1. High Treason 1960s - 1970s Psychedelic Band.
Psychedelic jazz fusion band High Treason had its seeds at Philadelphia's Temple University in 1967. Keyboard virtuoso Edgar Koshatka was a classical music major at the university, but more of a jazzbo at heart, with an equally abiding interest in the newest strains of psychedelia and rock -- particularly the Jefferson Airplane -- that served as a soundtrack to the period. He began jamming with an assortment of experimental players steeped in the same eclectic variety of sounds and by the middle of the next year had met and clicked musically with vocalist Marcie Rauer and guitar player Saul Goodman. With Koshatka's songwriting -- a wellspring of jazz, classical, blues, rock, and even funk ideas -- developing in idiosyncratic ways, the band formed High Treason and emerged with a trademark sound. They brought Joe Cleary, previously a successful Top 40 type, in to spar vocally with Rauer and complete the nucleus of the band and went through a revolving list of drummers and bass players.

By late 1968, High Treason had turned into a full-time pursuit, including a manager, roadies, and a communal house. They became much in demand regionally, traveling not only through Pennsylvania but also to New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. With the increase in exposure and constant playing came a rash of record company inquiries as well. The band finally signed a record deal in 1969 on Abbot, a label that had previously been best known for recordings of children books. High Treason spent a large portion of the year in New York recording its self-titled album and it was released in a sleeve featuring the curious novelty of usable American Flag rolling papers on its cover. While not a huge financial or commercial success -- the label quite obviously had little idea how to market the band -- it was an intriguing musical blend that found them at the forefront of progressive rock. They continued as a big draw through the early 1970s, particularly in New York, earning scores of dates at the Electric Factory, Café Au Go Go, the Electric Circus, and the Fillmore East. The lack of a big break, however, when coupled with the inability to find the perfect rhythm section, took its toll on the band. Goodman began drifting further into the Sri Chinmoy cult, leaving less and less time for gigs and rehearsals. Koshatka returned to school to polish off the last few credits for his degree and Rauer returned to school as well.

Koshatka and Rauer then reconvened the band. The last High Treason incarnation, a hot little four-piece made up of Koshatka, Rauer, bassist Terry Morrissey, and drummer Richard Ormsbee, operated from 1971 to 1973 and, in contrast to the prevailing rock & roll winds of the day, bypassed the guitar altogether. The music turned funky, melodic, and more accessible and they continued to get a large number of local Philly gigs. Echoing the post-Watergate hangover, however, most of the band's equipment was burglarized in the spring of 1973, effectively putting an end to their career.

2. High Treason Dutch Metal band.
Early 2005, five Dutch guys decide to team up to bring something fresh to the table. Having gained experience by playing in bands such as Fairfight, Killtraitors, Still No and Of No Avail, the direction is clear; to create a hardcoreband with its roots in the old school featuring influences from punkrock to modern hardcore.

Several months later this resulted in their first effort; the Brass Tacks 05 demo. Recorded during August and September at Independent Recordings in Utrecht, Brass Tacks contains six songs containing fast, melodic old school as well as hard hitting breakdowns. The demo is a blend of all the elements set out to combine when the band was founded.

With Brass Tacks unleashed upon the masses, Niek (guitar), Pieter (bass), Steven (vocals), Jan (guitar) and René (drums) are ready to take the band to the next level, play every stage in Europe and have a good time This is High Treason. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.