imported>CalmonTellechea: /* Formation */

2024-06-14T11:31:53Z

Formation

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{{Short description|American deathrock band}}
{{distinguish|The Shadow Project}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Shadow Project
| image = Shadow Project Inner Sleeve.jpg
| caption = Band shot from ''[[Shadow Project (album)|Shadow Project]]''{{'}}s inner sleeve
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[San Francisco]], [[California]], U.S.
| genre ={{flatlist|
* [[Deathrock]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 27, 2014 |title=Christian Death's Rozz Williams' Tortured Soul Is Still Worthy of Tribute |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/christian-deaths-rozz-williams-tortured-soul-is-still-worthy-of-tribute-6429870/ |access-date=February 22, 2024|website= [[OC Weekly]]}}</ref>
* [[gothic rock]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-06 |title=Johann Schumann of Mephisto Walz, Shadow Project, and Christian Death has Passed Away |url=https://post-punk.com/johann-schumann-of-mephisto-walz-shadow-project-and-christian-death-has-passed-away/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=Post-Punk.com}}</ref>
}}
| years_active = 1987–1993, 1997–1998, 2019
| label = {{flatlist|
* [[Triple X Records|Triple X]]
* Hollows Hill Sound
* Alice in Wetzlarer
}}
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members =
* [[Rozz Williams]]
* [[Eva O]]
* [[Jill Emery]]
* Thomas Morgan
* [[Paris Sadonis]]
* Peter Tomlinson
* Aaron Schwartz
* Donato Canzonieri
* Chuck Collison
* Mark Barone
* Christian Omar Madrigal Izzo
* Brian Virtue
* Michael Ciravolo
}}

'''Shadow Project''' was a [[rock music|rock]] band formed in 1987 featuring former members of Los Angeles [[deathrock]] groups [[Christian Death]] and [[Super Heroines]]. After recording two LPs the group experienced a three-year hiatus, reconvening for a third and final album. Shadow Project definitively folded after vocalist [[Rozz Williams]] committed suicide on April 1, 1998. The band briefly returned in 2019 under the moniker "Shadow Project 1334" for 13 shows only, vowing to never perform again together after that.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

== History ==

=== Formation ===
The band was named after a study of the effects of [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|nuclear bombs in Hiroshima]].<ref name=itol93>{{cite AV media notes|title=Shadow Project Liner Notes|title-link=In Tuned Out – Live '93|others=Shadow Project|year=1994|first=Dave|last=Thompson|type=CD booklet|publisher=[[Triple X Records]]}}</ref> Centered around [[Rozz Williams]] and [[Eva O]], Shadow Project gave its first performance in San Francisco in 1987, but did not maintain much of a profile until Williams and Eva O returned to Los Angeles in 1990. Once there, they recruited keyboardist [[Paris Sadonis]], [[Super Heroines]] bassist [[Jill Emery]], and drummer Tom Morgan, formerly from Los Angeles punk band [[the Flesh Eaters]]. After touring the city's club circuit – including the legendary [[Whisky a Go Go]] – they signed with [[Triple X Records]], responsible for launching [[Jane's Addiction]]'s successful career.

=== Triple X years ===
[[File:Shadow Project Logo.jpg|thumb|The early, scrawled form of Shadow Project's logotype]]
The band's [[Shadow Project (album)|self-titled first album]] was released in 1991. ''[[AllMusic]]'' described Shadow Project's debut as a unique and adventurous "blend of [[Gothic rock|goth]], [[Punk rock|punk]] and [[Glam rock|glam]]", a challenging record that would ultimately prove satisfying after several spins.<ref name=shadow>{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/shadow-project-mw0000108856|title= Shadow Project – Shadow Project|first= Alex|last= Henderson|work=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref> With [[Peter Tomlinson]] replacing Morgan, the group completed a follow-up, ''[[Dreams for the Dying]]'', recorded during the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]].<ref name=vibe>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-vibe.htm|title= Rozz Williams Talks Till He's Whorse|first= Johnny|last= Walker|date= 1997|work=Vibe|accessdate=January 12, 2016}}</ref> Jill Emery left to concentrate on her [[Hole (band)|Hole]] duties. After Emery's departure they recruited former Kathedral bassist Donato Canzonieri who finished recording ''[[Dreams for the Dying]]'' (uncredited). Donato can be seen on the album cover with Eva O. and would also go on to record on Rozz Williams spoken word album Every King A Bastard Son.
The following year Shadow Project participated on Triple X's [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]] tribute ''[[Welcome to Our Nightmare: A Tribute to Alice Cooper|Welcome to Our Nightmare]]'' with a "Dead Babies/Killer" [[List of musical medleys|medley]].<ref name=nightmare>{{cite AV media notes|title=1 Shadow Project Dead Babies/Killer|title-link=Welcome To our Nightmare: A Tribute To Alice Cooper|others=Shadow Project|year=1993|page=04|type=CD booklet |publisher=[[Triple X Records]]}}</ref> The band personnel for this recording featured yet another line-up change, with Aaron Schwartz now on bass and Chuck Collison handling the track's [[Sampling (music)|samples]].<ref name="nightmare" /> Shadow Project then toured the United States in the summer,<ref name=rozzbio>{{cite web|url= http://rozznet.com/index2.html|title= Biography|work=Rozznet – The Official Rozz Williams Website|accessdate=December 30, 2015}}</ref> and after that had plans to tour Europe in the Fall, namely France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.<ref name=deathrock>{{cite web|url= http://www.deathrock.com/shadowproject/SPinterview1.html|title= Shadow Project|author= John Begley & Marco Boudreau|date= 1993|work=Deathrock.com|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref>

During their 1993 tour in support for ''[[Dreams for the Dying]]''{{'}}s release, Shadow Project recorded a concert held in [[Fullerton, California]] on June 20, later to be released as the ''[[In Tuned Out – Live '93|In Tuned Out]]'' live album.<ref name=projects>{{cite web|url= http://rozznet.com/projects/projects.html|title= Projects|work=Rozznet – The Official Rozz Williams Website|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> Alongside tracks culled from their two studio albums, the record features an [[Alice Cooper]] medley, a [[David Bowie]] cover ("[[Panic in Detroit]]") and two unreleased songs.<ref name=itol93 />{{rp|5}} A [[Christian Death]] original, "Still Born/Still Life"<ref name=chrisdea>{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rage-of-angels-mw0000118114|title= The Rage of Angels – Christian Death|first= John|last= Bush|work=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> – dedicated to serial killer [[Jeffrey Dahmer]]<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-cnoctem.htm|title= Two Shimmering Sides of a Euphonious Sword|first= Andrew|last= Corson|date=1996|work=Carpe Noctem, 1(3)|accessdate=January 12, 2016}}</ref> – was also included in the set.

=== Split ===
After the American tour, Eva O and Paris left the band to focus on Eva O Halo Experience CD ''[[Demons Fall for an Angel's Kiss]]''. This effectively ended Shadow Project.<ref name="rozzbio" /> For his part, Williams declared that Shadow Project went as far it could. "Eva wanted to go in one direction and I in another", he justified; he then went on to pursue his own musical interests.<ref name=lescatopode>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-scat95.htm|title= Rozz Williams Interview |author= Roger de Wormhout & Nath de Bézouce|date= 1995|work=Le Scatopode|accessdate=December 27, 2015}}</ref> The German leg of their European tour had already been booked by then, so Rozz Williams went to tour with another band in place, Daucus Karota.

=== Final days ===
After Shadow Project split, Rozz Williams and Eva O. divorced (but remained friendly) and Williams' heroin addiction increased. In 1997 they would once again reunite to record the final Shadow Project release, ''[[From the Heart (Shadow Project album)|From the Heart]]''.<ref name="allbio">{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/shadow-project-mn0000790366|title= Shadow Project – Biography & History|first= Matthew|last= Moyer|work=AllMusic|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref> The album included band material from previous records stripped down to just acoustic guitar and vocal duets.<ref name=library>{{cite web|url= http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/media/music/forget-me-not-rozz-williams-music-for-the-masses-may-1-2013|title= Forget Me Not: Rozz Williams|first= Steve|last= Huey|date=May 1, 2013|work=Library Journal Reviews|accessdate=December 28, 2015}}</ref> Nathan Van Hala of [[Christian metal]] group [[Saviour Machine]] was drafted to fill in the keyboard duties.<ref name="allbio"/> But before ''From Heart'' came out Shadow Project's career was again cut short, this time by Rozz Williams' suicide. The singer hanged himself on [[April Fool's Day]], leaving no suicide note. His former Christian Death bandmate, [[Valor Kand]], said that beside suffering from [[bipolar disorder]], Williams battled alcohol and heroin abuse all his life.<ref name=rs>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/goth-pioneer-rozz-williams-hangs-himself-19980409|title= Goth Pioneer Rozz Williams Hangs Himself|first= Anni|last= Layne|date= April 9, 1998|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=February 14, 2016}}</ref>

== Style and influences ==
In ''[[Terrorizer (magazine)|Terrorizer]]'' magazine's accessement, Shadow Project "seamlessly blended" all of Rozz Williams' talents: art, music and poetry.<ref name=terrorizer>{{cite web|url= http://www.terrorizer.com/dominion/dominionfeatures/hieroglyphics-the-greatest-logos-in-goth-rock-industrial|title= Hieroglyphics: The greatest logos in goth rock/industrial|first= Miranda|last= Yardley|date=May 17, 2012|work=[[Terrorizer (magazine)|Terrorizer]]|accessdate=January 12, 2016}}</ref> In that sense the group had a wide range of influences, raging from [[glam rock]] icons [[David Bowie]] and [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], West Coast [[punk rock|punk]] bands [[Germs (band)|The Germs]] and [[The Alley Cats (punk rock band)|The Alley Cats]],<ref name=exclaim>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-exclaim.htm|title= Rozz Williams interview|first= Mopa|last= Dean|date=February 1994|work=?*@# exclaim!|accessdate=January 12, 2016}}</ref> to [[Symbolism (arts)|symbolist]] poet [[Arthur Rimbaud]], "[[Theatre of Cruelty]]" creator [[Antonin Artaud]] and the [[cut-up technique]] of [[Beat Generation|Beat]] writer [[William S. Burroughs]].<ref name=seconds>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-seconds94.htm|title= Rozz Williams interview|date=1994|work=Seconds, 27|accessdate=January 21, 2016}}</ref> Rozz also held pioneer [[hard rock]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] groups such as [[Black Sabbath]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] and [[Alice Cooper]] in great esteem.<ref name="auto"/>

[[Eva O]] described Shadow Project's music as "a strange mixture of metallic [[death rock]] and punk".<ref name=yeretika>{{cite web|url=http://yeretika.convex.ru/EvaO.htm|title=Eva O|work=Yeretika|accessdate=January 26, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003231156/http://yeretika.convex.ru/EvaO.htm|archive-date=October 3, 2011}}</ref> For his part, Williams stated that Shadow Project's music wasn't "[[Gothic rock|Gothic-Rock]]"; in fact, the music of Shadow Project was "beyond labeling".<ref name=antocularis>{{cite web|url= http://antocularismagazine.blogspot.com/2006/07/shadow-project.html|title= Shadow Project|author= factory_peasant|date= July 6, 2006|work=Antocularis|accessdate=December 27, 2015}}</ref>

[[Rozz Williams]] felt frustrated that he couldn't quite steer from "[[Goth subculture|goth]]" tag due to the legendary status of his former band, [[Christian Death]].<ref name=premonition>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-premo95rozz.htm|title= Rozz Williams Interview|author= Christopher Labussière & Carole Jay|date=February 1995|work=Premonition, 18|accessdate=January 21, 2016}}</ref> Williams didn't consider himself part of the gothic scene anymore, stating that:

{{cquote|I dont go out to the clubs, so I don't really see it much unless I'm doing a show, and then sometimes it seems a wee bit superficial, you know. It's just funny seeing the whole image and dress and style and everything, which can be really great, but it seems like for a lot of the people, thats their main concern. They dont have many questions behind what they're doing.<ref name=cn13>{{cite web|url= http://thebluehour.free.fr/rozzarticles-cnoctem.htm|title= Two Shimmering Sides of a Euphonious Sword|first= Andrew|last= Corson|date=1996|work=Carpe Noctem, 1(3)|accessdate=12 January 2016}}</ref>}}

== Themes ==

Rozz Williams' favorite subject matter revolved around death, religion and violence.<ref name=trouserpress>{{cite web|url= http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=christian_death|title= TrouserPress :: Christian Death|first1= Greg|last1=Fasolino|first2=Katherine|last2=Yeske|first3=Scott|last3=Ferguson|work=[[Trouser Press]]|accessdate=February 21, 2016}}</ref> Regarding the latter, the singer was obsessed with serial killers – especially [[Charles Manson]] – and dedicated a song ("Still Born/Still Life") to [[Jeffrey Dahmer]]. He explained that, to him, "they've crossed a barrier that... well, obviously, you're not supposed to and you're not allowed to, supposedly. It's kind of a fascination with that".<ref name="auto"/>

== Discography ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Studio albums
* ''[[Shadow Project (album)|Shadow Project]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Dreams for the Dying]]'' (1992)
* ''[[From the Heart (Shadow Project album)|From the Heart]]'' (1998)
;Live albums
* ''[[In Tuned Out – Live '93]]'' (1994)
;EPs
* ''The Original Shadow Project'' (2005)
;Demos
* ''Helter Skelter'' (1987)
;Videos
* ''And Then There Was Death'' (2005)
{{col-2}}
;Compilation appearances
* ''Triple X Records – Compilation Five'' (1991)
* ''[[Welcome to Our Nightmare: A Tribute to Alice Cooper]]'' (1993)
* ''The Fallen Angel – Kyrandia's First Gate'' (1994)
* ''Catch 22'' (1995)
* ''Must Be Mental II'' (1995)
* ''Hollows Hill'' (1998)
* ''Hex Files – The Goth Bible Vol. 3'' (1998)
* ''The Nature of Mother Dance'' (1998)
* ''The Black Book Compilation – Goths' Paradise II'' (1999)
* ''The Whip'' (2001)
* ''Strobelights Vol. 1'' (2004)
* ''Kaliffornian Deathrock'' (2006)
{{col-end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
* Issitt, Micah L. (2011). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=S3Vd2KQUZOwC&q=goths+an+american+subculture Goths: a guide to an American subculture].'' [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]]: [[Greenwood Publishing Group|Greenwood]]. {{ISBN|978-0-313-38604-6}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.shadowproject1334.com/ Official website]
* [https://shadowproject.bandcamp.com/ Bandcamp]
*{{allmusic}}

{{Rozz Williams}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rock music groups from California]]
[[Category:Musical groups from San Francisco]]
[[Category:American death rock groups]]
[[Category:American gothic rock groups]]
[[Category:Alternative rock groups from California]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1987]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1993]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 1997]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1998]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2019]]

Shadow Project - Revision history

imported>CalmonTellechea: /* Formation */