The Rocket Scientists are a US Prog band that began in 1987 and through several incarnations, played the Los Angeles club scene in the late 1980s. They emphasize strong vocal-oriented compositions and feature the keyboard wizardry of symphonic rock producer Erik Norlander.
In 1990, Norlander's high school friend Mark McCrite joined the band and took on the daunting responsibilities of lead singer, songwriter & guitarist. The duo recorded their debut album `Earthbound,' in 1991 with several session musicians.
Acquiring Chapman Stick player Don Schiff and Tommy Amato (drums), 1996- brought forth their second studio album- `Brutal Architecture.' The band supported the album by).
After the release of Erik Norlander's solo CD `Threshold,' the band's first European tour in the fall of 1997, made possible a live album and 71 minute video entitled- `Earth Below and Sky Above,' recorded at the German Progressive Rock Festival in Bruchsal on September 21st and released on Think Tank Media. Symphonic hard rock vocalist Lana Lane appears on three tracks.
During the next two years, the band kept busy recording and touring with Lana Lane.
In 1999, their most focused album- `Oblivion Days,' was born." Dutch guitarist Arjen Lucassen (`Aryeon/Vengeance)' helped out on the recording, giving the album a stronger, heavier feel. Lana Lane (vocals), drummer/percussionist Greg Ellis, bassist Tony Franklin and guitarist Neil Citron helped out as well.
The band has been recently touring with Spock's Beard.
After an eight year hiatus, Rocket Scientists released its fourth studio album "Revolution Road" in 2006 to high accolades from the press and fans worldwide. In January 2008, Rocket Scientists released their first box set entitled "Looking Backward", a 5-disc collection containing remastered versions of their first three studio albums, "Earthbound", "Brutal Architecture" and "Oblivion Days", along with a 4th audio CD of new recordings of classic Rocket Scientists songs reinterpreted by the band in 2007. The 5th disc is a DVD-9 containing video of the 2007 sessions along with extensive interviews and historical archive footage from sessions going back to 1993.
Rocket Scientists toured internationally in 2007-2009 to support the Revolution Road and Looking Backward releases performing at RoSFest, 3 Rivers Prog Festival, Bay Area Rock Fest, Baja Prog (MX) and Rotherham Rocks (UK) in addition to a long string of club dates. Authorized videos are on the Rocket Scientists YouTube channel.
Rocket Scientists' latest releases are Refuel, a 12-song full-length album mixing vocal and instrumental tracks, and Supernatural Highways, a 30-minute all-instrumental Digipak EP.
Discography
Studio albums
Earthbound (1993)
Brutal Architecture (1995)
Oblivion Days (1999)
Revolution Road (2006)
Supernatural Highways (Instrumental EP, 2014)
Refuel (2014)
Live albums and compilations
Earth Below and Sky Above: Live in Europe and America (1998)
Looking Backward (2007)
