*shels

*shels is a British-American rock group,[1] formed in 2003. The band have been described as a supergroup of the British underground music scene, as they have, at various times, featured former members of bands including Mahumodo, Eden Maine and Fireapple Red.[2][3]

*shels
OriginLondon, England
California, USA
GenresProgressive rock, post-rock, alternative metal, shoegazing, post-metal
Years active2003–present
LabelsShelsmusic
Websitehttp://www.shelsmusic.com

History

The band was formed in 2003 by singer/songwriter Mehdi Safa and drummer Tom Harriman, after the break-up of their former band Mahumodo.[4] *shels took their name from the 1999 Mahumodo EP, entitled Shels.[5] They released an EP, Wingsfortheirsmiles,[6] in 2004 on Shelsmusic, a record label founded by Safa in 2002.[4] The band released their debut full length studio album, Sea of the Dying Dhow on 18 June 2007,[3] in partnership with Undergroove records.[2] The album attracted positive reviews from critics,[7][8][9] culminating in it being named one of the top albums of 2007 by Rock Sound magazine.[10] The band toured the UK in June and July of the same year in support of the album, performing with various groups such as Bossk and The Ghost of a Thousand.[3] The tour included a performance at GuilFest, where the band share a stage with My Vitriol and Zico Chain.[11]

The band's second EP, Laurentian's Atoll, was then released in November 2007. This was composed of remastered versions of the three tracks from Wingsfortheirsmiles, four new recordings and an extended version of "water", from Sea of the Dying Dhow.[6] The band embarked on a second UK tour in November 2008, which included a performance at Damnation Festival, where they shared a stage with the likes of Cathedral and Devil Sold His Soul.[12] Their second full-length, entitled Plains of the Purple Buffalo,[1][2] was released on 27 June 2011.

Band members

While previous releases have been written predominantly by Mehdi Safa, live performances have featured a number of different artists performing with the band. Vocalist Mehdi Safa said in an interview with Rock Sound, "The whole point of *shels is that it is very free, It is not really a band in the traditional sense, we can have people from other bands come in and play certain shows. It is set up to be a very free vehicle. There is a core of who is involved, but you can compare it to The John Williams Orchestra. It has a core but the line-up changes around that core".[13]

The line-up for the band's 2007 tour included:[13]

  • Mehdi Safa – vocals, guitar
  • Tom Harriman – drums
  • Simon Maine – guitar
  • Green Dave – guitar
  • Phil Maine – guitar
  • Red Dave – bass guitar
  • Ed Mathews – atmospherics
  • Arif Driessen – trumpet

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles
  • Butterflies (On Luci's Way) (2011)

References
  1. "Round Up: *shels". Rock Sound (108): 9. April 2008. Transatlantic rockers *shels want people to send recordings of themselves to appear on their next record 'Plains of the Purple Buffalo'...
  2. Finney, Graham. "Interview with *shels". planet-loud.com. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. "*shels – RS Sponsored Tour!". Rock Sound (98): 10. July 2007. *shels are playing for the first time in the UK across June and July... *shels' line-up includes members of such underground favourites as Mahumodo, Eden Maine and Fireapple Red... also playing the shows will be up-and-coming bands Bossk, Latitudes and Down I Go, with The Ghost of a Thousand... the band's debut album 'Sea of the Dying Dhow' is out on 18 June
  4. Sellers, Karl (18 October 2010). "Interview – Mehdi Safa (*shels)". love-it-loud.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  5. "*shels – New Horizons". Rock Sound (98): 72. July 2007. As the adapted title of an early demo, the name *shels may be familiar to those that followed Mahumodo closely...
  6. Kellehar, Rachel (December 2007). "*shels: Laurentian's Atoll [8/10]". Rock Sound (103): 88. ...and three remastered songs from debut EP 'Wingsfortheirsmiles'...
  7. Dillon, Jared W (21 June 2007). "*shels: Sea of the Dying Dhow". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  8. McGrath, Ken. "*shels: Sea of the Dying Dhow (Undergroove)". Blistering. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  9. Kellehar, Rachel (July 2007). "*shels: Sea of the Dying Dhow [9/10]". Rock Sound (98): 90. ...this progressive postrock project has resulted in an album of such cinematic beauty and epic intensity that using words alone to try and describe it feels as impossible as swallowing a mouthful of sand.
  10. "Top 75 Albums of 2007". Rock Sound (104): 24. 25 December 2007. 35: *shels – Sea of the Dying Dhow (Undergroove)
  11. "Guilfest 2007 Lineup". virtualfestivals.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  12. "Damnation Line-up Unravels". Rock Sound (114): 10. October 2008. ...now confirmed for the Rock Sound stage are Cathedral, Devil Sold His Soul, The Mirimar Disaster, Ramesses, *shels and Latitudes.
  13. "*shels: New Horizons". Rock Sound (98): 72–73. July 2007.
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