The groups name came about as a mere fluke from some light hearted criticism. According to vocalist Jason Sears in a 2002 interview with Thrasher magazine: “It happened that some guy said, 'Ha, those kids will never be anything, they're just a bunch of rich kids on LSD, man.' The first party we played we didn't have a name for the band, so we put that one on the flier and it just stuck.”
Their musical evolution can be heard on their webpage, which features "RKL Radio" with nearly all of their songs streamed including a complete discography.
RKL break-up and return
After a couple line-up changes in the late eighties and early nineties, the original vocalist Jason Sears returned to the band in 1994 to help finish their European tour. This sparked the band to record its first album, Riches to Rags, with him in a little under a decade. The band suffered an ill-fated break-up in 1996 which led most of the members of the band to go on to other projects and form new bands. However only a year later did the band return with most of its previous members minus drummer Dave Raun and guitarist Barry "D'Live" Ward who had their spots filled by Boz Rivera and Chris Flippin.
Guitarist Chris Rest and the bands original drummer Richard "Bomer" Manzullo, formed The Other with Mad Caddies drummer Boz Rivera. Boz would later go on to join RKL when they reunited in 1997.
Former guitarist Barry Ward otherwise known as "Barry D'Live" went on to play with such acts as Hotbox as well as playing under the alias "The Wooper" with the group he currently resides in, the Crosstops. He also stood in for some bands on tour such as filling in for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes guitarist Chris Shiflett (who also plays for the Foo Fighters) as well as being hired on as Balsac the Jaws of Death for the theatrical shock rock group GWAR.
Former drummer Dave Raun, Chris Rest and future member Chris Flippin joined the Goleta based punk band Lagwagon. Dave also went on to play drums for the all-star cover band, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
Bassist Joe Raposo along with Chris Rest and Boz Rivera also compose half of the San Francisco based group King City.
Vocalist Jason Sears did a track for a Snot tribute album to their late lead singer Lynn Strait. He later did an album with the San Diego based band Mercury Legion.
RKL today
On March 30, 2005, Derrick Plourde, former drummer of RKL, who also played in Lagwagon, Bad Astronaut, Jaws, and The Ataris, committed suicide. Lagwagon paid tribute to Derrick with their 2005 release of the album Resolve.
On December 12, 2005, the original drummer Richard Anthony Manzullo (aka "Bomer") died due to heart failure at his home in Summerland, California. The cause of death was the result of a long time battle with drug addictions.
On January 31, 2006, Jason Sears died due to complications while undergoing a detox treatment involving ibogaine in Tijuana, Mexico. The cause of death was the result of a pulmonary embolism caused by thrombosis.
Currently the future for RKL remains uncertain. There are rumors of an "RKLAOKE" show sometime in the Summer of 2006 as a benefit concert to raise money for Jason's kids. The show as well as time and venue have yet to be confirmed. The show would feature the remaining members of the band playing all the past favorites with different members of the audience.
Past and present band members of R.K.L.
Current Lineup (1997-2005)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Chris Flippin -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- bass
Boz Rivera -- drums
Lineup (1994-1996)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- Bass
Dave Raun -- drums
Lineup (1992-1993)
Bomer Manzullo -- vocals
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
Joe Raposo -- Bass
Dave Raun -- drums
Lineup (1987-1989)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Joe Raposo -- bass
Barry Ward -- guitar
Chris Rest -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
Lineup (1985-1987)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Vince Peppars -- bass
Chris Rest -- guitar
Barry Ward -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
Original lineup (1983-1985)
Jason Sears -- vocals
Vince Peppars -- bass
Chris Rest -- guitar
"Alpo" -- guitar
"Bomer" Manzullo -- drums
R.K.L. Discography
Nardcore, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984; "US Steel", "Lies", "No Respect")
It's a Beautiful Feeling, 7" EP (Mystic Records, 1984)
Covers, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984; "Chinese Rocks")
Mystic Super Seven Sampler #1, Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984)
Return to Slimey Valley LP , Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1985; "Evil In You")
Keep Laughing LP (Mystic Records, 1985)
RocK 'n Roll Nightmare LP (Alchemy Records, 1987; re-released on CD by Epitaph Records)
Double Live in Berlin LP (Destiny Records, 1989; recorded live in Germany on 1988 tour)
Reactivate LP (Epitaph Records, 1993)
Riches to Rags LP (Epitaph Records, 1994)
Revenge is a Beautiful Feeling, CD (2000?)
Keep Laughing (w/ It's a Beautiful Feeling), Mystic Re-release, CD (2002)
Videos
Still Flailing After All These Beers, VHS (1997)
Heavily Sedated
RKL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must start to fight the next in line, it's sooon to come depression
Moving forward never giving in to sure regression
I'll see you here each week so we can start
Your final session, but as you probed my mind
To see me what you could find, tell me what it means to me
I'm a monster fueled by rage systematically created,
I must be heavily sedated.
With needles in my arms, electrodes buried in my skin
He said "Sit back, relax and you might feel a slight prick,
And later when you wake you might feel a little sick."
But when I opened my eyes then to my surprise
I wasn't me caught in a bind I awoke to find...
They stole my mind.
Now passive for the moment,
Was the monster hate created, gagged and bound,
Condition read... Heavily Sedated
Well, they cut me with their knife in hopes of a better life
But it left me so confused, fucked up, and jaded
They said that it must be to soothe the monster inside of me
But now I find myself heavily sedated!
But when I opened my eyes then to my surprise,
I wasn't me caught in a bind that I awoke to find...
They stole my mind!
As I lay there calm and passive, no more phrases in my head
Or...or lines strapped to my freaking bed
The last memory I retained was the bright flash of a knife
They say, with some success, I can live a normal life but,
I'm a monster fueled by rage
I'm a monster fueled by rage
I'm a monster fueled by rage
Systematically created
And now I'm Heavily Sedated.
The lyrics of RKL's song "Heavily Sedated" explore the idea of a person who is fueled by anger and hate, and has been subjected to psychiatric treatment for it. The singer of the song is being treated at a mental health facility where he is constantly being probed and analyzed to uncover what makes him tick. Despite his resistance, he is forced to undergo various treatments like electroshock therapy, resulting in him feeling confused and jaded.
The song highlights the dehumanization and loss of control that often accompanies psychiatric treatment. The singer feels like his personality and identity have been taken away from him, and he's been reduced to a passive and heavily sedated state. The lyrics also suggest that the monster inside him was systematically created by the society he lived in, rather than being an inherent aspect of his personality.
The chorus of the song, "I'm a monster fueled by rage, systematically created, and now I'm heavily sedated" emphasizes the point that the singer is no longer in control of his life, and that the society that created him is responsible for his state of being. Overall, the lyrics create a poignant commentary on the modern world, where the consequence of societal injustice often manifests in mental illness and its systematic treatment.
Line by Line Meaning
Due to all your anger, hate and pent up aggression
Your intense emotions have caused us to prepare for the coming depression by fighting it head on.
We must start to fight the next in line, it's sooon to come depression
We must prepare for the oncoming depression and combat it with positivity and action.
Moving forward never giving in to sure regression
We must continue to move forward and never regress, even in the face of adversity.
I'll see you here each week so we can start, your final session, but as you probed my mind
I will meet with you for your final session each week, but as you try to analyze my thoughts,
To see me what you could find, tell me what it means to me
To see what you can discover about me, and what it means for my life and well-being.
I'm a monster fueled by rage systematically created, I must be heavily sedated.
I am a rage-filled monster that was created systematically, and I must be heavily sedated to control my violent tendencies.
Step right in my son, and we'll get ready to begin
Come on in, my son, and we will begin the process of calming and healing you.
With needles in my arms, electrodes buried in my skin
I am connected to medical equipment that will help diagnose and treat my condition.
He said "Sit back, relax and you might feel a slight prick, and later when you wake you might feel a little sick."
The doctor instructs me to relax as he administers a shot, and warns me that I might feel sick afterwards.
But when I opened my eyes then to my surprise, I wasn't me caught in a bind I awoke to find...
When I regained consciousness, I was surprised to find that I had been restrained and was unable to move freely.
They stole my mind.
I feel like my mind has been taken from me against my will.
Now passive for the moment, was the monster hate created, gagged and bound, Condition read...Heavily Sedated
The monster created from my anger is now temporarily passive, and I am heavily sedated and restrained so as to prevent any violent outbursts.
Well, they cut me with their knife in hopes of a better life, But it left me so confused, fucked up, and jaded
The medical professionals have operated on me in the hopes of curing me, but the result has left me feeling disoriented, traumatized, and disillusioned.
They said that it must be to soothe the monster inside of me, But now I find myself heavily sedated!
The doctors told me that the sedatives would help calm the inner monster, but I still feel heavily medicated and unable to control my emotions.
But when I opened my eyes then to my surprise, I wasn't me caught in a bind that I awoke to find...They stole my mind!
When I finally came to, I realized that my sense of self had been compromised, and that the doctors had taken control of my mind and body.
As I lay there calm and passive, no more phrases in my head, Or...or lines strapped to my freaking bed
Now that I have been heavily sedated, I feel calmer and less prone to violent outbursts, but at the same time I feel confined and trapped in my bed.
The last memory I retained was the bright flash of a knife, They say, with some success, I can live a normal life but, I'm a monster fueled by rage
My last clear memory is of the surgery that aimed to cure my rage-filled tendencies, and although the doctors say it was successful, I still feel like a monster fueled by anger.
I'm a monster fueled by rage, I'm a monster fueled by rage, I'm a monster fueled by rage, Systematically created, And now I'm Heavily Sedated.
Overall, I feel like a monster fueled by anger that was created by the systematic circumstances of my life, and now I am heavily sedated in an attempt to control that part of myself.
Contributed by Oliver E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.