In Ruins Biography
In Ruins began as a series of basement demos recorded by founder/mastermind J. Michael in 1994, while the Reading, PA, native was still fronting the local metal outfit Inner Sanctum. Working on his own with a sequencer, Michael laid the sonic foundations for In Ruins with an EP of textural, gothic black metal that was released under the moniker Black Thorns in 1996. The demo, which bred the influence of classic brutal metal (Venom, Celtic Frost) with more classically tilted European metal atmospherics, received a notable amount of praise from the underground metal press, including Metal Maniacs and Sounds of Death. The album also ultimately drew the interest of Metal Blade records, who signed Black Thorns (now re-christened In Ruins) to a multi-album deal in 1998.
Michael, primarily a guitarist and vocalist, assembled a live band, including bassist Jason and drummer Sean James, and entered a Reading studio to record In Ruins' full-length debut. The album, titled Four Seasons of Grey, was released by Metal Blade in August of 1998. It included revamped versions of each of the Black Thorns originals, such as "Vampire, Garden of Thorns" and "Beyond the Black Lake," and appended three new tracks.
After a period of relative inactivity, including only sporadic live performances, In Ruins split with Metal Blade in 2001. ~ Andy Hinds
, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Early years Biography: London, England's the Early Years feature David Malkinson (vocals/guitar), Roger Mackin (guitar), and Phil Raines (drums). Equipped with an amp, an electric guitar, and an assortment of effect...
Youth group Biography: Sydney, Australia's Youth Group originally formed around vocalist/guitarist Toby Martin and drummer Danny Allen. While the two had hooked on with various other players here and there, by the band's...
Giant sand Biography: Giant Sand was the primary outlet for the stylistic curveballs and sun-damaged songcraft of Howe Gelb, a Pennsylvania-born singer/guitarist who formed the four-piece Giant Sandworms after relocating...
Wheat Biography: Decidedly low-key band Wheat's dreamy sound owes a lot to the shoegazing bands of late-'90s England. Formed in 1996, the band turned away from marketing themselves, instead exercising their creative...
Colosseum ii Biography: Several years after the dissolution of Colosseum, Jon Hiseman recruited Gary Moore and Don Airey to form Colosseum II. The mandate this time, however, was not the jazz- and blues-inflected rock of...
Caribou Biography: Dan Snaith's early recordings as Manitoba underlined his status among the chattering electronic classes as one of the brightest talents to emerge during the early 2000s. Having already proved himself...
Dub syndicate Biography: Drummer Style Scott joined Adrian Sherwood's influential On-U Sound dub label in the late '70s and played on Sherwood's influential releases as the New Age Steppers (with vocalist Bim Sherman, horn...
Clutch Biography: Clutch combined elements of funk, Led Zeppelin, and metal with vocals inspired by Faith No More. Formed in 1991 in Germantown, MD, the group included Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan...