Cryogenic (band)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 in Wetherill Park, Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Steve Essa, Anthony Henning, Russell Player, Chad Bartosik |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Thrash metal and death metal music |
Cryogenic was a metal band from Australia, specializing in thrash metal and death metal, established in 1992 in Wetherill Park, Sydney.
Origins
The founding members consisted of guitarist Steve Essa, bassist Anthony Henning, vocalist and guitarist Russell Player, along with drummer Chad Bartosik, who was also associated with the thrash group Neophobia. Cryogenic's story is intertwined with that of Mortality, a Sydney-based thrash/groove metal band formed around the same period by guitarist Darren Jenkins, bassist Luke Ford, and singer Darren Maloney. Mortality produced three demo recordings and toured alongside Sepultura before Jenkins and their initial drummer Rick Fuda were succeeded by Craig Figl and Steve Pell (formerly of Kilswitch). The release of Mortality’s first album, Structure, was delayed until early 1997, and internal disagreements regarding musical direction led to their split six months afterward.
Demo Period
The band launched their initial demo in 1995. Prior to leveraging their local momentum, Bartosik departed. Grahame Goode (also from Neophobia) temporarily took over drumming duties for a significant support slot with Belgian thrash act Channel Zero. Without a steady drummer, Cryogenic nearly disbanded. Later that year, former Mortality guitarist Darren Jenkins joined as drummer, facilitating a support performance for Fear Factory in mid-1996 and enabling work on their debut album Suspended Animation in early 1997. Their focus was on appealing to the "Westy" headbanger crowd in Sydney’s western suburbs. After Mortality dissolved, Player was replaced by ex-Mortality vocalist Darren Maloney, who re-recorded the album’s vocals prior to its release.
Late 1990s Activity
Throughout late 1997, Cryogenic embarked on extensive tours, opening for bands such as Strapping Young Lad and Cradle of Filth. Subsequent tours included performances with Entombed and shows across South Africa, England, and Germany in support of Suspended Animation. They also toured Australia alongside Slayer.
In November 1998, Cryogenic made their debut at Metal for the Brain, Australia's premier heavy metal festival, where they returned on two further occasions. In 1999, they appeared at the Sydney Big Day Out festival and released their sophomore album ego-noria. The year 2000 featured intense touring within Australia including another Big Day Out appearance. After performing at a third Big Day Out in 2001, the band paused touring to concentrate on new material. In October of that year, Maloney was replaced by Steve Simmons from Canberra’s nu metal group Henry's Anger. Plans to relocate to the United States and perform in Los Angeles were interrupted when Simmons suffered injuries in a car accident and subsequently left the band.
In The Name Of
The remaining members relocated to Los Angeles and adopted the name In The Name Of with vocalist Ryan David. This incarnation dissolved in early 2005; Jenkins returned to Australia to pursue work as a producer and sound engineer. Meanwhile, Maloney, Ford, and Pell revived Mortality in late 2005 with guitarist Andrew Lilley. They held a reunion show in Sydney in August 2006 but had no immediate intentions for further activity. Although Mortality reportedly resumed songwriting by mid-2007, no new recordings have been released.
Video releases
- Cold Cuts '97 (VHS) 1997