Nebula

Nebula
Background information
Origin	Whittier, California, USA
Genres	Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Acid Rock
Years active	1997 - 2010, 2017 - Present
Labels	MeteorCity Records, Tee Pee Records, Man's Ruin Records, Heavy Psych Sounds, Sweet Nothing, Sub Pop Records, Liquor and Poker Music, Salt of The Earth
Associated acts	Fu Manchu, Karma To Burn, Mondo Generator, Year Long Disaster, Roadsaw, The Golden Grass, Blaak Heat, Albatross Overdrive, The Freeks
Website	Nebula Facebook

Nebula are a psychedelic/stoner rock band from Whittier, California. Active initially between 1997 and 2010 this group was a key player in the late 90s stoner rock scene, founded by Eddie Glass, alongside Mark Abshire and Ruben Romano, all of whom previously played in Fu Manchu. Nebula's sound would be more driven by early hard rock, punk rock and psychedelic rock inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, MC5, Stooges, Pink Floyd, 13th Floor Elevators, Black Flag and Mudhoney to name a few. In the band's original run from 1997 - 2010, Nebula would release five studio albums amid a wide range of other releases, through various labels such as Sub Pop, MeteorCity, Relapse, Man's Ruin, The Music Cartel and Tee Pee Records.

The band would take a hiatus in 2010 but would return in 2017 with a new lineup and, following reissues and festival appearances, eventually released a sixth studio album in 2019 via Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds.

History

To The Center and Charged (1997 - 2002)

Prior to Nebula's formation, the core members of Nebula had all performed in the stoner rock band Fu Manchu. Sometime after the release of the band's third album In Search Of... on 27 February 1996 both Eddie Glass and Ruben Romano would leave the band, citing personal and musical differences with Hill. Romano and Glass wanted to pursue a more psychedelic direction while Hill wanted to stick to a heavy rock sound. Both Romano and Glass would join up with former bassist Mark Abshire to form Nebula in 1997. Despite how the trio departed Fu Manchu the band expressed no animosity towards fans wearing Fu Manchu shirts at their early shows, often stating "we're all family".

Nebula would begin recording at Rancho De La Luna in May 1997 with Fred Drake, signing with Tee Pee Records to release their debut EP Let It Burn on 26 January 1998. Nebula would begin touring in 1998, performing extensively throughout the United States and Italy that year, sharing the stage with the likes of Roadsaw, Sixty Watt Shaman, Core, Drag Pack, The Atomic Bitchwax, Eyehategod, Melvins and Mudhoney just to name a few. Let It Burn would also be re-issued by Relapse Records that year.

Recording in Seattle and New York City, Nebula would release their next extended plays in Sun Creature on 23 March 1999 via Man's Ruin Records and a split with Swedish rockers Lowrider on 27 April 1999 via MeteorCity Records. However the band would sign with Sub Pop Records for their debut album, having recorded with Jack Endino at Hanszek Audio in Seattle that April. Featuring guest spots from Jon Wright and Mark Arm, Nebula's debut album To The Center would see release on 19 October 1999, attaining praise from publications such as Exclaim! and GQ.

Nebula would tour that Spring with Nashville Pussy before embarking on their first full European tour with Unida. A second tour of Europe would follow that Fall with The Awesome Machine before returning to North America to tour with The Atomic Bitchwax and Core. An EP in Clearlight saw release the next year. Further touring throughout 2000 would take place with Zen Guerrilla (North America) and Roadsaw (Europe) before closing out with the band's first Australian tour that November.

Work would begin on a second studio album in October of 2000, recording at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ with John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr.). Charged would see release on 10 April 2001 to positive reviews from the likes of Kerrang!, NME, Kingsize, Revolver Magazine and The New York Press to name a few. Nebula would tour extensively all over the world to support Charged including an appearance at an early edition of Roadburn Festival, a return to Australia and the band's first tour of South America, sharing the stage with the likes of Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Orange Goblin, On Trial and many others. Further touring would happen throughout 2002 as MeteorCity would release Dos EPs, collecting previous EPs and unreleased songs into a compilation. Notably, Nebula would also contribute a song to the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

Atomic Ritual and Apollo (2003 - 2007)

Through 2002 going into 2003 Nebula would begin work on a third studio album, entering Rancho De La Luna with producer Chris Goss. Before recording, founding bassist Mark Abshire would leave the band with Simon Moon taking over the sessions. Atomic Ritual would see release on 23 September 2003 to positive reviews and "So It Goes" would be on the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2. A music video would be made for "Carpe Diem" and the band would notably appear on the hit TV show "Monster Garage". In regards to touring Nebula would tour with fill-in bassists such as Moon, Dennis Wilson and Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless). Abshire would notably return for a 2004 North American Tour with Local H. Tom Davies would officially join the band on 10 September 2004.

Following the band's first tour of Japan in 2005, Nebula would announce on 14 May 2005 that work would begin on a fourth studio album, recording in Los Angeles with producer Daniel Rey (Masters of Reality, Misfits, Ramones, etc.) The album's recording would be finished by August. With further details announced in the Fall, Apollo would see release on 21 February 2006 to mixed reviews. Nebula would extensively tour North America and Europe through 2006 and 2007 to support Apollo. On 18 June 2007 founding drummer Ruben Romano would leave the band, with Rob Oswald (Karma To Burn, Mondo Generator) would take over the drum role.

Heavy Psych and Hiatus (2008 - 2010)

Initially released as a promo EP on tour with Totimoshi and later added with a few more songs, Heavy Psych would see release on 7 July 2009 via Tee Pee Records, the same label as the band's first EP. Heavy Psych would see positive reviews from the likes of Pop Matters, and Logic Fuzzy among others. Nebula would tour North America to support the album.

In August 2009, Adam Kriney, formerly of La Otracina, was recruited to replace departing drummer Oswald, though he too announced his departure in January 2010 and was replaced by Jimmy Sweet for tour of Europe and SXSW. However in the Spring of 2010 Nebula announced that it was going on an indefinite hiatus. Glass later explained that "things started getting a bit rough with the touring and I got sick of it", though Nebula were merely "taking a break for a while" and not breaking up.

Holy Shit, Transmission From Mothership Earth (2017 - Present)

On 12 November 2017 it would be announced that Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds would re-issue Let It Burn, To The Center and Dos EPs. A month later on 15 December 2017 it would be announced that Nebula had returned from hiatus and announced a string of European dates to support the re-issues, including appearances at DesertFest London, DesertFest Berlin, Duna Jam, Lake on Fire Festival, SonicBlast Moledo, Hellfest and Azkena Rock Festival. The lineup for this reformation would be Glass, Davies and drummer Michael Amster (Abrams, Blaak Heat, Mondo Generator).

Along with further reissues Nebula would begin work on a new studio album, recording at All Welcome Records in Los Angeles with Matt Lynch (Snail). Following the release of a demos and outtakes compilation (Demos & Outtakes 98-02) on 25 January 2019, Nebula would release their first album in ten years. Holy Shit would see release on 7 June 2019 via Heavy Psych Sounds. Holy Shit would attain significant critical praise from the likes of The Obelisk, Echoes and Dust, New Noise Magazine, Outlaws of The Sun and Metal Temple among several other publications.

Nebula would tour North America and Europe to support Holy Shit in what would be the band's first full tours in roughly a decade. A North American tour with Monster Magnet and the band's first Australian tour in nearly twenty years would be planned for 2020 but ultimately postponed due to The COVID-19 pandemic. The band would however collaborate with Stoned and Dusted for their Live in the Mojave Desert series, presenting a livestream set on 5 February 2021. Nebula were intended to tour in the Spring of 2022 with Year of The Cobra but would cancel the tour in early April to concentrate on their seventh album. Ultimately the band would release Transmission From Mothership Earth on 22 July 2022 to positive reviews. A tour of Europe would follow along with a tour of North America in 2023, which would notably see bassist Ranch Fironi filling in and original bassist Mark Abshire filling in on some dates for Tom Davies. It would later be revealed that Tom Davies had been battling Leukemia to which he would take chemotherapy to battle it. A GoFundMe would be raised to help with the funds, garnering thousands in just over 24 hours.

On 5 September, Tom Davies would pass away from leukemia, aged 48. Davies' family would make a statement on the evening of 6 September, along with the band.

Discography

Albums

• To the Center (1999, Sub Pop Records)
• Charged (2001, Sub Pop Records)
• Atomic Ritual (2003, Liquor & Poker)
• Apollo (2006, Liquor & Poker)
• Heavy Psych (2009, Tee Pee Records)
• Holy Shit (2019, Heavy Psych Sounds)
• Transmission From Mothership Earth (2022, Heavy Psych Sounds)

Extended Plays and Singles

• Let it Burn (1997, Tee Pee Records; 1998, Relapse Records)
• Sun Creature (1999, Man's Ruin Records)
• Clearlight (2000, Sweet Nothing)
• Do It Now (2001, Sweet Nothing)
• Atomic Ritual (2003, Sweet Nebula)
• Nebula (2003, Liquor & Poker)

Splits

• Vulcan Bomber / Aquasphere (With That's All Folks!) (1998, Last Scream)
• Nebula / Lowrider (With Lowrider) (1999, MeteorCity Records)
• Strange Human / Taking Care of Business (With Winnebago Deal) (2003, Sweet Nothing)
• Nebula / Quest for Fire (With Quest For Fire) (2010, Tee Pee Records)

Live Albums

• BBC Peel Sessions (2008, Sweet Nothing)
• Live in The Mojave Desert Vol. 2 (2021, CDWA Records; Heavy Psych Sounds)
• Livewired in Europe (2023, Heavy Psych Sounds)

Compilations

• In the Groove (1999, The Music Cartel)
• Dos EP's (2002, MeteorCity Records)
• High Volume - The Stoner Rock Collection (2004, High Times Records)
• Demos & Outtakes 98-02 (2019, Heavy Psych Sounds)
• N.O. Hits At All Vol. 9‏‎ (Appears with Nick Oliveri) (2024, Heavy Psych Sounds)

Personnel

Current Members

• Eddie Glass - Guitar, Vocals (1997 - 2010, 2017 - Present)
• Michael Amster - Drums (2017 - Present)
• Ranch Sironi - Bass (2023)

Former Members

• Mark Abshire - Bass (1997 - 2003, 2004, 2023)
• Ruben Romano - Drums (1997 - 2007)
• Simon Moon - Bass (1997, 2003)
• Dennis Wilson - Bass (2003)
• Isaiah Mitchell - Bass (2003)
• Tom Davies - Bass (2004 - 2010, 2017 - 2023) (Died 2023)
• Rob Oswald - Drums (2007 - 2009)
• Adam Kriney - Drums (2009 - 2010)
• Jimmy Sweet - Drums (2010)

List of Known Tours

• West Coast '98 (With Roadsaw) (1998)
• Italy '98 (With That's All Folks!) (1998)
• Rolling My Way To Freedom (Summer) (Select dates with Roadsaw, Sixty Watt Shaman) (1998)
• Rolling My Way To Freedom (Fall) (Select dates with Mudhoney, Sixty Watt Shaman) (1998)
• 1999 North American Tour (With Los Natas, Gammera) (1999)
• March 1999 North American Tour (With Nashville Pussy) (1999)
• May 1999 European Tour (With Unida) (1999)
• September 1999 European Tour (With The Awesome Machine, Orange Goblin depending on dates) (1999)
• Riff Rock Railroad (With The Atomic Bitchwax, Core) (1999)
• January 2000 West Coast Shows (2000)
• February 2000 Mini-Tour (With Lost Goat) (2000)
• Spring 2000 North American Tour (With Zen Guerilla) (2000)
• Spring 2000 European Tour (With Roadsaw) (2000)
• Fall 2000 West Coast Tour (2000)
• November 2000 East Coast / Canada Tour (With Roadsaw, The Monkeywrench) (2000)
• 2000 Australian Tour (With Rollerball) (2000)
• January 2001 Shows (2001)
• February 2001 West Coast Tour (With Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight) (2001)
• March 2001 North American Tour (With Zeke) (2001)
• 2001 Spring UK Tour (With Orange Goblin) (2001)
• 2001 Spring European Tour (With On Trial) (2001)
• 2001 Summer North American Tour (With Cherry Valence, various other supports) (2001)
• 2001 August Europe/UK Tour (2001)
• 2001 Summer Mini-Tour (2001)
• 2001 Australian Tour (2001)
• 2001 South American Tour (2001)
• 2001 November North American Tour (With Immortal Lee County Killers) (2001)
• 2002 West Coast Tour (With Brian Jonestown Massacre, Immortal Lee County Killers, Dead Meadow, Bluebird depending on dates) (2002)
• 2002 European Tour (2002)
• 2002 Summer North American Tour (With Nashville Pussy) (2002)
• 2002 Fall North American Tour (2002)
• 2003 March North American Tour (With Drunk Horse) (2003)
• 2003 North American Tour (With The Bellrays, Shikasta, The Flash Express) (2003)
• 2003 Fall Mini-Tour (With Drunk Horse) (2003)
• 2003 European Tour (With Winnebago Deal, Dozer on select dates) (2003)
• 2004 Winter North American Tour (With Clutch, Mastodon; Dysrhythmia, The Hidden Hand, Suplecs on select dates) (2004)
• 2004 UK Tour (With Winnebago Deal) (2004)
• 2004 Summer North American Tour (With Local H) (2004)
• 2004 Fall North American Tour (2004)
• 2005 Japan Tour (With Eternal Elysium) (2005)
• 2006 Spring North American Tour (With The Hellacopters) (2006)
• 2006 Spring European Tour (With The Sword) (2006)
• 2006 Summer European Tour (2006)
• 2006 Fall North American Tour (With Valiant Thorr, Artimus Pyledriver) (2006)
• 2007 European Tour (2007)
• Rock De National Tour (With Les Breastfeeders, Bonk) (2007)
• 2008 North American Tour (With Totimoshi) (2008)
• 2008 European Tour (With Monster Magnet) (2008)
• 2009 North American Tour (With The Entrance Band) (2009)
• 2009 European Tour (Canceled) (2009)
• 2010 European Tour (2010)
• 2010 SXSW Tour (2010)
• Nebula Reunion Tour (2018)
• Holy Shit North American Tour (With Sasquatch) (2019)
• Holy Shit European Tour (2019)
• Holy Shit Australia/New Zealand Tour (Postponed) (2020)
• A Celebration of Powertrip North American Tour (With Monster Magnet, Silvertomb; Canceled) (2020)
• 2022 North American Tour (With Year of The Cobra; Canceled) (2022)
• 2022 European Tour (2022)
• 2023 North American Tour (With The Atomic Bitchwax) (2023)
• Transmission From Mothership Earth European Tour (Spring) (2023)
• Transmission From Mothership Earth European Tour (Fall) (2023)

External Links

Official Links

• Nebula Instagram
• Nebula Official

Archival Links

• Nebula Myspace
• Nebula Official via Wayback Machine
• Nebula Peel Sessions
• Nebula 2008 Tour
• BBC Sessions Announcement