New Model Army are a modern punk band, more melodic than many of their classic counterparts, and widely respected for their unwavering political stance, and working class ethics.
The band was named after the English revolutionary army of Oliver Cromwell. Led by guitarist / vocalist, Justin Sullivan (who performed under the name Slade The Leveller in the early 1980s), the group has an extremely loyal cult following. The band has also collaborated with electric violinist Ed Alleyne-Johnson, who worked with them on their Top 30 single "Vagabonds", and their album "Thunder and Consolation", as well as touring extensively with them for five years.
The group also tours as 'Justin Sullivan and Friends', which means a more acoustic set without some players (which ones varies), and is linked to Red Sky Coven, in which Justin Sullivan also plays. In early 2003, Sullivan released "Navigating By The Stars", a solo album recorded with other band members and featuring Danny Thompson on double bass, and Mark Feltham on harmonica.
After a short tour at the end of 2004, the group returned to the studio to record their ninth studio album, "Carnival". EMI recently released a couple of remixed earlier albums. As the band themselves say it: "Although there is nothing new within the packages they have been very sympathetically re-packed and remastered and do sound very, very good."
In 2004 their one-time drummer, Robert Heaton, died of pancreatic cancer.
One of their other members, Ricky Warwick went on to form The Almighty.
Their song Christian Militia (1983) appears in the BBC drama Edge of Darkness.
Justin Sullivan - Vocalist - born on 8 April 1956, in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, England Robert Heaton - Drummer - born Robert Charles Heaton, on 6 July 1961, in Knutsford, Cheshire; died of pancreatic cancer, on 4 November, 2004.
