Impellitteri

Impellitteri is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, United States, formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. It has released ten studio albums featuring Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing.

For the mayor of New York City, see Vincent R. Impellitteri.
Impellitteri
2016 Busan International Rock Festival
Background information
Also known asHoly Grail
OriginLos Angeles, California
Genres
Years active1987–1990, 1992-present
LabelsRelativity Records, JVC
Associated actsAnimetal USA, Magdallan, Mr. Big, Giuffria, House of Lords
WebsiteOfficial website
MembersChris Impellitteri
Rob Rock
James Amelio Pulli
Edward Roth
Jon Dette

Band history

Chris Impellitteri formed Impellitteri together with vocalist Rob Rock in Los Angeles, California. They first released an EP simply titled Impellitteri. The self-titled EP Impellitteri (1987) featured heavy metal featuring classically influenced shredding guitar solos, screaming vocals, speed metal drumming and aggressive bass. The Impellitteri Black EP featured songs like "Lost In The Rain" and "Burning" of which quickly gained the attention of heavy metal fans and musicians around the world. During the release of the Impellitteri Black EP many major Media outlets began to cover IMPELLITTERI in their magazines including Kerrang Magazine, Guitar World Magazine, Circus Magazine, and Burrn! Magazine.

After the Impellitteri Black EP the band regrouped, this time with British vocalist Graham Bonnet as lead singer, and released an album titled Stand in Line (1988). MTV played Impellitteri's music video for "Stand in Line" in its rotation, and Chris Impellitteri was a guest host on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The fans around the world voted Impellitteri a Smash on MTV's Smash or Trash show featured during the release of the album. The album charted in Billboards Top 100 and remained there for over 5 months. To date the song titled "Stand In Line" has become a fan favorite globally.

After touring the world in support of the "Impellitteri Black EP" and "Stand In Line" Impellitteri returned to the studio and reunited with original vocalist Rob Rock. They quickly recorded and released the EP titled Victim of the System (1993), which was produced by Mike Tacci who was the assistant engineer on Metallica's Black album (1991). The Victim of the System record was highly influenced by the band Queen. Following the Victim of the System EP, in late 1994, they released Answer to the Master. To date, the album "Answer to the Master" features many fan favorite songs like "Warrior", "Fly Away", and the album title track "Answer to the Master".

In 1996, Impellitteri released Screaming Symphony. Chris Impellitteri Won the highly coveted BURRN! magazine Readers Poll Award for "Best Rock Guitarist". The record was mixed by highly reputed producer Michael Wagener who had produced Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne. The Screaming Symphony record which featured songs like "Rat Race" and "17th Century Chicken Pickin" which are played frequently during live concerts. To date many musicians post themselves on YouTube performing Chris's "17th Century Chicken Pickin".

In 2000 Impellitteri released Crunch. Crunch was the first record the where band started to occasionally use drop tunings in combination with their brand of Shred Metal. The album featured songs like "Beware of the Devil", "Slay the Dragon", and "Speed Demon". In addition, the band recorded a ballad titled Forever Yours which some critics viewed as pop music.

Shortly after Crunch, Rob Rock decided to pursue a solo career and Impellitteri again recruited Graham Bonnet and began working on their next album titled SYSTEM X. In 2002 they released System X. System X was a very record that captured Impellitteri and Bonnet's collaborative energy. The record was mixed by Andrew Murdock who would go onto produce "Avenged Sevenfold". That year they also released a compilation of hits called The Very Best of Impellitteri: Faster Than the Speed of Light (2002).

In May 2008, it was announced that Rob Rock was, once again, back in Impellitteri. They collaborated on a new album called Wicked Maiden (2009) with a working title of Good and Evil.

Wicked Maiden was released in Japan and Europe on February 24, 2009, with the intent of releasing the new album in the United States in 2011, followed by the Impellitteri shredfest tour.[1]

In 2015 IMPELLITTERI recorded, released, and toured behind their new "VENOM" album. IMPELLITTERI performed on the headlining stage at "ROCK FEST BARCELONA" alongside bands such as Iron Maiden. The band also headlined shows such as the "BUSAN Rock Festival" in South Korea drawing 90,000 people.

In 2018/2019 IMPELLITTERI will release their newest album titled "THE NATURE OF THE BEAST". The new album features songs like "Run For Your Life", "Masquerade" and "Wonderworld". The album also includes two covers including Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe" and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera". The Nature of the Beast album will be released on Frontiers Records in Europe and North America, and JVC VICTOR for Asia and Australia. The band is scheduled to tour extensively in support of THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.

Beliefs

As far as Christian metal ties, Impellitteri (the band) does not consider themselves to be a Christian band. Rob Rock said the following in an interview:

Chris and I and Ken Mary are all Christians, but James and Ed and Glen, our touring drummer, don't necessarily proclaim themselves as Christians, so it's not a Christian band.[2]

— Rob Rock

Band members

Current

  • Chris Impellitteri – guitars (1987–90, 1992–present), bass (1987)
  • James Amelio Pulli – bass (1992–present)
  • Ed Roth – keyboards (1995–present)
  • Rob Rock – lead vocals (1987-1988, 1992-2000, 2008–present)
  • Jon Dette – drums (2014–present)

Former

  • Graham Bonnet – lead vocals (1988–1990, 2000–2002)
  • Mark Weitz – lead vocals (1990)
  • Curtis Skelton – lead vocals (2003–2008)
  • Ted Days – bass (1987–1988)
  • Chuck Wright – bass (1988, 1992)
  • Dave Spitz – bass (1988–1990)
  • Loni Silva – drums (1987–1988)
  • Pat Torpey – drums (1988; died 2018)
  • Stet Howland – drums (1988–1990)
  • Ken Mary – drums (1992, 1994–1999)
  • Mark Bistany – drums (1992–1994)
  • Phil Wolfe – keyboards (1988–1990)
  • Claude Schnell – keyboards (1993)
  • Glen Sobel – drums (1999-2009)
  • Brandon Wild - drums (1999-2014)

Timeline

Discography
Year Title Type
1987 Impellitteri EP
1988 Stand in Line Studio
1992 Grin and Bear It Studio
1993 Victim of the System EP
1994 Answer to the Master Studio
1996 Screaming Symphony Studio
1997 Fuel for the Fire EP
1997 Eye of the Hurricane Studio
1998 Live! Fast! Loud! Live
2000 Crunch Studio
2002 System X Studio
2002 The Very Best of Impellitteri: Faster Than the Speed of Light Compilation
2004 Pedal to the Metal Studio
2009 Wicked Maiden Studio
2015 Venom Studio
2018 The Nature of the Beast Studio
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See also

References
  • Hale, Mark (1993). "1409". Headbangers (First edition, second printing ed.). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Popular Culture, Ink. p. 160. ISBN 1-56075-029-4.
  • Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "Impellitteri". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. p. 431. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.

Footnotes
  1. "Impellitteri's official fansite". Impellitterifanclub.info. 2008-12-09. Archived from the original on 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  2. Frank Stöver. "ROB ROCK-1999 interview w/ "Take It" web-zine". Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
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