The Beyond (band)
| The Beyond | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Gorilla |
| Origin | Derby, England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Progressive metal |
| Years active | 1988–1998 |
| Labels |
EMI, Big Cat Records, Harvest Records, Music For Nations, Embryo, Disinformation, Viper |
| Associated acts | Cable, Therapy?, Psychedeliasmith, Leon |
| Past members |
Paul Fallon (Bass) John Whitby (Vocals) Andy Gatford (Guitars) Neil Cooper (Drums) Jim Kersey (Bass) David Petty (Bass) Andy Lingard (Violin) |
The Beyond were a progressive metal band from Derby, England. The band performed under this name between 1988 and 1993, then under the name Gorilla from 1995 to 1998.
The Beyond (1988 - 1993)
The Beyond formed in 1988 as John Whitby (Vocals), Andy Gatford (Guitars), Paul Fallon (Bass) and Neil Cooper (Drums). After releasing a 5-track demo including a version of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell"; in 1990 The Beyond released an EP and a single on the Big Cat Label - 'Manic Sound Panic' and 'No Excuse'; the latter including a live cover of Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles". By this time, Fallon had been replaced on bass by Jim Kersey. The band toured heavily.
Crawl
The Beyond were then signed to EMI subsidiary Harvest (best known as Pink Floyd's label throughout the seventies and early eighties). This led to support slots with Soundgarden, Xentrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Acid Reign, Claytown Troupe and Living Colour. In 1991, Harvest released the album Crawl which included the singles One Step Too Far (which included covers of Mudhoney's Touch Me I'm Sick and The Doors' Break on Through (To the Other Side)), Empire and The Raging E.P.. Crawl was a diverse album with evident prog, thrash, jazz and alt influences. The following year, Crawl was released in the US on the Continuum label with a revised track listing ('Second Sight' was replaced by former UK b-sides 'Nail' and 'Everybody Wins'), followed subsequently by a European support slot to Canadian band Rush.
Chasm
In 1993 Music For Nations released Chasm. Chasm was a darker and less jazzy album than Crawl. This time, the album was co-produced by industrial music pioneer J. G. Thirlwell aka Foetus.
By 1994, The Beyond had gone into hiatus. Drummer Neil Cooper made up the original line up of noise-rockers Cable, but left in '95 to rejoin Whitby and Gatford on a new project...
Gorilla (1995 - 1998)
Gorilla (completed by David Petty on bass and Andy Lingard on violin) released their first Demo which consisted of 3 tracks, 'Dream on', 'Ripe' (although in some versions this track was called 'Urban Pygmy') and 'Ping'. Followed shortly after by their first EP 'Extended Play' in 1995 on the Embryo label followed by 'The Shutdown EP' on the Disinformation label. Again, the band had further streamlined their sound, heavier than before, but with less complexity in the playing, allowing John Whitby's infectious hooks to stand out. In 1997 and 1998, Gorilla released the 'Who Wants to Save the World Anyway?', and 'Outside' singles. These proved to be their last singles. Andy Lingard left the band and Gorilla briefly continued as a four-piece before disbanding.
Now
In 2002 Neil Cooper joined established Irish alternative metal band Therapy?.
Andy Gatford (under the moniker Leon Black) and Jim Kersey (now James Kersey) formed lo-fi indie band Leon with Keyboardist Lee Horsley and drummer Jeff Davenport in 2004, Gatford providing lead vocals and guitar. Their 2005 debut album, Uppers and Downers had a positive reaction from radio and press; "A goddamn catchy little beggar." - Garry Mulholland (Q Magazine, Observer Music Monthly) "Leon are a sweet band with a stiletto blade in each hand...good attitude." – NME "Tuneful pop, so memorable, an achievement." - Daily Mirror Single of the Week "Slick and scuzzy lo-fi pop rocking thats as cool and crisp as its fuzzy." - Unpeeled Review. The singles from Uppers and Downers received radio play on XFM (playlist and session), Radio 2 (Jonathan Ross, Janice Long session), BBC6 Music and Kerrang FM. Kersey and Davenport have since been replaced by Paul Whittington (bass) and Frazer M Knight (drums).
In late 2008, Leon changed their name to Eskimo Fires and Andy Gatford changed his stage name from Leon Black to Andy Black.
In May 2010, John Whitby was elected a Labour councillor for Derby City Council.
Discography
as The Beyond
Demos
| Year | Title | Label | Track list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Untitled | None (Cassette) | 1. Worlds Apart 2. ? 3. ? |
| 1989 | Untitled | None (Cassette) | 1. L. of D. 2. Red Sea 3. The Firm 4. Get Back 5. Highway to Hell |
Singles / E.P.s
| Year | Title | Label | Track list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Manic Sound Panic (12" Vinyl Only) | Big Cat | 1. Eve Of My Release 2. Portrait 3. Red Sea 4. Lead The Blind |
| 1990 | No Excuse | Big Cat | 1. No Excuse 2. Portrait (Live) 3. California Über Alles (Live) |
| 1991 | One Step too Far | EMI | 1. One Step Too Far 2. Break on Through (To the Other Side) 3. Touch Me I'm Sick |
| 1991 | Empire | EMI | 1. Empire 2. Everybody Wins 3. One Step Too Far (Brain Surgery Mix) |
| 1991 | Raging E.P. | Harvest Records | 1. Great Indifference (Screwdriver Version) 2. Nail 3. Empire (Live) 4. Eve Of My Release (Demo) |
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Track list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Crawl | Harvest Records | 1. Sacred Garden 2. Empire 3. Sick 4. Day Before Tomorrow 5. One Step Too Far 6. Second Sight 7. Great Indifference 8. The Eve Of My Release 9. No More Happy Ever Afters 10. Lead The Blind 11. Dominoes |
| 1992 | Crawl (U.S. Release) | Continuum | 1. Sacred Garden 2. Great Indifference (Screwdriver Version) 3. No More Happy Ever Afters 4. Everybody Wins 5. Nail 6. Day Before Tomorrow 7. One Step Too Far 8. The Eve Of My Release 9. Empire 10. Sick 11. Lead The Blind 12. Dominoes |
| 1993 | Chasm | Music For Nations | 1. Cypress Era 2. Stagnant 3. Melt 4. Sentimental Vultures 5. Matter Metropolis 6. Sweat Tastes Sweeter 7. Onion 8. Grey 9. Vive La Republique 10. Mother my Lover |
as Gorilla
Demos
| Year | Title | Label | Track list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Untitled | None (Cassette) | 1. Dream On 2. Ripe (A.K.A Urban Pygmy) 3. Ping |
Singles / E.P.s
| Year | Title | Label | Track list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Extended Play | Embryo | 1. Acid Test 2. Diesel 3. Five Year Plan 4. Jaws |
| 1995 | Shutdown E.P. | Disinformation | 1. Bulldozer 2. More Flesh To The Pound 3. When This Fails 4. Disco Dancer |
| 1997 | Who Wants To Save The World Anyway? | Viper | 1. Who Wants To Save The World Anyway? 2. 98 Grand 3. Glassed |
| 1998 | Outside | Viper | 1. Outside 2. Now The Working Man Has Found Us Out 3. Let You Down |
| 1999 | Gorilla E.P. | Unreleased | 1. Outside 2. Heat 3. Let You Down 4. I Know Where You've Been 5. Super Star 6. Americana |
Samples and allusions
- The sample "It's all there. Black and white, clear as crystal!" 1m11 into Everybody Wins by The Beyond is Gene Wilder in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
- The sample "We came to wreck everything and ruin your life. God sent us" at the beginning of Acid Test by Gorilla is taken from 1992 Australian movie Romper Stomper starring Russell Crowe. Post-hardcore band Aiden sampled the same dialogue on the title track of their 2004 album Our Gang's Dark Oath.
- The track Limbo from 2003 Therapy? album High Anxiety (Neil's first with the band) includes the lyric 'on the eve of my release' - a reference to The Beyond track The Eve Of My Release.