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New Model Army (band)

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New Model Army are an English rock band. They are widely known for their unwavering political stance, and working class ethics. Therefore they are often labelled as a punk band.

Contents

Overview

New Model Army's earliest material on their debut album Vengeance - The Independent Story could probably with some justification be regarded as modern punk, albeit more melodic than the works of many of their classic counterparts.

Through the years, however, New Model Army have experimented with a great number of musical styles and nurtured numerous different inspirations. As a rock band they generally stand out of the crowd having a greater emphasis on the rhythm section, which often contains references to r&b. Besides punk, they have also been classified as post-punk, folk-rock, indie rock, gothic, rock noir and even metal amongst others. Their music is often regarded as intense, angry, and powerful, some might even say militant. However their repertoire also include quieter and softer, sometimes even acoustic material. Thus it would be inaccurate to simply classify them as any of these genres. Rather one should recognise them for what they really are: A very rock band with many different musical roots.

Their lyrics are always very poetic, but still manage to express political and humanitarian messages. Songs like 51st State earned the band cult status in movements against American imperialism, which was ironically responded with an impediment for the band to tour the U.S..

Lyrically Justin Sullivan has always formed a close relationship with British artist, novelist, and poet Joolz Denby, who is often credited as a consultant or aide and sometimes even co-writer. She is also responsible for the characteristic artwork on their covers and merchandise t-shirts and so forth.

As a music group, New Model Army also stand out because they tend to see themselves as an organisation rather than a business as the name of their homepage, [www.newmodelarmy.org], signifies.

Biography

The band was named after the English revolutionary army of Oliver Cromwell. Led by guitarist / vocalist, Justin Sullivan (who performed under the name 'Slade The Leveller' in the early 1980s), the group has an extremely loyal cult following. The band has also collaborated with electric violinist Ed Alleyne-Johnson, who worked with them on their Top 40 single "Vagabonds", and their albums Thunder & Consolation and Impurity, as well as touring extensively with them for five years. New Model Army frequently tour with more than five band members.

The group also tours as 'Justin Sullivan and Friends', which means a more acoustic set without some players (which ones varies), and is linked to Red Sky Coven, in which Justin Sullivan also plays. In early 2003, Sullivan released Navigating By The Stars, a solo album recorded with other band members and featuring Michael Dean on drums, Dean White on guitar annd keyboards, Danny Thompson on double bass, and Mark Feltham on harmonica.

After a short tour at the end of 2004, the group returned to the studio to record their ninth studio album, Carnival. EMI recently released a couple of remixed earlier albums. As the band themselves say it: "Although there is nothing new within the packages they have been very sympathetically re-packed and remastered and do sound very, very good."

In 2004 their one-time drummer and founding member, Robert Heaton, died of pancreatic cancer.

One of their other members, Ricky Warwick went on to form The Almighty.

Main Contributors

Discography

Albums

Studio albums Live albums Compilations

  • "Adrenalin" (1986)
  • "Lights Go Out" and "Poison Street" (Extended Mixes) (1987)
  • "New Model Army" (1987)

Pictoral history

  • Live 21.4.85 [VHS] (1985)
  • Videos '86-'89 [VHS] (1989)
  • History - The Videos 85-90 [VHS] (1992)
  • Bizarre 1996 [VHS] (1997)
  • Rock City 23-10-2000 Live - The 20th Anniversary Concert [VHS] (2001)
  • Here Comes The War (compilation of video clips) [VHS] (20??)
  • Live 161203 [DVD] (2004)

Trivia

External links

 

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