Seraphim
Seraphim | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Millstrath, Newcastle, Maximusian Republic |
| Genres | Progressive rock, art rock |
| Years active | 1972-1980, 2026-present |
| Spinoffs | Jerry Rhett and the Sordid Affairs, the Isaiah Leary Band |
| Past members | Jeremy Rhett Isaiah Leary Richard Alan Lewis Jay Carter |
Seraphim was a Maximusian rock group formed in Millstrath in 1972. The band comprised lead singer and keyboardist, Jerry Rhett, guitarist Isaiah Leary, bassist Richard Alan Lewis, and drummer Jay Carter. Seraphim was instrumental in bringing the Maximusian progressive and art rock scene (sometimes called "Millstrath Sound") mainstream, and popularized album-oriented rock across the country.
Although initially commercially unsuccessful, the band signed to Empyrean Records in 1976 and subsequently topped the charts in the Maximusian Republic with their fourth studio album "Max Jones Learns to Swear".[1] Over the next four years, Seraphim released three additional albums, topping the charts with "Dog Day Renaissance" and "Another Wisecrack" from their 1978 album, "The Giants are Dead," and "Greased Pig" from their 1979 album, "Rust Monk." The latter album was a semiautobiographical rock opera composed by Rhett, which derided the extant Maximusian political establishment for its perceived indifference to proletarian struggles and lamented the death of the country's industrial core.
Although composition for all seven studio albums was credited to the entire band, Rhett and Leary were the band's chief composers and lyricists. A belligerent duo, Rhett and Leary were known for their messy creative disagreements, which contributed to the band's ultimate breakup in 1980. Shortly after the release of their final studio album, "Relapse," which received a lukewarm initial reception, Jay Carter died of an overdose of a combination of heroin, alcohol, and prescription anti-anxiety medications. Seraphim chose to formally disband, rather than replace Carter.
Studio albums[edit | edit source]
- Seraphim (1972)
- Thrones and Heralds (1973), released abroad as SeraphIIm or Seraphim Vol. II
- Revenge of the World Eaters and Other Sonnets (1975)
- Max Jones Learns to Swear (1976)
- The Giants are Dead (1978)
- Rust Monk (1979)
- Relapse (1980)[2]
- Seraphim: One Last Word (1985)