Biography
After Executive Slacks dissolved in Philadelphia during 1991, several former members quickly regrouped as Tubalcain the following year. The lineup featured Athan Maroulis handling lead vocals, Robb Jordan on guitar and keyboards, Stephen Lentz on bass, Harry Lewis on drums and percussion, and John Young also on keyboards; Maroulis, born September 22, 1964, in Brooklyn, NY, had previously performed with Executive Slacks, as had Jordan, Lewis, and Young, though the latter should not be mistaken for the Chicago jazz pianist sharing his name. Observers of the local rock community often viewed the two groups as interchangeable, yet Tubalcain cultivated a distinct intensity through an aggressive, darkly melodic strain of alternative rock shaped by industrial, metal, and goth elements. Maroulis brought a natural affinity for the latter style, having fronted Fahrenheit 451, the Bauhaus-influenced goth outfit named after Ray Bradbury’s novel, prior to relocating from New York to join Executive Slacks in 1987.
Tubalcain issued its debut album, 25 Assorted Needles, on the independent Verdugo imprint in 1992. Although commercial returns remained modest, the band secured numerous club dates along the East Coast, appearing in Philadelphia as well as New York and Washington, D.C. While still active with Tubalcain, Maroulis relocated to Los Angeles and joined Spahn Ranch, the Southern California industrial act that would eventually eclipse his earlier projects in visibility. He initially attempted to maintain a bi-coastal schedule between Spahn Ranch and Tubalcain until the latter’s EP, Left, appeared on Brooklyn-based Funky Mushroom Records in 1994. By year’s end, however, the members chose to disband, delivering a final performance at Silk City in Philadelphia during December 1994; Tubalcain had ceased operations by the start of 1995.
No longer splitting time between cities, Maroulis devoted himself fully to Spahn Ranch and accepted an entry-level position at the Cleopatra Label Group in 1995, the same company to which Spahn Ranch had been signed since 1992. He advanced through the organization into roles encompassing A&R, promotions, and publicity. As the decade progressed, Spahn Ranch gained greater recognition than Fahrenheit 451, Executive Slacks, or Tubalcain, while Maroulis’s label duties expanded accordingly. In 2000 he partnered with Los Angeles producer Skip Heller, another former Philadelphia resident, to launch Blue Dahlia, a project that diverged sharply from his prior work. Listeners familiar with his goth, industrial, and alternative background were taken aback by Blue Dahlia’s embrace of 1940s-style jazz and pre-rock pop standards, drawing instead on vocalists such as Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, and the young, Columbia-era Frank Sinatra. Lewis likewise departed Philadelphia for Los Angeles during the 1990s, where he eventually reunited with Maroulis in Spahn Ranch.
Tubalcain issued its debut album, 25 Assorted Needles, on the independent Verdugo imprint in 1992. Although commercial returns remained modest, the band secured numerous club dates along the East Coast, appearing in Philadelphia as well as New York and Washington, D.C. While still active with Tubalcain, Maroulis relocated to Los Angeles and joined Spahn Ranch, the Southern California industrial act that would eventually eclipse his earlier projects in visibility. He initially attempted to maintain a bi-coastal schedule between Spahn Ranch and Tubalcain until the latter’s EP, Left, appeared on Brooklyn-based Funky Mushroom Records in 1994. By year’s end, however, the members chose to disband, delivering a final performance at Silk City in Philadelphia during December 1994; Tubalcain had ceased operations by the start of 1995.
No longer splitting time between cities, Maroulis devoted himself fully to Spahn Ranch and accepted an entry-level position at the Cleopatra Label Group in 1995, the same company to which Spahn Ranch had been signed since 1992. He advanced through the organization into roles encompassing A&R, promotions, and publicity. As the decade progressed, Spahn Ranch gained greater recognition than Fahrenheit 451, Executive Slacks, or Tubalcain, while Maroulis’s label duties expanded accordingly. In 2000 he partnered with Los Angeles producer Skip Heller, another former Philadelphia resident, to launch Blue Dahlia, a project that diverged sharply from his prior work. Listeners familiar with his goth, industrial, and alternative background were taken aback by Blue Dahlia’s embrace of 1940s-style jazz and pre-rock pop standards, drawing instead on vocalists such as Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, and the young, Columbia-era Frank Sinatra. Lewis likewise departed Philadelphia for Los Angeles during the 1990s, where he eventually reunited with Maroulis in Spahn Ranch.
Albums
