Crisis (US metal band fronted by Karyn Crisis)

Crisis was an American heavy metal band, formed in New York City in 1993 by vocalist Karyn Crisis, guitarist Afzaal Nasiruddeen, bassist Gia Chuan Wang and drummer Fred Waring III. Karyn, Nasiruddeen and Wang were the only members to appear on all of its albums, with the band cycling through various drummers following Waring's departure in 1996; its final lineup featured second guitarist Jwyanza Hobson, who joined in 1998, and drummer Justin Arman, who joined in 2005. Largely defying categorization, the band were known for their complex songwriting that drew upon various influences and styles. In 1993, Crisis released its debut album 8 Convulsions, which sold more than 1,000 copies on cassette prior to being reissued by Too Damn Hype Records in 1994. The band signed to Metal Blade Records in 1995, releasing Deathshead Extermination (1996) and The Hollowing (1997) through the label before parting ways due to a lack of support. After relocating to Los Angeles, Crisis underwent a transitional period from 2001 to 2002, experimenting with a more accessible version of its sound under the alias Skullsick Nation. After reverting to their original name, Crisis signed with The End Records to release their fourth and final album Like Sheep Led to Slaughter (2004). The band went on an indefinite hiatus in May 2006. Crisis was formed in March 1993 in New York City, by vocalist Karyn Crisis, guitarist Afzaal Nasiruddeen (a.k.a. Afzaal Deen), bassist Gia Chuan Wang and drummer Fred Waring III. Nasiruddeen and Waring both played in a band called Stalwart, and wanted to form a heavy band with a female singer, who could perform and write in a heavy and emotional context, which they felt had not been done before. Karyn, an experimental musician who had recently moved from Chicago to New York City, was connected to Nasiruddeen through her roommate, band photographer Richard Hobbs. After playing tapes of their music to each other, Karyn was invited to audition for Crisis; Nasiruddeen gave her a rehearsal tape featuring the song "Drilling Me", which she wrote lyrics for and used to develop her vocal style. When Karyn agreed to join, Greg Mohr, the bassist who Nasiruddeen and Waring were playing with at the time, quit because he refused to play with a woman and was replaced by Gia Chuan Wang, whom was recruited through a newspaper advertisement. Nasiruddeen said that Crisis' first rehearsal was "something [he would] never forget". In a 1999 interview, Karyn recalled: "I asked them to play ["Drilling Me"] real fast. I just jumped around the rehearsal space that first time and we realized that we all connected". Karyn created Crisis' logo, intended to represent the "sharp and jagged" nature of the band's music, and would go on to design the covers for all of their albums. Although Nasiruddeen had made many connections in the New York scene from his work at CBGB and with Stalwart, Crisis initially struggled to book shows due to the band's then-anomalous status as a metal band featuring a woman. The band played their first show at CBGB with some avant-jazz bands, following a last-minute request from Swans drummer Virgil Moorefield. Two or three months after its formation, Crisis recorded a three-song demo, Home. Another two months later, they recorded five more songs and released its debut album, 8 Convulsions. Crisis sold cassette copies of the album at their shows along the east coast of the United States, where they would spend two years touring. Karyn said that although the band intended 8 Convulsions as a demo, "people bought them so quickly that we had to make more of them"; more than 1,000 copies were sold. In October 1994, 8 Convulsions was reissued on CD by Too Damn Hype Records. Following this, Crisis were offered a record deal by Metal Blade Records; in June 1995, the band signed a three-album deal with the label. After touring in support of 8 Convulsions for a year and a half, Crisis began working on material for its second album, Deathshead Extermination. The band produced material collaboratively through jamming and rehearsals, contrasting with the band's early days, when Nasiruddeen was its primary songwriter; he credited Karyn with making Crisis's songwriting more democratic and dynamic with her vocal range. The band recorded the album in October 1995 and released it in March 1996. Around the time of the album's release, the band embarked on a three week "warm-up" tour with Pro-Pain. Prior to embarking on a nine-week tour of the United States with Pro-Pain and Voivod in late 1996, Waring left Crisis to focus on other commitments, including the upcoming birth of his child. The band subsequently played a few shows with Roy Mayorga prior to the tour, before enlisting Scott Bates of Gorgon. The band attempted to work with Bates on new material following the tour, but parted ways due to creative differences. Karyn, Nasiruddeen and Wang were unsure of what Crisis should do without a drummer; they contemplated using a drum machine and launching a side project of "4-track experimental stuff" whilst they searched for a replacement. After agreeing to continue as a three-piece, the band recorded its third album, The Hollowing, utilizing a "human drum machine" devised by Nasiruddeen; Waring, Mayorga, Chris Hamilton and Jason Bittner performed drums on different tracks, allowing the band to experiment stylistically as they searched for a new, permanent drummer. Karyn credited this method with pulling Crisis out of a "really dark period" and providing the band with a creative spark. The album also features guest contributions from Norman Westberg of Swans and Sammy "Pierre" Duet of Acid Bath. Following its completion, Bittner joined Crisis full-time. The Hollowing was released in Europe on September 22, 1997, and in the United States on October 7 of that year. The band then toured Europe for the first time, supporting the Spudmonsters [de]. Further touring of the US followed. [In New York] we were selling out shows, we were headlining, we could book our tour pretty much anywhere on the east coast and mid west where ever we wanted to. But, labels weren't interested. They said we were too extreme, too weird, you don't have any marketability cause you have a woman. [...] we were like, that can't be possible because people come to our shows. So there's something out of sync there. — Karyn Crisis In 1998, Crisis split from Metal Blade Records, citing a lack of support. Afterwards, the band recorded a six-track demo with Keith Falgout and contributed "Methodology" (from Deathshead Extermination) and a cover of Twisted Sister's "Captain Howdy" to Dee Snider's Strangeland (1998). In December 1998, Crisis recruited Jwyanza Hobson as their second guitarist, allowing Nasiruddeen to "experiment with melodies while somebody else could keep the heaviness going". Karyn said the addition of Hobson allowed Wang to play more traditional basslines whilst the guitars did more "atmospheric and rhythmic stuff". In 1999, former Machine Head drummer Tony Costanza joined the band. Following a farewell tour around the area in late 1999, the members of Crisis relocated from New York City to Los Angeles in early 2000, citing a lack of support from record labels on the east coast of the US. If they could not find a record label, they planned to establish their own. Karyn said in contrast to when they were living in New York City and "literally starving for our art", the members of Crisis were able to "live more normal lives" in Los Angeles and "explore outside of [the band] with no expectations or demands". Costanza did not like Los Angeles, and in March 2001, he quit Crisis to join Crowbar in New Orleans. Following his departure, the band began jamming and writing songs using a drum machine, resulting in their songs becoming more structured and stripped down. At the end of March, the band announced they had recruited a new drummer and had written four new songs. Karyn said that the increasing