"Countrified rock n'roll and splattery fright-rock"
A New Orleans rock and roll establishment since 1986, Rik Slave & The Phantoms were founded by brothers Rik (vocals), Greg Terry (drums) and Michael "L.J" O'Rourke (bass). In 1989, their debut E.P., "More Drunken Buffoonery", was released with guitarist Robert Lambert. By 1992, The Phantoms were routinely packing clubs in New Orleans, regularly touring the East Coast and building a strong and loyal following. That year, the band released their second E.P. entitled "The Songs That Made Them Famous" with the guitar tandem of Mark St. James and Pat Catania. The live/studio cassette-only release received critical acclaim and cemented the group's legacy as a classic New Orleans rock and roll institution. In 1993, they released the "Here She Comes" E.P. which further showed their skill of strong song craft and provided yet another glimpse of their reputation as an exciting and dynamic live act. The band continued touring through the mid-1990s, but multiple personnel changes eventually took a toll on the group. In 1998, Rik Slave & The Phantoms disbanded, seemingly forever.
Ten years later in 2008, all three founding members re-formed the group with the help of Pat Catania, Chris Lenox (guitar) and Ben Caston (keyboards). That same year, the revitalized band recorded their first full length album simply titled "Rik Slave and the Phantoms", produced by J. Yuenger (White Zombie, Rock City Morgue). In 2010, nearly 25 years after the band’s inception, they teamed up with J. Yuenger again to record "The Land of Phantoms", continuing the long tradition of bringing an exciting and honest rock and roll performance to its audience.
The Rik Slave & The Phantoms lineup as of 2010 consists of:
Rik Slave (Vocals) Greg Terry (Drums) Michael "L.J." O'Rourke (Bass, Vocals)
Chris Lenox (Guitar, Vocals) Ben Caston (Keyboards)