Anacrusis (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Fate | Disbanded; reunited 2009–2013 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs, demos, compilations, DVDs |
| Website | www |
Anacrusis was a pioneering American band from St. Louis, Missouri, known for their fusion of thrash metal and progressive metal. They played a significant role in the early development of progressive thrash metal. Their albums Manic Impressions and Screams and Whispers are widely considered seminal works within the progressive thrash and prog metal scenes.
History
The band's initial demo, Annihilation Complete, earned the title of Best Demo of 1987 by readers of Metal Forces and was featured on the compilation Demolition... Scream Your Brains Out!, which helped them secure a contract with the UK-based independent label Active Records. Their debut full-length, Suffering Hour, was recorded in under a week on a modest budget of $1,200. Their sophomore album, Reason, reflected the band's musical growth and experimentation. Following a tour with D.R.I., original drummer Mike Owen departed to enlist in the United States Navy, with Chad Smith stepping in as his replacement. Subsequently, Anacrusis signed with the American label Metal Blade Records.
In 1991, they released Manic Impressions, their first album entirely recorded in a professional studio setting, and embarked on an extensive 38-city U.S. tour supporting Overkill and Galactic Cowboys, as well as opening for Megadeth. After Chad Smith was succeeded by Paul Miles on drums, Anacrusis recorded their final studio album, Screams and Whispers, in 1993 before disbanding.
The founding members reunited in 2009 to perform at the Keep It True XIII Festival in Germany in 2010. Around this time, they also issued a CD/DVD anthology featuring early works through Stormspell Records. In April 2010, they held a reunion concert in St. Louis, which was filmed for a DVD release. Additionally, they produced a two-disc collection titled Hindsight: Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited, containing re-recorded versions of their first two albums.
Following their festival appearance in 2010, Anacrusis announced intentions to play further shows and develop new material. They released one new track, "This Killer in my House," included on the compilation "Silver Ag47 – Best of Anacrusis." In 2011, they headlined several events such as the Firebird venue in St. Louis and Germany’s Rock Hard Festival; the latter performance was recorded for broadcast on German television.
Their final live appearances before another hiatus took place at Skullfest in St. Louis and Belgium’s Alcatraz festival during 2011. On July 11, 2019, Anacrusis revealed plans for a special reunion show in Missouri celebrating reissues of their four studio albums. The December 7 event featured performances by drummers Mike Owen, Chad Smith, and Paul Miles; however, guitarist Mike Henricks did not participate.
Final lineup
- Kenn Nardi – vocals, guitars (1986–1994, 2009–2013)
- John Emery – bass (1986–1994, 2009–2013)
- Mike Owen – drums (1986–1990, 2009–2013)
- Mike Henricks – guitars (2011–2013)
Previous members
- Kevin Heidbreder – guitars (1986–1994, 2009–2010)
- Chad Smith – drums (1990–1992)
- Paul Miles – drums (1992–1994)
(Note: Chad Smith is not affiliated with Red Hot Chili Peppers.)
Studio albums
- Suffering Hour (1988)
- Reason (1990)
- Manic Impressions (1991)
- Screams and Whispers (1993)
- Hindsight: Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited (2010) (re-recorded versions)
All albums except for Hindsight are available for download through the band’s official website.
Compilation albums
- The Early Years Anthology: Annihilation Complete (2009)
- Silver (2012)
EPs
- Reason Excerpts (1991)
Demos
- Annihilation Complete (1986)
- Demo I (1986)
- Quick to Doubt (1989) – unofficial release
Splits
- Metal Forces Presents... Demolition – Scream Your Brains Out (1988)
DVDs
- Live at Mississippi Nights 1993 (2010)
- Our Reunion – Live in St. Louis 2010 (2011)
External links
- Heavy metal musical groups from Missouri
- American thrash metal musical groups
- American progressive metal musical groups
- Musical groups established in 1986
- Musical groups disbanded in 1993
- 1986 establishments in Missouri
- Musical groups from St. Louis
- Metal Blade Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 1993