Like many American kids of their generation, this metal quartet found a common liking for KISS, BLACK SABBATH and similar bands. Unsure about his own singing abilities, lead vocalist Ken Nardi had initially convinced his mates to tune their songs all the way down from natural ‘E’ to a low ‘B’, thereby striking upon a distinctive, incredibly bottom-heavy sound which would eventually become their trademark. After some encouraging exposure, they landed a demo but somehow got lost in the shuffle of the late 80s thrash phenomenon. Also plagued by poor distribution, they never really caught on despite a couple of fine albums.
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Their first two efforts, recorded on very low budget, were rushed and extremely amateurishly produced. However, “Manic Impressions” and “Scream and Whispers” both released in the early 90s, contain some fine material, the boys pushing their technical abilities to the limit with a heavy concentration on odd, shifting time signatures. Nearly every song on “Manic Impresions” has at least one memorable vocal melody to go along with a killer riff. Perhaps less raw and a touch more accessible, “Screams and Whispers” features arrangements that are even more sophisticated, making effective use of space, interplay, and dynamic and textural shifts, with ‘schizophrenic’ vocals as befits the genre. The production is icy clear on both albums.
Fans of VOIVOD and of generally dark, cold, heavy metal should definitely sample the last two albums.