Cradle of Thorns

Cradle of Thorns
Background information
Also known as	Videodrone (1998-2000)
Origin	Bakersfield, California
Genres	Gothic rock, industrial rock, alternative metal, nu metal[1]
Years active	1988–2000, 2006–present
Labels	Triple X Records, Elementree Records
Associated acts	Sexart Adema Orgy
Members	Ty Elam Steve Thiriot Matt Wilkinson
Past members	David File Kris Kohls Rohan Cowden Tamera Slayton Jay Caruso Scat Elis Purdy Spackle Mavis Marianne Ray Chris O'Brian

Cradle of Thorns (known on one album as Videodrone) is a five-piece rock band from Bakersfield, California, USA. The band put out one record as Videodrone on Korn's Elementree Records as well three albums under their original name. One was independently released, and the other two were released by Triple X Records. After Videodrone broke up, drummer Kris Kohls went on to join Adema, and frontman Ty Elam performed in a number of Bakersfield bands. Ty Elam has recently reformed the band as Cradle of Thorns with a new lineup.

History

Formation and Remember It Day (1988–1990)

Formed in 1988 by male vocalist Ty Elam as the gothic rock band Cradle of Thorns. With a combination of male and female lead vocalists, a dark, atmospheric sound, and environmentally and socially conscious lyrics ("Remember It Day" especially is about pollution, violence, and ignorance), they toured extensively and won an underground following. They released an independent record entitled Remember It Day in 1990.

Feed-Us (1994–1995)

The band signed with Triple X Records (label of Jane's Addiction and Social Distortion) and in 1994 released Feed-Us produced by Ross Robinson. A more aggressive album with hip hop elements (emcee style vocals on "Ignore-Your-Race") and lyrics about race ("Ignore-Your-Race" again), drug addiction ("Lullaby for the Dead", "Dysfunctional Brady Bunch"), S&M and voyeurism ("Flesh" and "My Sister Sam (Bleed)"), and serial murder ("Behave"). The album also included a new, angrier version of "Remember It Day" with cleaner production that descends into screaming chaos. Feed-Us also established a band staple: the final track contains an extended, sample-based noise collage following the last song.

Download This! (1996–1998)

1996's Download This! saw the departure of female vocalist Tamera Slayton and bassist Scat Elis. With new bassist Purdy Spackle, the band shifted to a fusion of punk, rap, metal, and industrial rock, with more rapping and screaming than ever before and more extensive sampling and use of electronics. This song "Bulimia Blowjob" features an appearance by vocalist Aimee Echo of Human Waste Project and TheSTART and Jeff Schartoff also of Human Waste Project and Professional Murder Music. Schartoff is also touring bassist for Peter Murphy.

Name change and Videodrone (1998–2000)

For their fourth album, bassist Purdy Spackle was replaced by Mavis and the band dropped most of the punk elements and fully embraced a more pop-oriented industrial rock sound. They renamed themselves Videodrone after the film Videodrome. The twelve track self-titled CD was released in 1999 with appearances from Korn's Jonathan Davis on "Ty Jonathan Down", Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst & DJ Lethal on "Human Piñata", and Psycho Realm on "Pig in a Blanket". Also from Korn, Head played guitar on "Power Tools for Girls" and Fieldy produced the album. In high school, vocalist Ty Elam often collaborated with friends Jonathan Davis (later of Korn) and Ryan Shuck and their band Sexart. Shuck would go on to play for Orgy, another one-time Elementree Records band. After touring with Korn, Rob Zombie, Orgy, and Machine Head, lack of label support and drug problems spelled the end for Videodrone (as detailed in the interview with Elam on the "All Over Again" maxi-single).

Break up and post-Videodrone projects (2000–2006)

Drummer Kris Kohls went on to play for Adema and vocalist Ty Elam would go on to play in local Bakersfield bands Karmahitlist, Three Chord Whore, and Arrival of Fawn after Videodrone's demise in 2000.

Reformation (2006–present)

In 2007, Ty Elam resurrected the band under its original moniker Cradle of Thorns with all new members. The song "All Over Again" was released as a single, which can be heard on the band's official MySpace. Elam later appeared on metal band Mastiv's album, End of the Silence, released in 2011.

Style, influences and legacy

The band has mixed style and every album has including from other courses. The first album differs wind and calm music, but after that musicians use elements from grunge, punk-rock and gothic-rock. "Feed Us 1994" is the most colourful work of them. When nu-metal got popularity, Cradle Of Thorns started to add rapcore elements in their music. And when they changed band name, music stayed like a industrial (Videodrone's time). Cradle Of Thorns would go on to influence Deadsy, Flame Of Life, Evanescence and other bands.

Members

Current members

• Ty Elam - vocals, drums (1988-2000, 2006–present)
• Steve Thiriot - guitar, synthesizers, screams (2007–present)
• Matt Wilkinson - bass (2007–present)

Former members

• David File – guitar (1988-2000)
• Kris Kohls – drums (1988-2000)
• Rohan Cowden – keyboards (1988-2000)
• Tamera Slayton – vocals (1988-1995)
• Jay Caruso – bass (1988-1992)
• Scat Elis – bass (1992-1995)
• Purdy Spackle – bass (1995-1997)
• Mavis – bass (1997-2000)

Timeline

Discography

Cradle of Thorns

• Remember It Day (1990)
• Feed-Us (1994)
• Download This! (1996)

Videodrone

• Videodrone (February 23, 1999)

Singles

Music videos

References

External links

• Cradle of Thorns at AllMusic