Lineup includes Spider One (vocals), Evan9 and Velkro (guitar), X51 (bassist), and GFlash (drums).
In 1990, Spider dropped out of art school and bought a cheap 4-track home studio and drum machine. Working under the title "MC Spider", he recorded "Much Evil" with producer Lamar Lowder. Building on local success, he built a band under the name Powerman 5000. Their style was in the nature of rap/metal that had yet to gain popularity. In 1991, longtime guitarist Adam 12 (Adam Williams) joined the band. In 1994 and 1995, Powerman released two independent records, True Force and The Blood Splat Rating System. Both albums were local successes.
In 1997, the band signed to Dreamworks Records and released a re-recording of The Blood Splat Rating System (with two new tracks) titled Mega!! Kung Fu Radio. The band toured and released singles such as "Organizized" and "Tokyo Vigilante #1". In 1999, Guitarist M.33 (Mike Tempesta) joined the band as they got their biggest break. Creating a strange fusion of science fiction (which had always interested Spider) and "Action Rock" (the term for their own high-energy powerful rock), they released Tonight the Stars Revolt!, which contained the hit singles "When Worlds Collide", "Nobody's Real", and "Supernova Goes Pop". The album sold over a million copies and assured the band's success.
A follow-up album titled "Anyone For Doomsday?" was recorded and a single ("Bombshell") had been released to radio stations, but the album was cancelled just before its scheduled release. Due to being heavily downloaded illegally, Anyone For Doomsday? was later released under Spider's own new label, Megatronic Records, but has since gone out of print due to legal issues. Arguments exist as to whether the record was cancelled due to the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the negative title, but the album was finished and scheduled to be released in August of 2001, a full month before the attacks. Spider has said in interviews that the album was dropped because it sounded too much like the previous album and that he wanted to release something fresh and different instead of repeating himself. Conflicts thereafter caused longtime members Dorian 27 (Dorian Heartsong) and Al3 (Allen Pahanish) to leave the band. Ad7 (Adrian Ost) and Siggy Sjursen were brought in to replace them. Ironically, "Bombshell" resurfaced, as the entrance music for the (now-formerly WWE) tag-team wrestlers, The Dudley Boyz.
In 2003, the band released "Transform", a more punk-fuelled album, completely dropping the costumes that had been featured throughout the band's "Tonight The Stars Revolt!" era. Containing the hit singles "Free" and "Action", the album sounded much more live and less filled with industrial metal electronics. After the release of Transform, Dreamworks Records was bought out by Interscope Records, and Powerman 5000 decided not to make the move. Undeterred, Spider continued with his own offshoot label Megatronic Records. In 2005, new music was released, both in the form of a rarities album titled The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Vol. 1 and in new music from an upcoming album.
A new tour was also started, but M.33 had left the band and Adam 12, while present on the upcoming album, was not touring. Former Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso and former Halfcocked (the first band on Spider's label) guitarist Johnny Rock were brought in to round out the live show. The band has recently completed their new album, called "Destroy What You Enjoy". The band has announced that they are signed to DRT Enterainment, who released their album, of which the song "Wild World" is the new single and video.
On May 21, 2007, Powerman 5000 claimed via a MySpace blog post that they will be releasing a new studio album in 2007. The following is taken directly from said post: "Considering the bands track record of putting out cds once every three years it seems hard to believe that, yes we will put out a new disc in 2007!! It's all just beginning to develop and the wheres, whos and whats are to be determined but new rock is on the way!!" However, talk about the record soon simmered, and no new information was released.
Finally, in December 2008, the new track "Super Villain" premiered on the band's Myspace page, showcasing their return to their platinum-selling sound of the late 90s. On January 28, 2009, a preview of tracks from their upcoming 6th studio album were posted on the groups MySpace page, containing clips from the songs "Super Villain", "V is for Vampire", and "Horror Show". Powerman 5000 posted that "Super Villain" would become available for digital purchase on February 10 via iTunes and Amazon.com.
On April 7, 2009, Powerman 5000 released a blog on their MySpace page stating that Anyone For Doomsday? has officially been re-released. The legal battle ended and the album was released under the SKG Music License. The album is available on iTunes as a digital download. On April 21, the band released "V is for Vampire", the second single from their upcoming album, which is planned for a summer release.
On July 7, 2009, Powerman 5000 released a blog on their MySpace page[3] stating that the new album has been finished, and that a release date, track listing, artwork, and additional tour dates was coming soon. On July 27, 2009, Powerman 5000 appeared on Rockline, announcing the title of the new album as "Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere". A Tentative release date of October 6 was also announced. Three new songs were also premiered on the show, including "Timebomb", "Make Us Insane", and "Show Me What You Got". On Myspace Spider posted a blog talking about the three new songs filled with comments of the fans liking the music.
On September 6, 2009, Powerman 5000 released the album cover design along with the promotion of their upcoming tour starting on October 24. They also released two new promotional videos on YouTube for their new album, confirming its release date as October 6.
On October 1, the full track "Do Your Thing" was leaked onto YouTube. The song was apparently taken from the Megatronic Records Forum, in which frontman Spider One currently owns. The CD "Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere" was officially released on October 6 in the U.S. and was available in Canada on October 20, two weeks after the reported release date.
The band embarked on a national tour during October and November in support of the album.
On December 7, Spider, the band's lead singer posted links on his Twitter page linking to FearNET.com which is hosting the bands music video for their first single "Super Villain". The video is also available on YouTube and stars Johnathon Schaech as the infamous Super Villain.
Automatic
Powerman 5000 Lyrics
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93 to the Sun
Take your place and you say goodbye
It's automatic your the one
[Chorus]
It's automatic its automatic
It's automatic your the one
It's automatic your day alive has just begun
What's in the air
Who's in the mind
Where's the light in your eye
Within the realm of the possible
It's no big surprise
[Chorus]
Brilliant sheep lead to brilliant babies
A thousand stars
A million maybes
Captivating the captivated
Save the souls of those that you created
[Chorus]
The opening lines of Powerman 5000's "Automatic" evoke a sense of a journey, perhaps of a physical kind, but equally likely of an emotional or spiritual one. The first line, "The trip for a million miles," suggests a vast distance, a journey of epic proportions. This is reinforced by the next line, "93 to the Sun," which refers to the average distance in millions of miles between the Earth and the Sun. The tone of the lyrics is almost dreamlike, as if the singer is lost in their thoughts or experiencing a powerful vision.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract, reflecting a sense of detachment from reality. The second verse, beginning with "What's in the air," seems to pose a series of questions about the nature of existence and consciousness. The final lines of the verse, "Within the realm of the possible / It's no big surprise," suggest a kind of acceptance or resignation to the world as it is, rather than as we might wish it to be.
The chorus of "Automatic" is simple and repetitive, with the phrase "It's automatic, you're the one" serving as a kind of mantra. The repetition of this line, combined with the dreamlike quality of the lyrics, creates a sense of hypnotic inevitability. The final lines of the song, "Save the souls of those that you created," suggest a spiritual or moral imperative, a call to action to make the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
The trip for a million miles
The journey ahead is long and challenging, extending for over a million miles.
93 to the Sun
The distance to the Sun is approximately 93 million miles from Earth, emphasizing the enormity of the venture.
Take your place and you say goodbye
Prepare to leave your comfort zone and bid farewell to your current circumstances.
It's automatic your the one
The destiny of success is predetermined, and you are the chosen one to achieve it.
What's in the air
The ambiance holds an aura of unknown energy.
Who's in the mind
Whose thoughts and ideas are at play, and how will they manifest?
Where's the light in your eye
Is there a glimmer of hope in your vision, a reflection of the fire burning within you?
Within the realm of the possible
The dream lies within the limits of attainability, waiting for you to grasp it.
It's no big surprise
The realization of achieving your goals is not unexpected.
Brilliant sheep lead to brilliant babies
Great leaders and influencers produce great successors and future leaders.
A thousand stars
A vast unexplored universe with endless possibilities.
A million maybes
A plethora of chances and probabilities, hoping to lead to the desired outcome.
Captivating the captivated
The awe-inspiring attraction of someone who has the ability to fascinate and inspire others.
Save the souls of those that you created
Be the salvation of those who follow in your footsteps and become the change-makers of tomorrow.
It's automatic its automatic
As the prophecy foretold, success and greatness will come automatically.
It's automatic your day alive has just begun
You may have accomplished much, but your journey is far from over. There is more to achieve, more to learn, more to conquer.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAYMOND AMEER MURRAY, RICO WADE, RUBEN BAILEY, MCKINLEY HORTON, PAT BROWN, JAMAHR WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind