Truly a band out of time, Australian power trio
Wolfmother were conceived in 2000 -- about 30 years too late, considering that their psychedelic brand of proto-heavy metal sounds like a ringer for late-'60s/early-'70s bands such as
Blue Cheer and
Black Sabbath. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist
Andrew Stockdale, bassist/organist
Chris Ross, and drummer
Myles Heskett,
Wolfmother took the initiative of recording a four-track demo in 2004 for the purpose of getting booked for shows. But so sterling were the results that they soon found themselves re-recording it for official release via local Modular Records. A second EP,
Dimensions, appeared in 2006, and
Wolfmother made the jump to the majors in early 2006 courtesy of an American distribution deal for Modular through Interscope. Their self-titled album debut appeared in May and reached the Top 40, resulting in a trophy for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 2007 Grammy awards. Co-founders
Ross and
Heskett left the group the following year, leaving
Stockdale and new members
Ian Peres (bass, keyboards),
Aidan Nemeth (guitar), and drummer Dave Atkins to carry the torch with 2009's Cosmic Egg. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide