THE END OF THE W RID as WE KNO'. tr Powerman 5000 look to level rock with Anyone for Doomsday.

by Frank Correia Oftentimes, leaders obsessed let me tell you, it's even worse than you with doomsday are the ones you thought it was.' I get tired of it. It seems like a lot of people relate to that atti- want to keep an eye on. But before tude, but I was never one to sit around you worry about Powerman 5000 and cry and bitch and moan about ev- frontman Spider One having some erything. 'Poor, pitiful me. Look, I'm sort of Branch Davidian complex, selling millions of records, and my par- ents didn't pay attention to me.' rest easy knowing that the tongue - "It's weird, because it's so personal in -cheek title of the group's new on the surface. But in a weird way it DreamWorks album, Anyone for almost seems fake to me. I'm down with Doomsday? was inspired by an old the big rock anthems. Get some people magazine article from the 1940s. stirred up. That's more what I'm into." The big headline on it was 'Anyone fal Out Of inter POAI_I"1,>,N 5000 for Doomsday? Not you, not me, but it Doomsday's first single, the energetic could happen!'" explains Spider, imitat- "Bombshell," is exactly the type of fun doing or why you were doing it. You "What we try to do is make sure that, ing the classic voice -over style found in rock anthem that could level the lithium just knew you wanted to. There was no at the end of the process, it still sounds B movies from the '50s. "I thought it ballads and tortured tales populating pressure. It was just about having fun. like a real band," Spider says. "Some- was so funny. It was basically talking playlists everywhere. Spider One refers "When you get to be a bigger band, times you can get caught up in the elec- about the end of the world, but it to PM5K as "the 21st -century killing you get swept up into other things. tronic side of things, and it sucks the sounded so lighthearted, like somebody machine," and it's not hard to imagine Sometimes you have to keep remind- life out of the band. That's been our asking you if you want to play tennis. him leading an army of android assas- ing yourself that it's all about that - one rule: Anything goes, but at the end Tennis anyone ?" sins into battle against self-pitying rock trying to have fun, being in it just for of the day, it's still got to sound like stars. making music and hanging out and try- playing a song." The tilt Whereas his famous monster of a ing to have a good time and not worry- While some may consider PM5K Nevertheless, the whole idea of "the brother, Rob Zombie, culled his image ing if this radio station is playing it and sci -fi image campy, it can be quite use - end" was the launching pad for Dooms- from the crypt, Spider opted for the all that other stuff that gets in the way ful. 'Something I've always loved about day. ' "The whole idea of doomsday stars. The sci-fi image is totally appro- of being in a band. I definitely look back science fiction was that you could tackle, ended up being a positive thing instead priate when you consider PM5K's his- on all those times with great fondness." social issues in a way that wasn't bla'" of a negative thing," Spider says. "Kind tory: Powerman 5000 were like an away Although growing up 35 miles north tantly obvious," Spider says. "A lot of of like a new start, a new beginning of team beamed down from an orbiting of Boston in the town of Haverhill, MA the good sci -fi did that. A giant mon- something - not necessarily the band alien mothership into the Boston mu- is something the frontman doesn't re- ster could be looked at as just entertain- or music, just sort of a general philoso- sic scene of the early '90s. call with much fondness, a teenage Spi- ment, or is it a statement on the atom ', phy of not being afraid of one thing "We were a fish out of water," Spi- der used to launch his own expeditions bomb? Is it a statement on society? der concedes. "The scene was very ga- to find the punk rock he craved. "I used "That's how I've always approached lyrics, with dual meaning. It "IT SEEMS LIKE RIGHT NOW rage -rock and bar-band oriented. There to jump on the train every Sunday and that could were a bunch of bands becoming popu- go to Boston," he says. "They used to just be looked at on the surface level, THERE'S THIS TREND - lar that were very different from what have these all -ages hardcore shows. For which is entertainment, or you could we were trying to do. We were just a that Sunday afternoon, I felt like 'HERE'S THE WORLD. IT Continued on Page 91 big mess of styles, combining heavy I was in New York or London. SUCKS. AND LET ME TELL YOU, rock and rap -style vocals before it be- "When you're that young, came this big phenomenon. it's so exciting to get a glimpse IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN YOU "We didn't know what we were do- of this whole other world. [ICKET TO ing, but people were into it. Kids re- Then you'd get off the train, RIDE THOUGHT IT WAS.' I GET sponded, I think, because it was so dif- and you're back in Haverhill, Surname: was and nothing is going on. For LANGBECKER TIRED OF IT." ferent from what going on there. Given Name: We definitely weren't your typical col- that afternoon, I knew that KIM Company: lege bar band, that's for sure." I'd found something more, MCA ending and something better coming that there was something Date :of Birth: along." The IMF les else going on." Place And as the life cycle of rap -rock Before earning Platinum spacesuits Of Birth: 62 DET ROIT,AR replicants winds down, PM5K could be for 1999's Tonight the Stars Revolt, Attitude Is Everything MI readily the next evolved mecha, ready for world Powerman 5000 carved out their niche Spider admits "Passion for Love what domination. "Look, I'm a sucker for a on the Boston indie label Curve of the that PM5K's sound of all I do. types good sad song every once in awhile," Earth Records with 1994's True Force EP couldn't be farther from Honesty of music. and 1995's Blood Splat Rating System, punk, yet he likes to Treating and integrity. Spider says of the current rock scene. g people "But for me, having been such a music earning Best Album honors in a local think the attitude is still I have with respect.ree been fortunate fan a age, I always poll and building a solid following in there. One thing that to from very early drew way up. the bottom the Beantown underground. PM5K certainly have I think and start inspiration from music. I would look to assistant that starting work my is to as my favorite bands to give me an option "Those were some of the best times," down the ability then moving an national to to everyday life. When I would listen Spider says of his Curve of the Earth seamlessly fuse elec- then local and days. "I wouldn't trade where I am now, tronic sounds with to my favorite bands, it would offer me asea more it was hard rock a task prmotiond solid foundation a whole other world. but on the other hand, back then - Person.a "It seems like right now there's this all about having fun. You made records, that makes many trend - 'Here's the world. It sucks. And and you had no idea what you were bands malfunction.