autumn Flowers Demo (GrimSkunk Productions) 1991
Exotic Blend E.P. (GrimSkunk Productions) 1992