Biography

The Washington, D.C., band Wool specialized in a rough hewn but melodic brand of punk-based hard rock for a brief part of the '90s. A sort of D.C. hardcore supergroup, Wool formed in the early '90s when brothers Peter and Franz Stahl (vocals and guitar, respectively) left Scream and teamed up with former Government Issue drummer Peter Moffett and bassist Al Bloch. The quartet's first offering was an EP, 1992's rollicking Budspawn, which was released independently on External Records. The material on Budspawn combined the four members' inherent punk aesthetics with a tendency toward more straight-ahead, anthemic hard rock and drug-induced psychedelia. Following a lineup change in which Moffett was replaced by new skinsman Chris Bratton, Wool were signed to London Records in the newly punk-friendly climate of 1993. The band recorded Box Set and released it the next year. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Box Set expanded on the basic blueprint of Wool's already established sound; surprisingly pop-friendly throughout, Box Set could have easily succeeded alongside the Stone Temple Pilots or Green Days of its time, yet the album spawned no real hits. After a less than enthusiastic commercial response to Box Set and an overall lack of visibility, Wool split in 1995 when guitarist Franz Stahl joined former Scream bandmate Dave Grohl in the Foo Fighters, replacing Pat Smear. ~ Andy Hinds, Rovi