SUPERHEIST

D.W. Norton (guitar); Joey Biro (vocals); Drew Dedman (bass); Sean Pentecost (drums); Fetah Sabawi (keys)

Superheist formed in 1993 as a super-heavy grindcore band but over the years has edged more and more towards a commercial groove-laden rock sound with little or no resemblance to their original style. Despite the scorn heaped upon them by former fans who preferred their much more extreme days, Superheist is still an exciting if heavily derivative band, though anyone who continues to classify them as heavy metal is very deaf indeed! In 1997 there was a major overhaul of the line-up when bass player Donut almost lost his hand in an industrial accident and was replaced by Si Durrant (ex-In:Extremis). By this time the band's grindcore days, now only represented as a couple of remixed tracks on the "Chrome Matrix" CD, where behind them. Sudz from Dreadnaught supplied drum tracks on that release. In early 1999 Superheist toured nationally with Sepultura. Shortly after this, Durrant apparently became disenchanted with Superheist's "new metal" direction and left the band, replaced by Drew Dedman, ex-Ikonoclast. Late in the year they appeared at the Metal for the Brain festival where they received a mixed response. The "Eight Miles High" release was recorded while Durrant was still a member and is an eight song issue with material from both "Two-Faced" and "Karma" as well as some new songs. Superheist's long awaited debut album The Prize Recruit was released in April 2001 and entered the Australian charts in the Top 20. Since then the band has been touring mercilessly. In August 2001 their credibility with their metal supporters of old was further blown when they opened for rap superstar Eminem in Sydney, however by this time Superheist had already established a whole new and very strong fanbase. Original vocalist Roderick "Berger" McLeod was removed from the band in late 2001 and was replaced by Joey Biro. The album that followed became something of a minor hit for the band and Superheist appeared at several festival events throughout 2002 and 2003. Conflicting interests between Biro and Norton resulted in the singer being sacked from the band in late 2003 and rumours of Norton's involvement with another group featuring members of Alchemist and Damaged have fuelled speculation of Superheist's demise.

Outside of his work with the band, Norton is also a highly-sought after producer and runs the Faultline Records label.

Discography:

Identical Remote Controlled Reactions (Pivotal) 2002

DW Norton (guitar)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
Joey Biro (vocals)
  1. Liberate
  2. Empire
  3. False Idols
  4. 7 Years
  5. New Culture
  6. Scars
  7. A Dignified Rage
  8. Will the Change
  9. Dear Enemy
  10. Beaming Down From the Satellites
  11. Sugarloaf Hill
  12. 2 Die 4
  13. Drilling the Void
  14. El Ladonigro
  15. The Karma Division
  16. Neverend
  17. Torniquet for a Broken Heart

A Dignified Rage (EP) (Pivotal) 2002

DW Norton (guitar)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
Joey Biro (vocals)
  1. A Dignified Rage
  2. A Dignified Rage (No Regrets Acoustic Version)
  3. Salt in the Wounds

7 Years (EP) (Pivotal) 2002

DW Norton (guitar)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
Joey Biro (vocals)
  1. 7 Years (edit)
  2. The Karma Division
  3. 7 Years
  4. Bullet (live)
  5. Two Faced (live)

Step Back (single) (Pivotal) 2001

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
  1. Step Back
  2. Slide
  3. When the Smoke Clears
  4. Unlearn (live)
  5. Pulse (live)

The Prize Recruit (Pivotal) 2001

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
  1. The Fightback
  2. Bullet
  3. Burnt Out Souls
  4. Slide
  5. Deliverance
  6. Old Again (Eurotrash)
  7. Uncanny Decadence
  8. The Ghost
  9. Happy Wasted
  10. Unlearn
  11. Downsouth
  12. Crank the System
  13. Stepback

Bullet (single) (Pivotal) 2001

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
  1. Bullet (edit)
  2. Powderburns
  3. Stigma
  4. Christine
  5. Bullet (album version)

Crank the System (EP) (Pivotal) 2000

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Drew Dedman (bass)
  1. Crank the System
  2. Crank the System (Fit for Mum Mix)
  3. Bullet for You
  4. Two Faced (Check Your Head Up) (live)
  5. Pulse (live)
  6. Move the Fuck Around

8 Miles High (EP) (Shagpile) 2000

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Si Durrant (bass)
  1. Pulse
  2. Karma
  3. Have Your Way
  4. Two Faced (Check Your Head Up)
  5. 1.4.U
  6. Detonate
  7. The Hollow Blue
  8. Beach View

Karma (EP) (Shagpile) 1999

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Si Durrant (bass)
  1. Karma
  2. Bitter Taste
  3. Synchin' In
  4. Karma (album version)

Two Faced (single) (Shagpile) 1998

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Sean Pentecost (drums)
Fetah Sabawi (keyboards, samples)
Si Durrant (bass)
  1. Two Faced (Check Your Head Up)
  2. Fluid
  3. Silver Sky

Chrome Matrix (EP) (Shagpile) 1997

DW Norton (guitar)
Rod McLeod (vocals)
Si Durrant (bass)

Anthony "Donut" Donath (bass)
Sudz (drums)
  1. Chrome Matrix
  2. Subhuman
  3. Platinum Matrix
  4. Truckasaurus
  5. Drift

Compilation track: Pulse -- Full Metal Racket (ABC) 2000

Compilation track: Two Faced (Check Your Head Up) -- RadioRock Volume 1 (Columbia) 2000

Compilation track: Beachview -- Route 666 Volume 2 (Shock) 2000

Compilation track: Step Back -- Loud Volume 1 (Universal) 2001

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Related entries: Dreadnaught, Iconoklast, In:Extremis, Seizure (Vic.)

This page is part of The Australian Metal Guide