Filter is an industrial rock group formed in 1993 by Richard Patrick (former live guitarist for Nine Inch Nails), guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang and Chicago guitarist/songwriter Arthur Lee. Filter's most distinguishing feature is Richard Patrick's voice, which can soar to quite a high scream - on just about all songs.

Their first album, Short Bus, was released in 1995. The album was successful, and included the hit single "Hey Man, Nice Shot". The song was somewhat controversial, as it was seen as capitalizing on the public suicide of Budd Dwyer. Kurt Cobain's suicide was widely rumored to have inspired the song, but the band refuted this. In need of a live band to tour the album, Patrick and Liesegang recruited Geno Lenardo on guitar, Frank Cavanaugh on bass, and Matt Walker on drums. They would all later be featured in the video for the album's second single, "Dose".

In 1996, Filter recorded and filmed the video for the song "Jurassitol", for City of Angels soundtrack. They also released the home video Phenomenology in 1996, which showcased some of the band's live performances and music videos, as well as an interview with Richard Patrick and Brian Liesegang filmed in New Mexico.

Liesegang left in 1997 shortly after recording the Filter/Crystal Method collaboration "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do" for the Spawn movie soundtrack, due to creative differences with Patrick. In 1998, for The X-Files film soundtrack, Patrick decided to keep the Filter name and recorded a cover of Three Dog Night's "One".

Patrick continued on with 1999's Title of Record with returning members Geno Lenardo and Frank Cavanaugh, as well as Steve Gillis on drums, filling in the gap left by Matt Walker after he left to work with The Smashing Pumpkins. Title of Record moved away from industrial rock somewhat, and produced a modest hit with "Take a Picture," along with other lesser-heard singles "Welcome to the Fold" and "The Best Things".

2002 saw the release of The Amalgamut, the most notable singles being "Where Do We Go From Here" and "The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way)" which was featured in the first wave of Hummer2 commercials, also in 2002.

Patrick has reported in his official website that he has already put a great deal of work into an unnamed fourth Filter release, but has put that aside indefinitely in favor of his new project Army of Anyone with former Stone Temple Pilots members, Robert and Dean DeLeo.

Discography

Singles

1. |#76
2. |#10
3. |#19

1. |#39

1. |#12
2. |#3
3. |#4
4. |#25

1. |#17
2. |#8

1. |#18
2. |#31

1. |#40

1. |#94
2. |#11
3. |#12

Soundtrack contributions

• City of Angels (album) (1996) - "Jurrassitol"
• Music From And Inspired By The X-Files (1996) - "Thanks Bro"
• The Album (1997) - "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do", with Crystal Method
• The Album (1998) - "One"
• The Cable Guy (1996) - "Hey Man, Nice Shot"

Trivia

• Richard Patrick is the brother of actor Robert Patrick, best known for appearing as the T-1000 in Judgment Day and John Doggett on The X-Files.

• The song Captain Bligh was written about Trent Reznor's notoriously anti-social habits by Richard Patrick after he left Nine Inch Nails. Vice-Admiral William Bligh was also captain of the HMAV Bounty, on which Mutiny on the Bounty was based.

• The song Take a Picture is about a dispute on an airplane. Richard Patrick stripped down to his boxers to get comfortable enough to sleep, alarming the other passengers. Lyrics include: "I don't believe in privacy"; "I feel like a new-born"; and "Awake on my airplane." "Take a picture" is a popular expression to say when someone is caught staring, especially at someone who is naked or in his or her underwear ("Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer.").

• The lyrics "Hey, Dad, what do you think about your son now?" in the song Take a Picture refers to the fact that Patrick's father didn't believe he could make it in the recording business and tried to persuade him to pursue another direction.

• Richard Patrick was part of the supergroup The Damning Well, which has only released one track on the Underworld movie soundtrack in 2003, despite an entire album's worth of recording.

• Former Filter members Brian Liesegang and Matt Walker played guitar and drums (respectively) in Billy Corgan's touring band in 2005 to promote his solo album.

• Richard Patrick started a new band, named "Army Of Anyone," with Robert and Dean DeLeo of the former band Stone Temple Pilots.

See also

• 1990s music groups
• List of alternative music artists
• List of industrial music artists
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

External links

• Filter's official web site
• All Music Guide entry for Filter
• Hit, With a Bullet: Filter’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
• Filter The Band by P. Short.

Industrial music groups | Rock music groups | American musical groups | Illinois musicians | Ohio musical groups | Electronic music groups | American dance musicians | Dance/Club music artists | Post-grunge groups

Filter (Band)