| Ben Christo | |
| Birth Place: | Bristol, England |
| Genre: | Industrial rock, alternative rock, alternative metal, gothic rock |
| Instrument: | Guitar, vocals |
| Occupation: | Musician, songwriter |
| Associated Acts: | The Sisters of Mercy, Night By Night, Diamond Black, AKO, Nathan Gray, Pig |
Benjamin David Christodoulou[1] (born 22 March 1980) is an English rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist and session musician, he is best known for his tenures with The Sisters of Mercy, Night By Night and Diamond Black.
Christo was born in Bristol, England and began playing music at seven years old. During a 2023 interview he said: "At a very young age, I gravitated toward any pop music that featured rock guitar. Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Michael Bolton, even stuff like Belinda Carlisle! If there was a guitar solo or heavy guitar, I would be drawn in".[2] He continued performing in a number of rock, metal and punk bands in his early to mid-teens. At 15, his school group, Balanced State, won the South West of England's regional battle of the bands, leading to his first TV appearance.
He first saw national success in the hardcore punk/metal/rock band AKO, which he co-founded in 1998, whose debut album received favourable reviews in Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Total Guitar. The band's unique combination of punk, hardcore, nu-metal and melodic rock caught the attention of Tony Iommi’s management, who gave Christo one of Iommi's old Laney amplifiers and arranged for the band to meet with renowned producer Bob Marlette (Alice Cooper, Shinedown, Rob Zombie), to discuss collaboration on their second album. However, 9/11 severed trans-Atlantic links to such an extent that the plans were shelved indefinitely.
AKO released two more EPs and toured in support of Alkaline Trio, AFI, Stiff Little Fingers, Avenged Sevenfold and Stonesour, amongst others, and were featured on Mike Davies’ BBC Radio 1 show The Lock Up at Maida Vale Studios. The AKO song, "Tread Easy" was used on BBC 2’s "Football Diaries".
The band's final show was at the 2005 South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas. AKO decided to call it a day shortly thereafter and Christo moved to London.
In October 2020, Cherry Red Records began re-releasing the back catalogue on worldwide digital platforms, including previously unreleased single "The Death of Us", which includes never-before-heard B-sides from the "Tomorrow Night's Regret" sessions.
In 2006, Christo joined The Sisters of Mercy, as lead guitarist and backing vocalist. He was first invited to the band via phone in December 2005. Said Christo, "I got a call one afternoon, from an unknown number. With very little preamble, the caller, without introducing himself, stated, ‘We might want you to be in our band'."[3] He has toured extensively with the band,[4] headlining festivals worldwide such as Sonsiphere, Fuji Rock, Nova Rock, Tuska OpenAir Metal Festival, M’era Luna, Greenfield Festival, Spirit of Burgas, Amphi and Soundwave Australia. The 2019 – 2020 world tour showcased a number of new songs that Christo had co-written with Andrew Eldritch and new guitarist Dylan Smith, with additional new works being premiered during the 2022 tour dates.
2023 saw the band return to the USA for the first time in 14 years, commencing at System of a Down's Sick New World Festival, which led to features in LA Weekly and Spin.com. During the Los Angeles date, at the Hollywood Palladium, the band were joined onstage by Berlin vocalist Terri Nunn for a performance of Temple of Love. During the tour, Christo was professionally photographed by and with Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe. In May 2024, TSOM announced a return to the USA for fall, supported by Blaqk Audio, featuring Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI. The 26-date tour goes coast to coast and includes Canadian shows in Vancouver and Toronto.[5]
In 2008, Christo founded Night By Night, where he was lead singer, guitarist, primary songwriter and key lyricist for the band. Their first EP, "Just Tonight", was produced by Paul Tipler (Idlewild) and released in 2009. Later recruiting an additional lead singer and expanding to a 5-piece, Night by Night's debut album, "NxN", was released to critical acclaim in 2014.
Produced and mixed by Romesh Dodangoda (Motorhead, Funeral for a Friend) and John Mitchell and released on Sun Hill Production/Cargo Records the album was publicly applauded by several musicians including those from Def Leppard,[6] Kane Roberts, Harem Scarem and Firehouse, claiming 6th place in Fireworks Magazine’s Top 10 Albums of 2014, alongside Mr. Big and Night Ranger. In his review,[7] Classic Rock Magazine’s Geoff Barton scored the album 8/10 and made a point of commending both Christo's lead playing (comparing him to Neal Schon) and lyrics.
In addition to substantial touring across the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany and Switzerland (including shows supporting Alannah Miles, The Quireboys, Lord of the Lost and Jettblack), Night by Night was selected as sole tour supports to both Europe and Y&T, and also appeared at Download (2013) and Hard Rock Hell (2012 and 2015) festivals. In June 2015, the band announced that they would be on hiatus until further notice.
In 2016, Christo established dark-rock quartet, Diamond Black,[8] with Finnish singer J.I. Turunen and Finnish producer Jaani Peuhu (Swallow the Sun, Lord of the Lost), with artist & bassist Adam Lightspeed joining shortly after to help create the band's identity. Renowned drummer Jan-Vincent Velazco (Pendragon) was recruited soon after, completing the group. The debut single was released on 20 October 2017 and received public praise from Metal Hammer, W.A.S.P. and Deathstars, with Piggy D of Rob Zombie and Mark Thwaite of The Mission sharing the video on their social media. Sony Pictures Television channel Scuzz set the track on rotation and Bass Guitar Magazine ran a feature on the band. On 12 December, a limited-edition physical copy of the single was released from the band's website, selling out in 2 hours, which included Christo's hand-written lyrics as part of the CD package. In March 2018, Diamond Black toured the UK as sole support to Cellar Darling, to positive feedback from public and press. Soon after, the sophomore single, Ghost in the Glass was released, gaining public acclaim from Therapy?'s Michael McKeegan and scoring the band rotation on one of Spotify's new music playlists, seeing the band's Spotify plays shoot to 70K+ in a number of days. In June 2019, the band signed to Cargo Records, and with first release with the label, The Scarlet, publicly hailed by Michael Rainbow of The Birthday massacre and with the promotional video clip winning first place in both the New York Cinematography Awards and Paris International Music Awards. This activity caught the attention of live booker, United Talent Agency, who signed the band, leading to a support slot to Finnish rockers The 69 Eyes. In June 2020, during worldwide lockdown, the band released single If You Kill My Demons. In August 2022, it was announced that the band would move forward as a three-piece, with Christo adopting lead vocal duties, with a UK tour supporting Esprit D'Air scheduled for February 2023.
The band released single Though the Misery on Cargo, which Jyrki 69 lauded as "Goth AOR... DB are creating a new scene!" and was featured in Sonic Seducer. Summer 2023 UK dates followed with Lord of the Lost and in spring 2024, Diamond Black embarked on another tour with Esprit D'Air, this time expanding into mainland Europe.
June 30th saw the band perform at Hellfest, with dates either side in France and Belgium. The set featured a cameo by Neonfly guitarist Freddy Thunder.
As a studio session guitarist and vocalist, he has recorded with Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers), Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Pixies, Ghost), Raymond Watts (KMFDM, PIG), Steve Lima (Corrine Bailey-Rae) and Bob White of NFD. He has also composed music and lyrics for various international artists, including the no. 2 chart position album Judas by Lord of the Lost.
As a live musician, Christo has also headlined or played shows and festivals alongside Depeche Mode, Metallica, Placebo, Editors, Strung Out, Serj Tankian, The Cult, Faith No More, Marilyn Manson, Tricky, OMD, Machine Head (band), Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Skunk Anansie, Manic Street Preachers, Prophets of Rage and Limp Bizkit and headlined Bloodstock and Grona lund.
In 2002, Christo was selected as one of eight songwriters, alongside Jonny Kalsi, chosen from thousands of members of PRS for Music for their The Song's The Thing workshop, led by Boo Hewerdine. Around the same time, he appeared in a promo feature for Roadrunner Records.
In 2004, Ben co-wrote and directed a comedy short, "Sold Out", with fellow University of Bristol graduate David R. Watson, featuring Ninian Doff (Kasabian, Royal Blood, Miike Snow, Chemical Brothers, Get Duked!) as the D.O.P, Nick Gadd (Sherlock, TV Series) as starring role and John Heffernan in a cameo. The short won a Dazed national film award, selected by Rhys Ifans.
From 2008 to 2016, Christo has featured as a live guitarist and backing vocalist with Richie Faulkner, Therapy?, Mike Tramp, Chris Dale, Doogie White, Stephen Gilchrist, Chris Catalyst, Jon Poole, Boysetsfire, Claytown Troupe and members of Uriah Heep, Breed 77, Rachel Stamp, Ben and Jason, DragonForce, Cradle of Filth and Sikth.
In 2011, Christo wrote and performed live for Lauren Harris’s band, Six Hour Sundown, when previous guitarist Richie Faulkner, who left to join Judas Priest, personally asked Ben to take his place.
In 2014, Christo composed and played guitar parts for Anzi Destruction’s "Black Dog Bias".
From 2016 - 2020, Ben was performer and promoter at Shot Through the Heart, an eighties cover act and monthly rock club night in at The Lounge in London, with whom he performed at Stone Free Festival alongside Scorpions and Megadeth.
In June 2018, Pig released full-length album "Risen", on which Christo co-wrote and performed. The album also features En Esch, Tim Skold, Marc Heal and Mark Thwaite. The album release promoted by a US tour, including a 3-week support slot for Killing Joke on the U.S.A. leg of their fortieth anniversary world tour.[9] In May 2019, The Revelation, a song Ben co-wrote and performed with Raymond Watts was featured in DC Comics' Legends of Tomorrow, as John Constantine prepares to battle demons in the night club ‘Hell’.
April 2019 saw Christo invited by Chris Dale to perform a special show in Sarajevo, Bosnia, commemorating 25 years since Bruce Dickinson’s band, Skunkworks (featuring Dale on bass), had played there during the war (as documented in the award-winning movie "Scream for me Sarajevo"). The show was a sell-out success, filmed for national television and with Dickinson himself in attendance.
In May and August 2018, Christo accompanied Nathan Gray (Boysetsfire) on his solo tour of Germany as guitarist, backing vocalist and keyboard player, the recordings of which were released in February 2019 as a live album and DVD. The physical copies of the album sold out in just 4 days. A European tour followed in March, with many shows being sold out. Ben then co-wrote and performed guitars and backing vocals on a number of Nathan's new recordings, featured on the 2019 EP Split (with Jesse Barnett of Stick to Your Guns) and the 2020 album Working Title, both produced by Pete Steinkopf of the Bouncing Souls, the new songs from which were debuted on a February 2020 European tour. In August 2022, he rejoined the band for three European festivals.
During lockdown 2020/21, Ben composed and performed parts for Lev Kerzhner and Noa Gruman's Together On Our Own, a remotely-recorded collaboration featuring members of Kamelot and Subway to Sally. He also appeared on Rob Lane's Straight to Video podcast, joining a roster of guests that includes members of Steel Panther, Slash and the Conspirators and The Alice Cooper Band.
Spring 2021 saw Ben remix 'Tribe' for an EP by Caroline of Sunshine Blind, with Christo's version appearing alongside remixes by Mark Thwaite and Andee Blacksugar of KMFDM.
In July 2021, Lord of the Lost's Judas was released, on which Ben contributed music, lyrics, guitars and vocals (Argent - composed lyrics and co-wrote music with Chris Harms and Jaani Peuhu) and Still Life to Die For (composed lyrics, vocal melody, sang all vocals and played lead guitar). The album reached no. 2 in the German mainstream chart.
On January 18, 2022, it was announced that Ben would join Ricky Warwick (The Almighty, Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy) on his upcoming solo tour of the UK and Ireland, as lead guitarist and backing vocalist, alongside Jack Taylor (Tax the Heat) and Richard Vernon (The Mission).
In summer that year, IANAI's Sunir record was released, on which Ben sang backing vocals. The album also featured members of HIM and Massive Attack.
That year, Ben contributed to the Oceans album, by award-winning J-rock artist, Esprit D'Air. Ben wrote lyrics and vocal melodies and sang guest lead vocals on Dead Zone, which was released as a single on March 11 and publicly lauded by Cradle of Filth guitarist Richard Shaw.
A further collaboration with Esprit D'Air followed in 2023: a cover of Iron Maiden's The Trooper, also featuring ex-Judas Priest vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. The track peaked at #1 in the iTunes UK Metal Charts.
Mid 2023, Ben contributed a guitar solo to Khalil Turk & Friends' Don't Surrender, featuring Robin McAuley (Michael Schenker) and Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake).
Christo uses Gibson & Fender guitars, Kemper amplifiers, RotoSound strings, DiMarzio pick-ups and InTune guitar picks, with clothing endorsements from Alexander McQueen and Dr Martens.
The following represent the body of recorded work with which Christo has been involved:
| Date | Band | Title | Format | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Disrupt | D.D.K. | E.P. | Clocktower | |
| 1998 | KAT>DNA | 13%/Myrrh | Single | (Self Release) | |
| 1999 | AKO | Cover My Eyes | E.P. | (Self Release) | |
| 2000 | AKO | Fragments of Reason | E.P. | (Self Release) | |
| 2001 | AKO | Find Yourself | Album | Trash City | |
| 2002 | AKO | Tomorrow Night's Regret | E.P. | Naked Ambition | |
| 2004 | AKO | The Last Goodbye | Single | Naked Ambition | |
| 2005 | Ben Christo | At The Brink | Single | (Self Release) | |
| 2008 | Night By Night | Just Tonight | E.P. | (Self Release) | |
| 2009 | Night By Night | Can't Walk Away | E.P. | (Self Release) | |
| 2013 | Night By Night | Tune Out the Static | E.P. | Sun Hill Production | |
| 2014 | Anzi Destruction | Black Dog Bias | Album | Chemical Music Enterprises | |
| 2014 | Night By Night | NxN | Album | Sun Hill Production/Cargo Records | |
| 2014 | Night By Night | A Thousand Lies | Single | Sun Hill Production/Cargo Records | |
| 2017 | Diamond Black | Sorrow | Single | (Self Release) | |
| 2017 | Pig | Prey and Obey | EP | Metropolis Records | |
| 2018 | Pig | Risen | Album | Metropolis Records | |
| 2018 | Diamond Black | Ghost in the Glass | Single | (Self Release) | |
| 2019 | Nathan Gray | Live at Dechenhöhle Iserlohn | Album | End Hits Records | |
| 2019 | Diamond Black | The Scarlet | Single | Cargo Records | |
| 2019 | Nathan Gray / Jesse Barnett | Split | EP | End Hits Records | |
| 2019 | Nathan Gray | Never Alone | Single | End Hits Records | |
| 2020 | Nathan Gray | Working Title | Album | End Hits Records | |
| 2020 | Passion | Passion | Album | Frontiers Records | |
| 2020 | Noa & Lev | Together On Our Own | Single | LMH Records | |
| 2020 | Diamond Black | If You Kill My Demons | Single | Cargo Records | |
| 2020 | AKO | The Death of Us | Single | Trash City/Cherry Red Records | |
| 2021 | Lord of the Lost | Judas | Album | Napalm Records | |
| 2021 | Mercury Circle | Killing Moons | Album | Noble Demon | |
| 2021 | Caroline Blind | Tribe - The Remixes | EP | Motherofskye Creations | |
| 2022 | Esprit D'Air | Oceans | Album | Starstorm Records | |
| 2022 | Esprit D'Air | Dead Zone | Single | Starstorm Records | |
| 2022 | IANAI | Sunir | Album | Svart Records | |
| 2023 | Plasmata | You Call Him The Devil (Ten Bells - Christo Version) | Single | Plasmata | |
| 2023 | NFD | Surrender to My Will (Ben Christo Insurgent Version) | Single | Gothic Citadel Records | |
| 2023 | Diamond Black | Through the Misery | Single | Cargo Records | |
| 2023 | The 69 Eyes | Death of Darkness | Single | Atomic Fire Records | |
| 2023 | Esprit D'Air | The Trooper (feat. Tim "Ripper" Owens & Ben Christo) | Single | Starstorm Records | |
| 2023 | Khalil Turk & Friends | Turkish Delight II | Album | Escape Music | |
| 2024 | Tomorrow's Rain | Ovdan | Album | AOP Records |