Features

Thru Black Holes Band: History And Music

Published Tuesday 25 March 2025

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Aural Innovations was a magazine and website on space rock and related genres, offering reviews, interviews, and general articles. It ran from 1998 to January 2016. The website is no longer active, and all articles are being imported into DPRP, to keep everything available for everyone. Read Aural Innovations — A Brief History, written by AI founder Jerry Kranitz.

Jerry Kranitz

Written March 2025.

In the mid-1990s, I started purchasing cassette albums from Carl Howard's Audiofile Tapes label. I loved Audiofile Tapes because of its focus on space rock and psychedelic music. One tape I ordered at random was U.F.O., a 1993 set by the southern Ohio-based Thru Black Holes Band. I fell hard for their lo-fi brand of eerily droning space rock and darkly wigged out psychedelia.

Around 2006, an internet search put me in touch with Thru Black Holes Band ship commander Mike Roden. Mike was thrilled with my enthusiasm for the U.F.O. album and, after seeing my Aural Innovations website, asked if I would like to digitise and host all 24 of the band's cassette albums. He didn't have to twist my arm. Mike duly mailed me 24 tapes, Aural Innovations "staff" member Scott Heller digitised them, and I created a subsection of the Aural Innovations website dedicated to Thru Black Holes Band.

Mike and I were going to beef up the site with a detailed history of the band, including interviews with Mike and other band members. Mike's main occupation was as a comix artist, producing psychedelically bizarre comix inspired by the classic 1960s spawned undergrounds.

We had grand plans. But... at the time I first contacted Mike he was being treated for cancer. And shortly after sending me the cassettes he declined quickly, passing away on June 14, 2007. Band member Victor "Sug" Franklin passed in August 2013, and we lost William "Bolt" Rolsen in 2024. I was never in touch with Jerry Rieger.

Though I never reached my goal of adding a detailed history, the 24 Thru Black Holes Band albums released between 1989 and 2004 are still available for listening. They were one of countless bands who never got the recognition they deserved. I hope the music is discovered and enjoyed by new listeners.

Jerry Kranitz
March 2025

Thru Black Holes Band - Info

Originally published at:
http://aural-innovations.com/tbhb/

Thru Black Holes Band released 24 cassette albums between 1989 - 2004. Based in southern Ohio, the band consisted of Mike Roden, Jerry Rieger, and Sug Franklin, with Sug later replaced by Bolt (Bill Rolsen). The music was characterized by a brand of space rock and psychedelia inspired by Hawkwind, but with the band exploring many other styles and influences. This website exists because there is almost NO information to be found on the band anywhere! You are unlikely to find their albums anywhere but here!

News August 23, 2013:

We only just learned that Sug "Victor Franklin" passed away in August 2013.
Lin (Mike's wife)

News June 15, 2007

This is so hard for me, but I have to tell you... Yesterday 6/14, Mike passed away after 8 hours in the emergency room. He had so many health issues, in the end his body gave in to all the abuse of the cancer treatments.
You people were a very important part of his life. The camaraderie within the comix network is astounding. Thank you for all your support during the treatments, especially for the Mike Roden Benefit. And for all the art and good times.
Lin (Mike's wife)

Thru Black Holes Band - Albums

Originally published (last updated 17 June 2007) at:
http://aural-innovations.com/tbhb/albums.html

Welcome to the Thru Black Holes Band downloads page, where you can get mp3s of all 24 Thru Black Holes Band cassette albums. Mike's music lives on!

The section below has all the information from the original Thru Black Holes Band section of the Aural Innovations website. Click here to see the complete list of albums on archive.org. The album titles below link to the respective album pages on archive.org where you can listen to the music.

Thru Black Holes Band — Early Live (1989)

  1. Light Speed (5:38)
  2. Haunted House (6:42)
  3. The Skull Story (3:10)
  4. Chac-Mool's Revenge (8:55)
  5. Congo Express (5:47)

Thru Black Holes Band - Space Trip (1990)

  1. Space Trip (7:04)
  2. The Psychedelic E (14:20)
  3. Ghost Town (5:02)
  4. The Market Place (2:08)
  5. Chac-Mool (8:30)
  6. Bees in Space (3:45)
  7. The Skull Story (7:00)
  8. Crazy Orbit (2:55)
  9. Brown Black (2:48)
  10. Machine Music (4:20)

Thru Black Holes Band - The Psychedelic Journey (1991)

  1. The Storm
  2. Volcano
  3. Part 1 - Valley of Fire
  4. Part 2 - Lava
  5. Part 3 - The Burning Land
  6. The Mystic Vision
  7. The Reaper's Dream
  8. Asteroid Astronomy
  9. Earthquake
  10. Alphonso's Story
  11. Across the Universe
  12. Monster Party
  13. Galaxy of Ghouls
  14. The Bizarre Circus
  15. Neptune's Voyage
  16. Tidal Wave
  17. Inner Space - The Prophecy

Thru Black Holes Band - Flight Of The Bird Of Wire (1991)

  1. Bird of Wire
  2. Hyper Drive
  3. Attack of the Stone Giants
  4. The March of Time
  5. The Toad of Time
  6. The Iron Skull
  7. Down at the Edge of Time
  8. The Temple of the Turtle
  9. Space Locomotive
  10. The Bird of Wire Meets the Toad of Time

Thru Black Holes Band - City Of Monsters / Guido's Nightmare (1991)

City of Monsters

  1. Space Gate
  2. The Orange and Red Planet
  3. The Great Underworld
  4. Robot Rock
  5. The Mile High Serpent
  6. City of Monsters
  7. The Parade of Monsters

Guido's Nightmare

  1. Deep Man
  2. House of Blacklight
  3. Synco, Man of 5 Arms
  4. Planet Head
  5. Dead Men Walk
  6. Guido's Nightmare

Thru Black Holes Band - Mythology (1991)

  1. Snow Men From Mars
  2. Mystery of the Holy
  3. The Wise Man
  4. The Sonic Barrier
  5. The Secret of the Desert
  6. The Great White Void
  7. The Tiny Man
  8. O-Nobly Born
  9. The Legend of Po' Krast - Part 1
  10. The Legend of Po' Krast - Part 2
  11. This is the Future

Thru Black Holes Band - Smoking Glass Wreckage Of The Alien Octopus Face (1992)

  1. Smoking Glass Wreckage of the Alien Octopus Face
  2. Curse of the Rattlesnake Cult
  3. 1000 Nightmares
  4. 48 Monsters
  5. Eurephedese Stepped Forward
  6. In Search of the Alien
  7. Chaos in the House of Der-Ak Parts 1 & 2
  8. I Am The Alien Octopus Face
  9. Return to Space

Thru Black Holes Band - Space Knowledge Of The Ancients (1992)

  1. Crossing the Blacklight Void
  2. Alien Home Life
  3. U.F.O. Communication
  4. Space Knowledge of the Ancients
  5. The Psychic Beetle
  6. 50 Million Mega Tons
  7. Return of the Living Sphinx
  8. Night of the Primitive
  9. Von Himmel Hoff: Space Explorer
  10. The Magic Flight
  11. The Travels of the Golden Skelton
  12. Manifest Destiny

Thru Black Holes Band - Nightmare City (1992)

  1. Nightmare City
  2. Quaking at the Shining Coats of Silver Snakes
  3. The Robot Factory
  4. The Glowing Red Egg
  5. The Mad Scientist
  6. It's Post Time
  7. Who is the Man With the Neon Face?
  8. Grant's Memorial
  9. I Love to See the Dead Dance
  10. The Zoo
  11. The Carnival
  12. China Town
  13. Zombie Nation
  14. Can't Bring Peace With the Devil Boy

Thru Black Holes Band - The Oracle of Space & Time (1992)

  1. The Oracle Speaks
  2. Tunnels of Darkness
  3. Doors of Light
  4. Projections of the Ghost Wall
  5. Beatnik Life
  6. Mazes of Chambers
  7. Dark Castle
  8. Racing Circuit of the Mind
  9. Chaos Gladiator
  10. The Oracle Returns

Thru Black Holes Band - The Ice Age (1992)

  1. The Ice Age
  2. Free Me
  3. The Pleistocene Era
  4. Volcanic Slag
  5. Ice Land
  6. Oh Walrus Tooth and Nail
  7. Glacial Grooves
  8. Eskimo Dance
  9. The Coming of the Great Walrus

Thru Black Holes Band - The Madness Album (1993)

  1. The Opening
  2. The Funny Farm
  3. Rats in a Box
  4. Too Late for Sanity
  5. Maniacs
  6. Why I'm So Crazy 1
  7. The Medley
  8. Dr. Memory
  9. Asylum Symphony
  10. I'm a Crazy Man
  11. The Simpleton of Belmont
  12. Why I'm So Crazy 2
  13. For Whom the Bell Tolls

Thru Black Holes Band - U.F.O. (1993)

  1. U.F.O.
  2. Skull Moon/Theatre of Blood
  3. Punks From Another Planet
  4. The Devil Dude
  5. Frankenstein Lives
  6. Dark Forces
  7. Bridge to Space
  8. Refraction of Light
  9. Deep Space
  10. King Pin Head
  11. The Monk
  12. The Icon
  13. Fireball Holocaust

Thru Black Holes Band - Ultra Modern (1993)

  1. Ultra Modern
  2. Porquah Esposito
  3. The Chinese Magician
  4. Wait, I Have Something To Tell You
  5. Automation
  6. Children of the Dead Moon
  7. Green Meadow
  8. Snoring Alarm Clock
  9. Formosa
  10. How Doth the Lovely Bumblebee
  11. Robots
  12. Pencil-Neck Geek
  13. Thunder Clown
  14. Cosmic House
  15. Bird Island
  16. The Last Race at Pemlico

Thru Black Holes Band - The Rasta Album (1993)

  1. The Rasta Way
  2. Mt. Zion
  3. The Rasta Dream
  4. Jamaican Tick Tock
  5. Aunt Jenny's Mushroom Tea
  6. Trouble in Africa
  7. Township of Cool
  8. The Psychedelic Jam
  9. Way Down in the Land of Dub
  10. The Hall of Jammin'
  11. Club Negril
  12. Yah Mon

Thru Black Holes Band - Cult Classics 1 (1993)

  1. People Stretch Themselves
  2. My Long Arm
  3. Paradox Incline
  4. Speak of the Devil
  5. Slime & Decay
  6. My Spanish Harlem
  7. The Submarine
  8. The Fair Child
  9. Yucatan
  10. Look at my Head
  11. Fresno
  12. Obtain Justice
  13. The Tunnel
  14. Squid Man

Thru Black Holes Band - Black Serpents Emit Flames (1993)

  1. Mask of the Shimmering Chalice
  2. Rays So Hot, They Burned My Flesh
  3. My Son, The Courteous Master
  4. Bury the Bones Deeper
  5. This is the Day
  6. The New World
  7. The Skull House
  8. Snake Village
  9. Everywhere
  10. I Dreamed I Was The Great White Ape
  11. Levitation in the 4th Dimension
  12. Wolfgang
  13. Psychosis
  14. Between the Spaces
  15. Still Alive
  16. The National Boat
  17. Born on a Hawk Wind

Thru Black Holes Band - Planet of Turbulent Fire (1995)

  1. Space Transference
  2. Legend of Bones
  3. Theme from the God Boys
  4. Devil Generator
  5. Custom Dwelling on Arcturus
  6. Space Radio
  7. Colliding Planets
  8. Red Toad Ocean
  9. The Futuristic City
  10. Dulac - Beyond the Doorway
  11. Sitar Star
  12. Barter Town
  13. Aztec Robots Spring for Time
  14. Hell's Kitchen
  15. All Mirror's Point to the West
  16. The Chase
  17. Hurricanes
  18. Aftermath

Thru Black Holes Band - The Blues Album (1995)

  1. Deep Valley
  2. Only Time Will Tell
  3. The Reeve Jam
  4. My Favorite Color
  5. Jazz Land
  6. Slippin' and Slidin'
  7. Outta Here
  8. Mardi Grau Blues
  9. Dig Joan
  10. Shortnin' Bread
  11. Cafe Futuristique
  12. Gone Bugs
  13. Speedway
  14. I Saw Chac Mon
  15. The Bohemian

Thru Black Holes Band - The Halloween Album (1993-2003)

  1. Happy Halloween
  2. Halloween Night
  3. I Have No Flesh
  4. Mrs. Terwilliger's Pumpkin
  5. Chainsaw Dude
  6. The Mad Ritual
  7. Ghost Machine
  8. Pumpkin Town
  9. This Spider Glows
  10. Can't Kill a Spider
  11. The Undertaker's Song
  12. The House
  13. I Laughed Like This
  14. The Trolls
  15. Witches

Thru Black Holes Band - Twisted Metal (2004)

  1. The Classic Climb Down
  2. Pandemonium
  3. Bringer of Destruction
  4. Big Belly Ache
  5. Alien Contact
  6. A Glass Maze
  7. The Wheel
  8. This Way to Hell
  9. Faces of Demons
  10. Hell's Kitchen
  11. An Ounce of Flesh
  12. Psycho Drama
  13. Cover Your Eyes
  14. The Outer Limits

Thru Black Holes Band - The Old West Album (2004)

  1. High Noon
  2. Lonesome Cowboy
  3. I Was Gone
  4. Ridin' On That Road
  5. Not Gonna Stand For That
  6. I've Lived A Long Time
  7. Black Bottom
  8. Days Are Gone
  9. Mexicana
  10. Hillbilly Heaven
  11. Outta Here Too
  12. Where Do You Go?

Thru Black Holes Band - The Pirate Album (2004)

  1. Sky Master
  2. A Sailor's Song
  3. Gold Island
  4. Beachward Bound
  5. A Pirate's Life
  6. The Bottom of the Sea
  7. Scary Ghosts
  8. Pirate's Jig
  9. Dead Men Tell No Tales
  10. Ocean Sunrise
  11. The Flying Dutchman
  12. Ever A New Day

Thru Black Holes Band - Cult Classics 2 (2004)

  1. Walking Spirit Man
  2. Planet Escape
  3. How Doth the Lovely Bumblebee
  4. Monkey Boy
  5. This Old Towel
  6. Keyboard Man
  7. Oh, What a Wonderful Christmas
  8. The Crow in the Desert
  9. Bull Frog Sally
  10. The Tooth-ed Bluefish
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