Slash Puppet is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that was formed in 1989.
SLASH PUPPET is an award winning and internationally renowned Canadian hard rock and glam heavy metal band that made some great music before the advent of the the grunge invasion.
Formed in Toronto, Ontario by Mif (vocals), Franklin Wyles (drums), Frank Bartoletti (guitar), Lou Garscadden (guitar) and Pete Dove (bass), Slash Puppet would play their debut show on Thursday, October 19, 1989 at Rock‘N’ Roll Heaven. In one short year they managed to win the Toronto MusicAwards’ “Best Club Act” and are quickly picked up by Rush’s management and signed to a production deal with Sony/Anthem. The band released their first video, “Slow Down”, to Much Music in mid-1991 which helped sell over 2500 copies of their independent demo. A year later they were in the studio recording a 6-song EP.
During recording of the EP, Slash Puppet went through some changes by being released of their management/label contracts and bringing in new bassist Dave Carreiro. With a second video, “When The Whip Comes Down”, on TV rotation to promote the new self-titled album the band also got a couple of songs included on the soundtrack to the Cannon Film movie Chain Of Command. After winning the “Best Independent Video” at the Los Angeles Area Music Awards the band replaced Garscadden with former Smashed Gladys and Succsexx axe slinger Marcel Lafleur and embarked on a short Canadian tour.
In early 1995 the band returned home from another successful tour to finish out their final 5 shows in Toronto and southern Ontario, with a bitter sweet taste as lead vocalist Mif sensing a musical climate change, announces that he is leaving the band to pursue other interests including an acting career, due primarily to the grunge invasion and the subsequent decline of hard rock and heavy metal. A perennial fan favorite over the years, Slash Puppet's legacy would not only live on locally and nationally, but it would prove to become so internationally.
In 2007 a re-issue of the band's critically acclaimed 1989 independent cassette only release "The Demo", entitled No Strings Attached was released through Sun City Records. No Strings Attached received accolades on several hard rock and heavy metal fanzines worldwide, making it to #7 on Sleaze Roxx's "Top 10 Best" releases of 2007.
Currently, Slash Puppet is enjoying a resurgence of popularity as the re-emergence of hard rock and heavy metal has garnered them a cult like status among fans the world over. Their cd's sell for hundreds of dollars and have become highly sought after items as avid music collectors and fans alike continue to seek out the band and their music. So highly respected are their songs, Slash Puppet have been known draw comparisons to and have been included in many other renowned bands' biographies and reviews. In many online musical circles, they have become the standard by which other releases in there genre are measured!
