Editing Tim Skold (section)

===Shotgun Messiah===
Signed by Cliff Cultreri at [[Relativity Records]], Kingpin changed their name to [[Shotgun Messiah]] due to a San Francisco-based act holding the rights to the band name. The band remixed and re-packaged ''Welcome To Bop City'' as a [[Shotgun Messiah (album)|self-titled album]] and released it as their international debut in 1989.<ref name="Rivadavia">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p14246/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Shotgun Messiah|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|work=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=13 June 2010}}</ref> The album would go on to sell almost 500,000 copies and reached top 100 on the [[Billboard charts]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Olivier |date=22 January 2022 |title=Zinny Zan recalls how close Shotgun Messiah's original line-up came to reuniting about 2.5 years ago - Sleaze Roxx |url=https://sleazeroxx.com/zinny-zan-recalls-how-close-shotgun-messiahs-original-line-up-came-to-reuniting-about-2-5-years-ago/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Sleaze Roxx |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Blomqvist |first=Magnus |date=12 September 2023 |title=GRATTIS PÅ 34-årsdagen Shotgun Messiah! |url=https://themaloikrockblog.se/nyheter/grattis-pa-34-arsdagen-shotgun-messiah/ |access-date=10 November 2023 |website=The Maloik Rock Blog |language=sv-SE}}</ref> The music videos for the singles "Don't Care 'Bout Nothin'" and "[[Shout It Out (Shotgun Messiah song)|Shout It Out]]" regularly featured on [[MTV]]'s ''[[Headbangers Ball|Headbanger's Ball]]''.<ref name=":2" />

Whilst the band was in the process of making a follow-up to their debut self-titled album, singer Zan was let go. On Cody's suggestion, Skold switched to lead vocals and the members hired a new bassist, Bobby Lycon from New York City. The band released their second album, ''[[Second Coming (Shotgun Messiah album)|Second Coming]]'', in October 1991 to rave reviews. The album featured two singles, "Heartbreak Blvd." and "Living Without You".
[[File:Tim Skold of Marilyn Manson, live in Florence 29052007.jpg|left|thumb|Skold performing live in 2007]]
In November 1992, Shotgun Messiah released the five-track [[Extended play|EP]] ''I Want More'', which featured two new punk cover tracks and a re-recorded "Babylon" punk cover, along with a re-recorded "I Want More" edit and an acoustic version of "Nobody's Home", all three from their previous album ''Second Coming''. Soon after came the departure of Stixx and Lycon.

Still under contract with Relativity Records, Skold and Cody returned to Sweden for the recording of the third Shotgun Messiah album, ''[[Violent New Breed]]'', which leaned towards the [[Industrial music|industrial]] end of the heavy metal genre. The album was released in September 1993 to mixed reviews and continued public indifference due to the popularity of the [[grunge]] genre, which eventually convinced Skold and Cody to end the band, leading Skold to embark on an eponymous solo project.