Major Members: Mike Madrigale, Jeff Breil, Angelo Madrigale, Bill Bennett
Biography
In early 1999 the noise rock group hailing from Lancaster County, Eighteenandahalfminutegap, showed up on usenet groups within advertisements for punk shows at places like The Sweatshop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Upon losing their drummer the remaining members encountered a recently band-less Angelo Madrigale and created Sadaharu which - according to The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition - is a Japanese baseball player, first baseman for the Tokyo Giants, born in 1940. His legend was spawned when he hit 868 home runs in 22 seasons, more than Henry Aaron! Along with Madrigale the musical entity contains Jeff Breil on vocals and guitar, Bill Bennett on bass, and the drummer's brother, Mike Madrigale on guitar after the axeman for Eighteenandahalfminutegap also left for points unknown (actually, for Portland, Oregon). Sadaharu began playing together in late September of 1999. Within two months of the band reformation they performed in a college town, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, at the Basin Street Hotel where they did a short four song set. Not surprising because their debut disc is only twenty-two and a half minutes long with six hard hitting selections. This was recorded after only four months together in early 2000 when they took a break from touring. The result: Punishment in Hi-Fi (an audio boxing match in which the listener is the loser) is well taped loud anger which came into the world at On Track Studios in East Stroudsburg, PA with the assistance of Ryan Fenical and Jeremy E. Bentley and found its initial release in June of 2000. In February of 2002 again with Jeremy E. Bentley the band recorded for a spot on half a disc with the Sadaharu Meets Albert React CD. Released on February 4, 2003, the CI/Revelation Records label said "it represents a huge step forward for the band towards their current direction." The website - http://www.sadaharu.com/ goes on to say that the material was written and recorded during sessions in which several songs for their Anthem For New Sonic Warfare album (alson on CI/Revelation were put together. There are jazz leanings, as advertised, and the band is most proficient assaulting the senses with power rock that has intelligence working its way through the onslaught. In 2002 Universal Warning Records reissued the out of print original Punishment In Hi-Fi" EP with new artwork, a remastered sound and enhanced live footage creating a document of the formative stage of this band which is perpetually on tour. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
Representative Albums:
Politics of Dancing, Sadaharu/Albert React, Punishment in Hi-Fi
