Filter

Filter is an American rock group from Cleveland and Los Angeles, formed in 1993 by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist-programmer Brian Liesegang. Patrick starts the band after leaving Nine Inch Nails, where he has worked as a touring guitarist and appears in promotional videos for Broken. He remains the only constant member as the line-up changes frequently over time. The group works in alternative rock and industrial rock, with its earlier material especially associated with industrial rock and later releases drawing more broadly on rock and electronic elements.

Early years and first releases

After signing to Reprise Records in 1994, Filter releases its debut album, Short Bus, in 1995. The album is certified platinum by the RIAA and includes “Hey Man Nice Shot”, a song that attracts attention because of speculation about its subject matter. The band states that the track is not inspired by Kurt Cobain’s death. Before the album appears, it features on the soundtrack to Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. During this period, Patrick and Liesegang recruit Geno Lenardo, Frank Cavanagh and Matt Walker for touring.

In the mid-1990s, Filter contributes to several film and television soundtracks. “Thanks Bro” appears on Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files, and “Jurassitol” is recorded for The Crow: City of Angels. The home video Phenomenology follows in 1996. In 1997, Liesegang leaves after recording “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do”, a collaboration with The Crystal Method for the Spawn soundtrack. Patrick continues under the Filter name and records a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “One” for the X-Files soundtrack.

Success in the late 1990s and early 2000s

Title of Record arrives in 1999, with Lenardo and Cavanagh returning and Steve Gillis on drums. The album marks a shift away from the band’s earlier industrial sound and produces “Take a Picture”, Filter’s most commercially successful song. Other singles from the album include “Welcome to the Fold” and “The Best Things”. D’arcy Wretzky contributes vocals to “Cancer” and “Take a Picture”, and Patrick later says that “Take a Picture” is inspired by an incident on an aeroplane involving his own alcohol use.

The Amalgamut follows in 2002 and includes the singles “Where Do We Go from Here?” and “American Cliché”. “The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)” is used in advertising for the Hummer H2 and appears in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Alan Bailey joins as a touring guitarist, but the tour ends early after Patrick enters rehabilitation for alcohol and drug addiction. Lenardo, Gillis and Cavanagh then leave the band.

Hiatus, side projects and return

During the hiatus, Patrick works with The Damning Well, which contributes “Awakening” to the soundtrack of Underworld, although he later says no full album is completed. He also forms Army of Anyone with Ray Luzier and Robert and Dean DeLeo; the group releases one self-titled album in 2006 and ends the following year.

Patrick brings Filter back with Anthems for the Damned in 2008. Frank Cavanagh briefly reunites with the band for a performance in Kuwait organised through Operation MySpace while he serves in the United States Army Reserve. Later in 2008, Filter releases the remix album Remixes for the Damned, and in 2009 the compilation The Very Best Things (1995-2008) collects material from the first four studio albums and soundtrack contributions.

Later albums

Work on The Trouble with Angels begins in 2009 with producer Bob Marlette. Patrick describes it as heavier and more electronic than the previous album. Around this period, Filter records “Happy Together” for The Stepfather soundtrack and contributes “Fades Like a Photograph” to the soundtrack of 2012, with Brian Liesegang co-producing that track. The album is released in 2010 and is preceded by “The Inevitable Relapse”.

Filter later records a cover of ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin’” for ZZ Top: A Tribute from Friends. Patrick and guitarist Jonny Radtke record The Sun Comes Out Tonight with Bob Marlette, and the album appears in 2013. It is preceded by “What Do You Say”, while “We Hate It When You Get What You Want” is briefly offered as a free download. Bassist Phil Buckman leaves after the touring cycle, and Tim Kelleher later joins the line-up.

Patrick begins work on Crazy Eyes in 2014 with a new touring line-up. Former members Geno Lenardo and Brian Liesegang are invited to contribute during writing, and the album is partly funded through a PledgeMusic campaign before its release in 2016. Liesegang rejoins Patrick in 2018 to work on ReBus, intended to revisit the approach of Short Bus, but the project is abandoned after PledgeMusic enters bankruptcy.

Patrick then focuses on a twentieth-anniversary edition of Title of Record and a new album that is eventually released as The Algorithm in 2023. Singles issued during its development include “Thoughts and Prayers”, “Murica”, “For the Beaten”, “Face Down” and “Obliteration”. The band supports Ministry, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie on the Freaks on Parade tour across the United States and Canada in 2023.

Patrick later announces The Antidote as the band’s ninth studio album, with “All The Good” released to promote The Algorithm: Ultra Edition. Filter also appears on Finger Eleven’s single “Blue Sky Mystery”, with Patrick providing guest vocals, and the track reaches number six on the Canadian rock chart. The band is set to tour with Alter Bridge and Tim Montana in 2026.