Harkonen (band)

Infobox_musical artist
Name = Harkonen


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Tacoma, Washington
Genre = Post-Hardcore
Years_active =
Label = Hydra Head Records
Associated_acts = Roy
Helms Alee
Grip
Himsa
URL =
Current_members = Ben Verellen
Matt Howard
Casey Hardy
Past_members =
Aaron Connell
Bill Quinby
Chris Vancourt
Mike Jones

Harkonen was an American post-hardcore band that were active from 1997 through 2005.

History

Harkonen began around 1997 originally as a five-piece that played noisy hardcore similar to artists such as Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye. Their formative years were tumultuous and keeping a steady line-up proved difficult. After recording their self-titled single in 1997, the band were reduced to a four-piece following the departure of guitarist Chris Vancourt and vocalist Mike Jones, and it marked the addition of vocalist Aaron Connell (formerly of Grip and Christ and later went on to found Himsa and Iamthethorn). Shortly after releasing their single "Hung to Dry", vocalist Aaron Connell and short-lived guitarist Niehl Brady departed, leaving the band a three-piece, with Ben and Bill taking on the Vocal role. Some time after, guitarist Bill Quinby also left and was replaced by Casey Hardy. This lineup of Verellen, Howard and Hardy would prove to be the band's most enduring line-up.

After bouncing around labels and slowly but steadily changing their overall sound into a more noise rock outfit (points of reference include Scratch Acid and Nirvana), Harkonen landed on national label Hydrahead Records where they released the "Grizz" record as well as "Shake Harder Boy" and their collaboration with These Arms Are Snakes (with whom Ben would go on to play drums with for a while), "Like a Virgin EP". This gave them bigger exposure and allowed them to embark on national tours with Isis and other Hydrahead Records bands.

Harkonen also began to lose steam around the recording of their final EP "Dancing" and the band called it a day sometime in 2005. They recorded several more records prior to their breaking up which were released right around and just after the band disbanded.

Members

* Ben Verellen - Bass & Vocals
* Casey Hardy - Guitar & Vocals
* Matt Howard - Drums

Former Members

* Aaron "Edge" Connell - Vocals (1997 - c.1999)
* Neihl Brady- Guitar (1998 - c.1999)
* Bill Quinby - Guitar (? - c.1999)
* Chris Vancourt - Guitar (? - 1997)
* Mike Jones - Vocals (? - 1997)

Discography

* "Harkonen" 7" (Unjust, 1997)
* "Hung to Dry" 7" (Excursion, 1998)
* "Demo" CD (1998)
* "Harkonen" CD (Wreck-Age, 1999)
* "Charge!" CD (Ataque Sonoro, 2000)
* "Grizz" CD/7" (Hydra Head Records, 2001)
* "Shake Harder Boy" CD(Hydra Head Records, 2002)
* "Dancing" CD (Initial Records, 2003)
* "Split w/ Breather Resist 7" (Happy Couples Never Last, 2004)
* "Like a Virgin EP" CD (split with These Arms Are Snakes) (Hydra Head Records, 2005)

Related bands

* Helms Alee - Ben Verellen
* Roy - Ben Verellen
* Grip - Aaron "Edge" Connell
* Himsa - Aaron "Edge" Connell

Trivia

Ben Verellen has confirmed in interviews that the band's name was taken from that of the fictitious House Harkonnen from Frank Herbert's Dune series.Fact|date=August 2008

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/harkonen Harkonen's Myspace Page]