Tag: Tourniquet

This is the second album from Tourniquet. Now everyone should know by now I don’t care for Metal and or Thrash and I often get bashed for saying I don’t like a metal album. Now that said even though I don’t like the style I can still tell if an album is good or not. This album is good, not just a little good either, it is probably one of the best Thrash albums I have ever heard. It was produced by Bill Metoyer who has been producing some of the best secular music bands as well as the metal version of Deliverance. Anyway the album was very well received including two GMA Dove Award nominations for Metal Album of the Year and Metal Recorded Song of the Year. HM Magazine ranked Psycho Surgery #18 on its list of Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time and the #2 album on its list of Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of All Time. I might agree with the Metal album spot but I think their being a little over the top on the #18 ranking on its list of Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time. Anyway this is a great album and even if you’re not a big fan of Metal you should probably give it a listen at least once.

Tracklist
1 – Psycho Surgery – 4:14
2 – A Dog’s Breakfast – 4:27
3 – Viento Borrascoso (Devastating Wind) – 3:06
4 – Vitals Fading – 2:46
5 – Spineless – 5:12
6 – Dysfunctional Domicile – 5:01
7 – Broken Chromosomes – 5:21
8 – Stereotaxic Atrocities – 4:21
9 – Officium Defunctorum – 6:26

Credits
Art Direction – Ed McTaggart
Bass, Vocals – Victor Macias
Concept By [Illustration Concept] – Jim Martin
Design – Joe Potter
Drums, Lead Guitar [Additional], Rhythm Guitar [Additional] – Ted Kirkpatrick
Engineer, Mixed By – Bill (G. Shumway) Metoyer
Illustration [Cover Illustration] – Ken Taufer
Keyboards, Lead Vocals, Effects, Engineer – Guy Ritter
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Erik Mendez
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals – Gary Lenaire
Lead Vocals [On Verse One Of Vitals Fading And All Verses Of “Psycho”] – Gary Lenaire
Musical Assistance [Theological Review] – George Bryson
Photography By – Jim Muth
Producer – Bill Metoyer
Producer, Concept By [Illustration Concept] – Tourniquet
Vocals [Spanish Vocals on Vitals Fading] – Victor Macias

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Broken Songs
Mixed At – Mixing Lab A
Recorded At – Mixing Lab B
Recorded At – Hammersound, Chatsworth
Recorded At – Asaph
Produced At – Downtown Rehearsal
Produced At – Eagle Rock Studios
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Intense Records
Copyright © – Intense Records
Distributed By – FMG Distribution
Glass Mastered at – Nimbus, Virginia

This is the first album from Tourniquet who had just formed earlier in the year in Los Angeles. Intense records must have really seen something in the band as they got their first album out shortly after the band formed. The band consisted of Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter, and Gary Lenaire. Strangely studio musician Mark Lewis played several of the lead guitar tracks including solo’s. I find this a little odd as usually a band doesn’t run out and immediately hire someone to play lead guitar. Maybe this was something the label wanted and the band agreed to just to get published. Roger Martinez, of Vengeance Rising is given co-producer credit but according to Guy Ritter he had noting to do with the album which was actually produced by Bill Metoyer of Metal Blade Records’. The album is your usual thrash metal with perhaps better vocal tracks then most. HM Magazine described the album as “unlike anything else on the market at the time”. I have no idea what album they were listening to but there were other thrash albums out at this time and this one certainly didn’t stand out to me. Anyway of you’re a thrasher this is one for you.

Tracklist
1 – The Test For Leprosy – 4:39
2 – Ready Or Not – 3:31
3 – Ark Of Suffering – 4:16
4 – Tears Of Korah – 6:20
5 – The Threshing Floor – 4:13
6 – You Get What You Pray For – 3:23
7 – Swarming Spirits – 3:24
8 – Whitewashed Tomb – 4:22
9 – Somnambulism – 4:39
10 – Harlot Widow And The Virgin Bride – 7:46

Credits
Art Direction – Ed McTaggart
Artwork [Visual Performance Art] – Devino
Bass – Gary Lenaire, Ted Kirkpatrick
Bass [Additional] – Erik Jan James
Design Concept [Logo Concept] – Jim Martin, Tourniquet
Drums, Vocals – Ted Kirkpatrick
Engineer [Assistant] – Eric Kibbe
Engineer, Mixed By – Gordon Shumway
Guitar [Additional] – Mark Lewis
Guitar, Vocals – Gary Lenaire
Illustration – Ken Taufer
Layout – Joe Potter
Other [Hair Styles] – Charmeine Ellison, Cherie Sunn, Lisa Meloeny
Photography By – Jim Muth
Producer – Roger Martinez, Tourniquet
Vocals – Guy Ritter

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Intense Records
Distributed By – Word (UK) Ltd.
Published By – Broken Songs