After playing live gigs around Liverpool and then nationally from 1988 onwards and releasing several independently produced singles to increasing popularity, Rosetta Stone recorded their first full-length album,
An Eye for the Main Chance, releasing it in 1991. They also recruited Porl Young as a second guitarist and toured extensively to promote the album. Following on from this, the band released their most successful single, the 12"
Adrenaline. Porl Young subsequently left the band to produce
Children on Stun whilst Porl King and Karl North released a cover version of
The Rattles' 1970 hit
The Witch. The band went on to sign a US record and distribution deal with
Cleopatra Records who released much of their early cassette and vinyl singles and EPs in 1993 as an album under the title
Foundation Stones, and a CD album
Adrenaline which, along with the title track, also featuring earlier singles such as
An Eye for the Main Chance and
The Witch. In the UK they released a CD album (on Minority One) entitled
On The Side Of Angels, compiling previous vinyl singles and their various remixes. Using the advance money for 1995's
The Tyranny of Inaction, Porl King purchased an
Alesis ADAT multi-track digital recorder, the use of which substantially changed Rosetta Stone's sound. That album and most subsequent work featured a much more industrial/electronic sound, with extensive use of sampling. The band split in 1998 after releasing
Chemical Emissions and a radical remix of
Tyranny as a limited release CD
gENDER cONFUSION and playing a final headlining live performance at the
Whitby Gothic Weekend festival in October that year. Karl North went on to join the already-established UK band, the
Dream Disciples. Porl King produced one more album (contractually) of 80s new romantic cover versions under the name Rosetta Stone for
Cleopatra Records. He then went on to work on other projects. Rosetta Stone was presumed to have finished as a band. In May 2019, Rosetta Stone, still consisting solely of Porl King, released a new album
Seems Like Forever on
Cleopatra Records, which included some new material plus songs previously released under Porl's
Miserylab project re-recorded with more of Rosetta's signature guitar sound. The album was mixed by Jürgen Engler of
Die Krupps. A video was released to promote the track "Tomorrow For Us". A further full-length album,
Cryptology, was released in August 2020. Consisting completely of new material, it continued the social commentary of
Seems Like Forever, tackling issues such as Brexit, racism and austerity in the UK. ==Members' related works==