RAGING SLAB - USA

Assmaster – 1987 – Buy Our Records
Raging Slab – 1989 – RCA
Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert – 1993 – Def American
Sing Monkey, Sing! – 1996 - American
The Dealer – 2001 – Tee Pee
Pronounced Ēat-Shït – 2002 – Tee Pee
Sisterslab And The Boogie Coalition, Vol. – 2020 – Joyful Noise

Raging Slab image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Egoslavia, Backdraft, Odin Grange>>GREG STRZEMPKA>>Backdraft, Odin Grange

Guitar
Egoslavia, Backdraft, Odin Grange>>GREG STRZEMPKA>>Backdraft, Odin Grange - Elyse Steinman – Mark Middleton

Bass
Doubleneck>>Alec Morton>>Doubleneck, The Liza Colby Sound

Drum
Phil Ondich>>Black Label Society – Tom Finefrock – Bob Pantella>>Matt O'Ree And The Blues Hounds, Monster Magnet, Dirty Bird, Jakalope, The Atomic Bitchwax, Riotgod, Frankenstein 3000 - Ambush, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Jackhammer, Whiplash, Zero Hour, Slayer>>Tony Scaglione>>M.O.D., Sheer Terror – Danny Frankel - Paul Sheehan – Scott Nesmith – Xanax25>>Rob Cournoyer>>Human Drama, Sin City Sinners, Lady E & The Black Light, Ron Keel




History & Biography
One has to admire a band that consistently writes songs and records albums that record companies reject.

New York City, USA-based group Raging Slab played crossover metal and southern rock fused with psychedelia since 1983. Guitarists and spouses Greg Strzempka and Elyse Steinman recruited a third guitarist, Dmitri Brill (who would go on to be part of Groove Is In The Heart band Deee-Lite!), bassist Robert Pauls and drummer Kory Clarke and began gigging. The last two men are known for their work in Warrior Soul. Alec Morton came in on bass soon. Morton and Strzempka had coincidentally been in hardcore or punk bands in Washington D.C. Steinman had left San Francisco for New York City. Drummers came and went like porn stars with Donald Trump. One notable skinsman was former Whiplash drummer Tony Scaglione. The band recorded its debut, which was called Assmaster, for Buy Our Records in 1987. Mark Middleton was recruited and the group recorded the True Death demo.

This attracted the attention of several larger labels and the group signed with RCA through the connection and development deal of producer Daniel Rey who had worked with Ramones. The self-titled album’s video clip for Don’t Dog Me was a hit on MTV. The band opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Warrant and their idols The Ramones. The band, i.e. the guitarist couple, purchased land in Pennsylvania and built its own Slabby Road studio. The band was living together at the studio and recording From A Southern Space with Alex Perialis when RCA decided this band a hit maker is not. The band began recording Freeburden with another producer this time, but mutual unhappiness with RCA meant the boys would switch to Def American while Interscope was also interested. This was another unreleased album then. Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert was supported by MTV. Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones helped with some musical arrangements. The group opened for Monster Magnet in the USA. The band hit Europe with the band Texas. The band had to cut touring short when drummer Paul Sheehan suffered knee problems. Mark Middleton left when new-ish label American pulled a RCA and rejected the band’s direction on Black Belt In Boogie. This was another badge of honour/unreleased album. The band recorded and released Sing Monkey, Sing!, but found itself without a supportive label soon enough. Their contract ran until 2000 and, while the band decided to record and tour, the gang had opted to wait the contract out and sit on any recordings.

The group was back with an independent label after the year 2000. The Dealer was on the New York-based independent label Tee Pee Records. The band played shows in Canada and the USA, but European concerts were postponed thanks to Al Qaeda and its terrorism. Next came Pronounced ēat-shït through Tee Pee Records in 2002. The band went on hiatus and reported that bassist Alec Morton was suffering from a heart disease. Singer Greg Strzempka joined Sweden-based Backdraft (called Odin Grange later) in 2003. The band was playing shows and recording in 2004. The band was on ice. Guitarist Elyse Steinman died of cancer in 2017, but the group reunited to record an album’s worth of cover versions before her death.


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