The Beyond (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Beyond


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Background = group_or_band
Alias = Gorilla
Origin = Derby, England, United Kingdom
Genre = Progressive metal
Years_active = 1988 — 1998
Label = Big Cat Records, EMI,
Music For Nations,
Embryo,
Disinformation,
Viper
Associated_acts = Cable, Therapy?, Psychedeliasmith, Leon

Past_members = Paul Fallon (Bass)

The Beyond were a progressive metal band from Derby, England. The band performed under this name between1988 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 3-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, supporting Crimson Glory and Slammer.

"Crawl"

The Beyond were then signed to EMI subsidiary Harvest (best known as Pink Floyd's label throughout theseventies and early eighties). This led to support slots with Soundgarden, Xentrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Acid Reign, The 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').

"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 torejoin Whitby and Gatford on a new project...

Gorilla (1995 - 1998)

Gorilla (completed by David Petty on bass and John Lingard on violin) released 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 and1998, Gorilla released the 'Who Wants to Save the World Anyway?', and 'Outside' singles. These proved to be their last singles. John Lingard left the band and Gorilla briefly continued as a four-piece before disbanding.

Now

After a stint with bigbeat combo Psychedeliasmith, working with the likes of Fatboy Slim, in '02, Neil Cooper joined established Irish heavy 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 has since been replaced by Paul Whittington.

Discography

as The Beyond

Singles / E.P.s

Trivia

*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.

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecombeyond777cooper The Beyond on Myspace]
* [http://www.myspace.com/shutdowngorilla Gorilla on Myspace]
* [http://video.music.yahoo.com/up/music/music/?rn=1301797&vid=2139380&stationId=&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fmusic.yahoo.com%2Far-265436---The-Beyond Great Indifference (Raging EP) video on Yahoo Music Videos]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQRPkEouf54 One Step Too Far video on YouTube]
* [http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/biography/neil/ Neil's page on the official Therapy? website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/leontheband Andy Gatford's band Leon on Myspace]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioOPVVs3YDg Leon - Getting Into You video on YouTube]