The Violet Burning

Violet Burning (aka the Violets) combine equally rare and diverse qualities to create one of alternative rock's most spiritually driven, if not quixotic, outfits. Led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Michael Pritzl, the project has yielded 21 albums, EPs, and live recordings since its inception in 1989 and cultivated a loyal fan base. Highlights included 1992's acclaimed Strength, 1998's wide-ranging Demonstrates Plastic and Elastic, and 2011's ambitious, three-part concept LP The Story of Our Lives: Liebe Ûber Alles, Black as Death and The Fantastic Machine. Formed in Orange County, California, Violet Burning started off performing a kind of post-punk guitar rock that boasted plenty of noise and punchy rhythmic work, which reflected the musicians' '80s influences: the Cure, U2, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Shortly after the group formed and began playing shows, they recorded and released their debut, Chosen, on New Breed Records. An experienced worship leader, Pritzl and his band often began their performances with ritualistic candle lightings and the burning of enormous amounts of incense, setting a meditative tone for their shows that blended well with their passionate, spiritually themed music. Violet Burning appearances in nearby Hollywood also became minor events despite the band being virtually unknown in L.A. music circles. That changed in 1992 when the outfit's follow-up, Strength, hit the streets. Once again, the group relied on their epic live performances and word of mouth to generate interest. Strength, with its superior production and more realized songwriting, was an underground hit, and the group began to receive national and international attention for the first time. Domo Records provided a much larger distribution avenue for the band's third release, a self-titled offering that set yet another higher musical and production standard for the group. During the late '90s, Violet Burning toured with national acts like Cracker and the Nixons in the States while building a significant European and Christian following. Appearances on MTV Europe and high-profile festivals became a mainstay for the band as they spread the word worldwide. 1998's well-received Demonstrates Plastic and Elastic represented a musical shift toward sprawling yet tuneful songwriting and arrangements many likened to Radiohead and the Smashing Pumpkins. At the end of the decade, Pritzl began moving the group's music in a more pronounced religious direction. Both 2000 releases, I'm a Stranger in This Place and Faith and Devotions of a Satellite Heart, explored his fascination with worship through music in a much more lyrically overt way. However, Pritzl refused to identify his band as a purely Christian outfit, which helped build credibility with a fan base that valued Violet Burning's honest and credible message. The band continued to hone their powerful, guitar-driven alternative rock sound on subsequent efforts, This Is the Moment (2003) and Drop-dead (2006), and in 2011 they issued their most aspiring outing to date, the triple-concept LP The Story of Our Lives: Liebe Ûber Alles, Black as Death and The Fantastic Machine.
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