Biography

The Rhythm Ace label run by historic Brisbane music shop Skinny's Records and Tapes gained a reputation early on for specializing in stoner rock with signings like Rollerball and System 13, a tag that Giants of Science, a later addition to the roster, struggled to break free of. With their stripped-back post-grunge sound, they were much closer to Queens of the Stone Age than Kyuss. Guitarist/singer Ben Salter, second guitarist/backing vocalist Ben Tuite, bassist Matt Tanner, and drummer Steve Lynagh even went so far as to perform their early concerts wearing matching white labcoats and dub themselves a "nerd rock" band, which certainly helped them stand out. After their Blueprint for Courageous Action EP in 2001 they released their debut album, History of Warfare, on Rhythm Ace in 2002. For their second album they added more instrumentation, including keyboard, organ, cello, piano, and banjo, which required the addition of live keyboardist/third guitarist Adrian Stoyles. Members of the Red Sun Band also lent backing vocals. That album, Here Is the Punishment, was released on Plus One Records in 2005. Second single Sisters, a re-imagining of "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," was released as an EP backed by various covers they'd been performing as part of their live set, including songs by Split Enz, Superchunk, Swervedriver, and Sparklehorse. A year later Stoyles left to move to Melbourne and Tuite also called it quits, leaving the rest of the band to briefly continue as a three-piece until Lynagh took a year and a half off to travel overseas with his girlfriend. When Lynagh returned in 2009 they reunited and Tuite elected to rejoin the band as well. ~ Jody Macgregor, Rovi