![]() ![]() It was also a bad time for new bands of the genre who were coming out. #Slik toxik fullThe landscape was changing and bands such as Warrant, Poison, and Skid Row who all at one time were selling out arenas and amphitheaters found themselves playing to 1/2 full venues and in some cases reduced to playing half full clubs. Heading into the 90’s, the waters were a bit rocky for the hard rock/metal world. The "White Lies/Black Truth" video won the People's Choice Award for 'Best Video Of The Year' and "Helluvatime" took home the 'Best Metal Video Award' at the 1992 MuchMusic Video Awards. They won the 1993 Juno Award for Hard Rock Album of the Year. Both the EP and full-length album were produced by Paul Gross and co-produced by Anthony Vanderburgh and recorded at Toronto's world class facility studio Phase One. This was followed in 1992 by the full album Doin' the Nasty. Capitol Records (EMI) signed the band in 1991 and issued an EP, 'Smooth And Deadly'. Portrait consisted of original members singer/guitarist Nick Walsh, drummer Kevin Harrison, guitarist Kevin Gale and bassist/ lyricist Dave Mercel. I’m a big believer in the whole yin/yang thing and how important it is to find balance in the world.Slik Toxik was formed in 1988 out of Toronto hard rock band Portrait. I’m more interested in writing about the world around me and the human condition the struggles within duality and the world around us. “I couldn’t get away with writing about that shit now. “Back in the early days of Slik Toxik, we were singing about reaching for the brass ring, women and partying all pretty typical stuff for guys in their late teens and early 20s,” Walsh says. However, he might not have arrived at this critical junction in his career without the benefit of the experiences he’s lived through. There is a polished, intense rawness to the songs featured on In My Reflection that is both similar and dissimilar to anything Walsh has done in the past. ![]() It has given him a world view that could not be artificially manifested. Although those facets of life might have been missing during his tenure in Slik Toxik - through no one’s fault - Walsh embraces the opportunity to have gained valuable insights and observations over the last 30 years. One of the most notable facets that time has brought to Famous Underground is a sense of maturity and life experience. We wanted to ensure we were going about the release of this new music in the right way, rather than dropping all 14 songs with no fanfare.” “It’s so important to stay on top of how the landscape is evolving. “It’s remarkable to watch how technology shifts the industry so quickly,” says Walsh. ![]() After all, the dynamic vocalist has a unique perspective on the music business, having cut his musical teeth on the “old” model of record companies being the gatekeepers to success, through disruptors like Napster and file-sharing, up to the present day of music on demand. Not surprisingly, the pandemic disrupted those plans, sending Walsh and Green back to the drawing board in some respects. “I am grateful that the band share my vision and end up owning it themselves - that's what I call real.”įollowing the release of a digital 45 in 2017, the band, which also includes guitarist Darren Boyd and drummer Desche Sparboom, amassed 14 songs for a full-length album that was originally due out in 2020. It’s music that comes from my soul,” Walsh explains. “Famous Underground is my passion project. Leaning upon a veritable number of classic influences from the world of hard rock and heavy metal, Famous Underground’s take no prisoners approach to music reaffirms guitar-driven rock music is far from dead. They released their debut album independently that same year, which was subsequently licensed for world-wide release in 2013. Walsh and Green had worked on projects together in the past, and in 2011 decided to form Famous Underground. Following the group’s demise, Walsh immersed himself in a myriad of projects, running the gamut from owning a recording studio, working in film and television, and touring North America with Classic Albums Live. While the musical relationship between Walsh and bassist Laurie-Anne Green Green dates back more than two decades, the former’s history in music is even more extensive, having fronted the Juno Award winning Canadian hard-rock band Slik Toxik. ![]()
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