Bang

While Blue Cheer is widely cited as the recording unit which brought ear-splitting volume to rock music, another early 70s band, known simply and accurately as Bang, were more than capable of blowing a speaker stack or two themselves. Formed by Frank Gilcken (guitar), Frank Ferrara (bass, vocals) and Tony D’Lorio (drums), Bang achieved a mighty din with the release of their self-titled 1972 debut for Capitol Records - especially for a record recorded by a trio. It was somewhat disappointing, therefore, when the group’s two subsequent albums retreated from the debut’s extremes. Although competent and better produced, neither Mother/Father nor Music generated the same level of excitement and the band broke up in the mid-70s.