- As long as the music sounds good, does it matter who — or what — produced the sounds?
A band’s lineup is usually pretty static. You have the singer, a guitarist or two, a bassist, and someone banging the drums. Add a keyboard player every now and then.
Of course, there are also solo artists and much larger orchestras. But then there are also bands that have much more imaginative members.
Sometimes, the unusual members fill one of the classic slots. Other times, though, they’re something different altogether.
Here are seven bands with some strange and unusual members — most of whom aren’t even human.
1. Fratello Metallo
Many bands like to dress up in religion-inspired outfits. But Fratello Metallo went further — their vocalist was an actual monk.
Not only that, they played heavy metal. How’d a pious monk end up heading a metal act?
Father Cesare Bonizzi, born in 1946, has been publishing music since 1990. But in the early 2000s, he heard Metallica play live — and was blown away.
Unlike what you might expect, Father Cesare thought heavy metal was the most energetic form of music he’d ever heard. So, in 2008, Fratello Metallo released Misteri.
Unfortunately, the band is no longer active. Farther Cesare felt that with their increasing fame, the devil had driven a wedge between the band members and their managers, and he decided to retreat back to the convent.
2. Compressorhead
Compressorhead is a German rock act that plays both original songs and covers of classic bands like AC/DC, The Ramones, Mötley Crüe, and so forth. But they stand out from the crowd by the fact there isn’t a single human member in the band.
Instead, they’re all robots. Mega-Wattson sings, Stickboy plays drums (with Junior on the hi-hat), Fingers and Hellgå Tarr play guitar, and Bones handles the bass.
These aren’t just glorified synthesizers, either. Each of the robots plays real instruments, bar Mega-Wattson who doesn’t actually have vocal cords.
Sure, the band members need a human backup crew to program and maintain them. But once the band takes to the stage, it’s all machinery.
3. Hatebeak
Death metal bands are already infamous for their growling and shrieking vocalists who sound barely human. But with Hatebeak, you might be forgiven if you mistook the “singer” for a wild beast.
That’s because it is one. Hatebeak is fronted by the vocalist Waldo, who is an African gray parrot.
The band has released one full-length album and four split releases. They never tour or play live, as the two human members don’t want to cause Waldo undue stress.
Hatebeak’s sound has been described as “a jackhammer being ground in a compactor.” Just so we’re clear, that’s a compliment for a death metal outfit.
4. The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is one of the most famous gothic rock bands in history (although they hate being called that). Having started in the ‘80s, the band’s lineup has experienced some drastic changes over the years.
Only the singer, Andrew Eldritch, and the drummer, Doktor Avalanche, have been with the band through its every iteration. And only one of them is human.
Doktor Avalanche is a drum machine that took over drumming duties early in the band’s career when Eldritch moved to vocals. Although many bands and artists use drum machines, The Sisters have always considered the good Doktor a full member.
That said, the Doktor’s gear has changed. He started off as a simple Boss DR55 “Doctor Rhythm” machine, but today he consists of multiple Apple laptops.
5. Caninus
Like Hatebeak, Caninus was an American death metal band with a truly beastly vocalist. Well, two of them.
The vocalists of Caninus were two female pitbulls, Basil and Budgie. As an animal-led metal band, Caninus got along well with Hatebeak and the two even released a split album together.
Caninus, however, is no longer active. Basil died in 2011 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, while Budge passed in 2016.
Out of respect for their founding members, the rest of Caninus decided not to replace the dogs and called it quits.
6. Lothar and the Hand People
Lothar and the Hand People was an influential psychedelic rock band from the 1960s. They were among the first popular rock groups to introduce synthesizers and keyboards to their music.
They went so far in on the electronics that the band was fronted by a theremin called Lothar. The “Hand People,” as the rest of the band was known, were the device’s helpful assistants.
And Lothar sure needed help. A theremin is a type of electronic instrument that produces different tones by monitoring the operator’s hand movements.
Without the Hand People, Lothar would’ve only emitted an unpleasant buzzing tone.
7. Thai Elephant Orchestra
The Thai Elephant Orchestra is exactly what it says on the label. It’s an orchestra from Thailand formed entirely out of elephants.
The band consisted of 14 elephants at its height. The notable factor is that the animals aren’t taught what to play — their concerts are essentially improvised jam sessions.
That has led some critics to consider the orchestra’s output as “genuine” music. The elephant band plays to this day at the National Elephant Institute of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center.
Hits: 0
