Ammonia

Ammonia was an alternative rock band from Australia which made a name for itself in the 1990s, producing a mixture of grunge and guitar pop (a sound they described as "pop-metal"). The group began in 1992, initially comprising guitarist Dave Johnstone (ex-Hideous Goldsteins), drummer Allan Balmont (ex-Dear Octopus, Cherrytones) and bass guitar player Phil Natt. This line-up performed under the name Fuzzswirl and, following the departure of Natt, they continued to perform with a variety of bass guitar players around their hometown of Perth. In 1993, when the bass guitarist Simon Hensworth joined the group, the name was changed to Ammonia. The band was considering the name "Glorious Noise Earthquake", but selected Ammonia for its simplicity after Hensworth stumbled across the word in a science textbook.

History

Early success The band's early success was due mostly to their self-financed recordings and word of mouth. The trio released a self-titled cassette and developed a distinctive live sound, driven by Hensworth's overdriven and high volume bass guitar, complemented by Johnstone's infectious pop hooks. By 1994, the band had completed successful tours of Melbourne and Sydney...