Spahn Ranch

The industrial dance outfit Spahn Ranch was formed in 1992 by Matt Green and Rob Morton. The two had been writing songs together for nearly five years prior and had signed to Cleopatra to release a self-titled four-song EP that same year. In 1993, Athan Maroulis joined Spahn Ranch as vocalist and completed the group to issue their debut album Collateral Damage. Their sophomore effort, The Coiled One, appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. Christian Death drummer David Glass (born Parkinson) stepped in for his departure, and former Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft and Maroulis's former mate and drummer Harry Lewis also joined the band in order to capture a fuller, more diverse industrial/darkwave sound. Spahn Ranch continued to release albums throughout the late '90s; 1997's Archictecture featured collaborations with Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and 1998's Beat Noir showcased work with Bauhaus bassist David J. Toward the close of the decade, Spahn Ranch found themselves as a three-piece with Green, Maroulis, and Lewis. They endlessly played gigs across North America with Switchblade Symphony, Electric Hellfire Club, Type O Negative, and Kevorkian Death Cycle prior to issuing Closure in early 2001. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide