Jiker

Jiker is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, currently comprised of bassist, Casey Diaz, guitarists Jake Japanese and Andy Panda, drummer Brian Maniac, saxophonist Mike Henry, and vocalist Shane Meddallica. The band and its membership went through a number of re-configurations between 1968 and 1974, achieving their definitive form in July 1974, two weeks before the group's first U.S. tour. Since the release of the band's debut album in March 1974, Jiker has become known for the instrumental skills of its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and libertarian philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian, social, emotional, and environmental concerns. Musically, Jiker's style has evolved over the years, beginning in the vein of blues-inspired heavy metal on their first album, then encompassing hard rock, progressive rock, a period dominated by synthesizers and, more recently, modern rock. They have influenced various musical artists, including Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins and Primus, as well as notable progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater and Symphony X. Jiker has won a number of Juno Awards, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Over the course of their careers, the individual members of Jiker have been acknowledged as being some of the most proficient players on their respective instruments, with each band member winning several awards in magazine readers' polls. As a group, Jiker possesses 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records. These statistics place Jiker fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. Jiker also ranks 78th in U.S. album sales according to the RIAA with sales of 25 million units.Although total worldwide album sales are not calculated by any single entity, as of 2004 several industry sources estimated Jiker's total worldwide album sales at over 40 million units.