Stop the Bleeding
Encyclopedia
Stop the Bleeding was the debut album by the Christian metal
band Tourniquet
, originally released in 1990 on Intense Records
. It was remastered and independently rereleased in 2001 on Pathogenic Records. The rerelease included new artwork, an expanded booklet, and several bonus tracks including demos and live versions featuring Luke Easter
on vocals.
. Almost half of the lead guitars were played by session musician Mark Lewis. Lenaire, as seen in the video, played leads on Ark of Suffering and the remainder of the record.
An interesting fact on the recording of the album is that drummer Ted Kirkpatrick
injured his left foot which is his main kick foot for drumming prior to the recording. The injury occurred during an "Artists vs. Label" softball
game when a label executive accidentally stomped Ted's foot while he was rounding second base. This required Ted to record the album under a great deal of pain.
The band faced other obstacles as well such a power failure which forced the producer to mix the songs over again. Tourniquet's vocalist at that time, Guy Ritter, has said in an interview about this situation:
On the original booklet, the production credits were given to Roger Martinez, vocalist of the fellow California based Christian thrash metal group Vengeance Rising
. However, the album was actually produced by Bill Metoyer of Metal Blade Records. Ritter has said about this:
Ritter's falsetto vocals were often compared to those of King Diamond
. However:
The artwork on album cover contains a snake being restrained by chains. This artwork was used to represent the power that good has over evil, and how that relates to the death
and resurrection
of Christ
, which was the ultimate victory over Satan
. This concept was inspired by the bible verse 1 John 4:4, which in part reads "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world".
A video was done for the song "Ark of Suffering
" which contained graphic footage of animals in labs and meat houses which received some airplay on MTV
before it was banned by for being too graphic. The video won the Christian News Forum Contemporary Christian Music Award for "Rock Video of the Year" and it was voted by the Heaven's Metal magazine's readers as their "Favorite Video of the Year". The video is also included on the Ocular Digital
DVD.
Ritter has said about the song airplay:
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
band Tourniquet
Tourniquet (band)
Tourniquet is a Christian thrash / heavy metal band that was formed in 1989 by Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter and Gary Lenaire in Los Angeles, California, USA. They are known for incorporating elements of thrash, neo-classical and progressive metal into their music...
, originally released in 1990 on Intense Records
Intense Records
Intense Records was an independent record label whose releases were mostly in the metal genre. Intense was bought out in 1989 by Frontline Records and became an imprint of that company...
. It was remastered and independently rereleased in 2001 on Pathogenic Records. The rerelease included new artwork, an expanded booklet, and several bonus tracks including demos and live versions featuring Luke Easter
Luke Easter (musician)
Luke Easter is a singer and songwriter with the Christian metal band Tourniquet.Easter grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, where he currently resides. He was a fan of Tourniquet as a youth, became a singer at age 19, and joined the band after an audition, shortly before they went on tour in...
on vocals.
Recording history
Stop the Bleeding was recorded at a studio called Mixing Lab A & B, Garden Grove, California. On this album the band's line up consisted of Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter and Gary LenaireGary Lenaire
Gary Lenaire is a guitarist and composer. He is most known for his work with Tourniquet and the band Echo Hollow. He has released 12 records and was nominated for six GMA Dove Awards. He received HM Magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" award from 1994-1996. He has published over 90 songs world wide...
. Almost half of the lead guitars were played by session musician Mark Lewis. Lenaire, as seen in the video, played leads on Ark of Suffering and the remainder of the record.
An interesting fact on the recording of the album is that drummer Ted Kirkpatrick
Ted Kirkpatrick
Ted Kirkpatrick is an American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with the American Christian metal band Tourniquet.-Biography:...
injured his left foot which is his main kick foot for drumming prior to the recording. The injury occurred during an "Artists vs. Label" softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
game when a label executive accidentally stomped Ted's foot while he was rounding second base. This required Ted to record the album under a great deal of pain.
The band faced other obstacles as well such a power failure which forced the producer to mix the songs over again. Tourniquet's vocalist at that time, Guy Ritter, has said in an interview about this situation:
On the original booklet, the production credits were given to Roger Martinez, vocalist of the fellow California based Christian thrash metal group Vengeance Rising
Vengeance Rising
Vengeance Rising is an American Christian thrash metal band from Los Angeles, CA. Fronted by vocalist Roger Martinez, they originally formed as Vengeance in 1987, but changed their name in 1989 to avoid conflict with another band from the Netherlands...
. However, the album was actually produced by Bill Metoyer of Metal Blade Records. Ritter has said about this:
Overview
Musically, the album was said to be "unlike anything else on the market at the time." Stop the Bleeding is known to incorporate classical music to 1980s inspired speed and thrash metal riffs. Guy Ritter's vocals on the album shift between low baritone and high falsetto vocals. Ritter has said that he was inspired by glam metal vocalists. His vocals were higher on the demo versions:Ritter's falsetto vocals were often compared to those of King Diamond
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen , better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Grammy Award nominated Danish heavy metal musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his extensive vocal range, in particular his usage of falsetto. He is the lead vocalist for both Mercyful Fate and the eponymous King Diamond...
. However:
The artwork on album cover contains a snake being restrained by chains. This artwork was used to represent the power that good has over evil, and how that relates to the death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
and resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, which was the ultimate victory over Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. This concept was inspired by the bible verse 1 John 4:4, which in part reads "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world".
Reception
The song "You Get What You Pray For" was the first single by the band. The song charted quite well and was a GMA Dove Award nomination for "Metal Recorded Song of the Year".A video was done for the song "Ark of Suffering
Ark of Suffering
"Ark of Suffering" is a song by the American thrash metal band Tourniquet. One of the band's best known songs from their early years, "Ark of Suffering" is the third track from Tourniquet's 1990 debut album Stop the Bleeding. It is widely known for its stance on animal abuse and the music video...
" which contained graphic footage of animals in labs and meat houses which received some airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
before it was banned by for being too graphic. The video won the Christian News Forum Contemporary Christian Music Award for "Rock Video of the Year" and it was voted by the Heaven's Metal magazine's readers as their "Favorite Video of the Year". The video is also included on the Ocular Digital
Ocular Digital
Ocular Digital is a live concert DVD released by the American Christian metal band Tourniquet in 2003. The "Flevo 2001" tracks were recorded live at the Flevo Festival in Liempde, The Netherlands on August 17, 2001....
DVD.
Ritter has said about the song airplay:
Track listing
- "The Test for Leprosy" – 4:38
- "Ready or Not" – 3:31
- "Ark of SufferingArk of Suffering"Ark of Suffering" is a song by the American thrash metal band Tourniquet. One of the band's best known songs from their early years, "Ark of Suffering" is the third track from Tourniquet's 1990 debut album Stop the Bleeding. It is widely known for its stance on animal abuse and the music video...
" – 4:14 - "Tears of Korah" – 6:20
- "The Threshing Floor" – 4:13
- "You Get What You Pray For" – 3:23
- "Swarming Spirits" – 3:24
- "Whitewashed Tomb" – 4:22
- "Somnambulism" – 4:39
- "Harlot Widow and the Virgin Bride" – 7:45
Bonus tracks on 2001 remaster
- "Ark of Suffering" (live 2000) – 4:39
- "The Test for Leprosy" (live 2000) – 4:19
- "Whitewashed Tomb" (demo 1990) – 4:40
- "Tears of Korah" (demo 1990) – 6:31
- "Ark of Suffering" (demo 1990) – 3:56
- "Concert Intro" (1999) - 4:25
Album
- Ted KirkpatrickTed KirkpatrickTed Kirkpatrick is an American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with the American Christian metal band Tourniquet.-Biography:...
- Drums, Bass - Guy Ritter - Vocals
- Gary LenaireGary LenaireGary Lenaire is a guitarist and composer. He is most known for his work with Tourniquet and the band Echo Hollow. He has released 12 records and was nominated for six GMA Dove Awards. He received HM Magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" award from 1994-1996. He has published over 90 songs world wide...
- Guitars, Vocals, Bass - Mark Lewis - Lead Guitars
2000 Live Tracks
- Ted KirkpatrickTed KirkpatrickTed Kirkpatrick is an American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with the American Christian metal band Tourniquet.-Biography:...
- Drums - Luke EasterLuke Easter (musician)Luke Easter is a singer and songwriter with the Christian metal band Tourniquet.Easter grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, where he currently resides. He was a fan of Tourniquet as a youth, became a singer at age 19, and joined the band after an audition, shortly before they went on tour in...
- Vocals - Aaron GuerraAaron GuerraAaron Guerra is a guitarist for the Christian metal band Tourniquet. He first learned how to play guitar from his father. He is credited for writing the music on two Tourniquet albums. He wrote three songs on the 1997 album Crawl to China and three more on the 2000 album Microscopic View of a...
- Guitars, Vocals - Steve Andino - Bass
1990 Demo Tracks
- Ted KirkpatrickTed KirkpatrickTed Kirkpatrick is an American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with the American Christian metal band Tourniquet.-Biography:...
- Drums, Bass, Rhythm Guitars - Guy Ritter - Vocals
- Gary LenaireGary LenaireGary Lenaire is a guitarist and composer. He is most known for his work with Tourniquet and the band Echo Hollow. He has released 12 records and was nominated for six GMA Dove Awards. He received HM Magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" award from 1994-1996. He has published over 90 songs world wide...
- Guitars, Vocals - Mark Lewis - Lead Guitars