Monster Box

F

ormed in October 1995, Monster Box was started by Chris Oliveri and Ricky Woods. The following April they recorded their first demo titled The Stitch, a demo that got them both management and gigs; Monster Box remained active through 1996 with writing and gigging. 1997 would see them play to approval in New York and by 1998 they were opening for such acts as Mountain and Nils Lofgren and playing Webster Hall and the Wamboozy Festival.

1999 saw a new rhythm section to replace the incumbents with Richy Rossicone (bass) and Jimi Tassone (drums) in time for their No More Dead Weight (1999) debut release. The support tour saw Monster Box open for John Entwistle (of The Who, who died in June 2002 of a heart attack), Zebra and Fred Norris (of the Howard Stern Show), among others. Later they would be featured with members of W.A.S.P. and John Waite. One Eighteen (2000) would be their debut with 'Vu Du Records'.

Major changes in the band would come in late 2001 with Rob Wottawa (bass) and Ed Vega (drums) moving in to complete the line-up of Ricky Woods (vocals), Chris Oliveri (guitar), Rob Wottawa (bass) and Ed Vega (drums) but Jimi Tassone was back on drums (he had been with them during the recording of their album) filling in due to the position being vacant again. It seemed as though the band were on the rise but in December of 2003 they suddenly split.