As Apartment 26 took the stage Thursday night at New York's Irving Plaza, one of the most powerful men in entertainment, Disney Chairman Michael Eisner, leaned over the railing of the club's balcony to check on his investment.

The band's debut album, "Hallucinating," arrives next month on the Disney-owned Hollywood Records, and the label thinks enough of the band's electronica-tinged metal to ask Eisner to brave a Henry Rollins crowd to watch Apartment 26 open for the punk veteran.

Considering that one year ago Apartment 26 was just another unsigned group of English teens, you might think that Eisner's watchful eye brings with it tremendous pressure, but the band is glad to be playing with the big boys.

"First of all, they're owned by Mickey Mouse, and Mickey has the biggest wallet in the universe," frontman Biff Butler told MTV News of why the band settled on Hollywood Records. "As long as we're doing well, he can feed us well, so we have a big power behind us. Then again, so does Sony and so does Warner Bros. and whoever else. However, they have a big label and they have these massive bands, so you'd pretty much get lost." [RealVideo]

Biff (the vegetarian raver son of Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler) and his cohorts (guitarist Jon Greasely, bassist Louis Cruden, programmer A.C. Huckvale, and drummer Kevin Temple) stirred some interest with a self-produced EP early last year before joining Ozzfest. One of the tracks on that release made its way onto the playlist of New York's K-ROCK radio, and when the band finally hit Ozzfest '99's second stage, Hollywood and numerous other labels had seen enough and came calling.

After passing on seemingly larger ponds in order to secure a spot as a much larger fish, Apartment 26 inked its deal with Hollywood backstage while Black Sabbath wailed away onstage during Ozzfest's stop in St. Louis last summer.

While the band came away from the annual metal outing with a label deal, it also came away with stronger sound, boosted by days spent trying to make an impression alongside fellow second stagers Fear Factory, Static-X, Slipknot, and other similarly ferocious acts. The group embraced its techno leanings in putting together "Hallucinating" with producer Ulrich Wild (Static-X, Powerman 5000) and seems satisfied with the result.

"We recorded an EP just before Ozzfest, and then we did our album just after, and the difference between them is insane," Biff said.

Next up, the band will wrap up its tour with Rollins this weekend and then work on a video for the track "Basic Breakdown" before "Hallucinating" hits stores on May 16. If you want to try to catch Apartment 26 with Rollins, here's where to look:

  • 4/7 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
  • 4/8 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club