Virus (British band)
Encyclopedia
Virus, originally formed in Brighton
, are now based in London, United Kingdom. Stated on several occasions as pioneers of UK thrash metal
, and were quoted as "the badboys..." of their genre due to their live shows usually ending up in massive brawls, they have always remained a highly regarded force on the underground circuit.
/thrash metal
. By the beginning of 1987 they were joined by John Hess (Bass) together they recorded and produced the debut album "Pray For War".
A few months after the recording they were joined by Coke McFinlay on lead guitar and by October the album was released on the Metalworks label.
The October tour with Celtic Frost
and Kreator
took the band to Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Manchester and finally to the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
The new tracks they had been playing formed the basis for their next album, Force Recon. Over the next couple of months they wrote more material, rehearsed, recorded and came out to play two more gigs. The first was supporting Suicidal Tendencies
& punk
outfit Chelsea at Hammersmith Clarendon and was followed by the Christmas on Earth gig at Queens Hall, Leeds two days later. Virus were to be the first band on stage followed by Laaz Rockitt, Voivod
, Cro-Mags
, Kreator
, Overkill
, Nuclear Assault
and Megadeth
. Apart from Megadeth no-one got a sound check and the Virus set was effectively used to get the sound system up and running.
That gig did not do the band a great deal of good with the press. Certain journalists, despite many years in the business, apparently failed to notice the equipment problems and simply slagged the band off. Fortunately the audience turned out to be rather more aware and praised the band for attempting to continue in the face of overwhelming odds.
Released three months later the album Force Recon proved a hit with both fans and press and it showed a maturity in both music and lyrics. One reviewer commented "A unique thing about this album is how much instrumental there is. McFinlay and Heston are quite apt with the guitar, talented indeed. The percussion and bass are capable too, extremely fast. The riffs and solos are top caliber".
The band themselves regarded said album as their true debut.
In July 1988 the band took the support slot on the Death Angel
UK tour. This took in Brighton, Nottingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Newport.
At the end of the tour Virus headed back to London's Maida Vale
studios to record for the Friday Night Rock Show for BBC Radio 1
.
In the meantime Combat Records
had released Force Recon in America and with minimal advertising the album sold in excess of 15,000 copies.
Combat were also setting up a US tour with the band supporting Death and DBC
. The tour, scheduled for October 1988 eventually fell apart and the band never made it to the US in that year.
When released it received great reviews though not quite as revered as its predecessor, it remains a true great of the genre.
Towards the summer of 1990 Virus lost two members John Hess and Coke McFinlay due to personal differences within the band. Henry and Tez left England for the East Coast of America settling in New York, then Philadelphia, and proceeded to audition musicians there.
Eventually Virus USA took shape with musicians Benny Herb (vocals), Mark Baranowski (bass), and Syd Sholly (guitar). Demos were recorded and attracted considerable interest from the American press and various major labels. Unfortunately the world recession hit and the funding supporting Henry and Tez in the US dried up.
Leaving the US, Virus made it back to England but the American members were refused entry by immigration and red tape so the band decided to hang up their boots and concentrate on other projects.
The music scene in the UK was changing thanks in part to the emerging "Grunge" movement and the commercialisation of thrash bands like Metallica
, at that point in time it seemed like thrash in its pure and raw form was dead.
Coke later went to Dundee and formed the band Splatterhead.
With thrash now back and bigger than ever in the UK the time was indeed right but the original members declined the offer, undeterred, Coke set about finding the right people not just for a one off show but to completely revamp the old songs and make the name a force again.
After an initial line up, a more settled group was formed with Dave Sherwood from a new generation thrash band 'Tiberium' and Black Metal legends 'DorEterna' on drums, Isa on bass and Pawel Matuszkiewicz ex Tempest on guitar, Coke himself also took on vocal duties as well as lead guitar.
In an interview Dave explained how he got the job "It really started to kick off once Grey (Extreme London Metal Militia DJ) got in touch with me about Virus.... and i replied to Cokes ad which said "'looking for drummer but no 18 year old cunts with big egos'" and i replied with "'im not 18, but im a 17 year old cunt who thinks he can play drums and wants to try out'"
Isa was later replaced by Matt Cooper, the guitarist with Cellbound and Sam Brandon from melodic death metal band 'Matron' took over from Pawel.
The new line up made their official debut at the Rock Attic in Streatham on December 13 (Though they had played a small secret warm up gig the previous week as opening act for Joe Stump
at the same venue).
One review put it this way "In those few opening notes Coke had already proved his point and silenced the critics yes he could pull it off, but he went one better this is a new invigorated Virus full of life and power and dedicated to the music now and not on a nostalgia trip."
The following year, 2009, had seen the band writing and performing new songs and were steadily starting to attract higher profile gigs with the likes of Lawnmower Deth
, Discharge
, Gama Bomb
and a return bout with Suicidal Tendencies
at the Electric Ballroom, Camden.
Towards the end of the year, Sam Brandon was replaced due to other band commitments, with bass player Steve Taylor (ex 'Hostile Dawn'), meaning Matt went onto guitar. The change happened at a critical period as recording for the first release in 20 years were a hand-grab away.
In late 2009, A brand new 4-track EP entitled Raped By Mutants was recorded, with artwork again designed for them by Michael Fiamanya.
Coke stated in an interview "20 years have passed & I'm doing again what I loved doing all those years ago, this time I'm a lot wiser to whats going on & not so naive as to believe anything I hear or read. Yes I've become more cynical, yes I'm the rock that can never be moved, the sword in the stone, it was past experiences that moulded me into what I've become. The passion is still there, the energy is still there & my ability to write good thrash is still there....lookout world here I come....again!"
At the beginning of 2010, Virus started pre-production on a brand new album with ex-live Cathedral bassist, Max Edwards.
In January 2011 Virus parted company with Matt Cooper,Dave Sherwood & Max Edwards...to make way for an exciting & revived Virus in the shape of the old pretender, Coke Finlay, Darren "Rusty" Rust Paul James & finally completing the quartet was Scott Lauzon..a very strong line-up that has done several headline gigs in 2011 & already played with Lawnmower Deth & D.R.I...the Virus is again spreading into Europe in 2011.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, are now based in London, United Kingdom. Stated on several occasions as pioneers of UK thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
, and were quoted as "the badboys..." of their genre due to their live shows usually ending up in massive brawls, they have always remained a highly regarded force on the underground circuit.
Speed Kills, Fast & Raw
Originally formed in late 1986 by Henry Heston (vocals/Guitar) and Tez Kaylor (drums). The duo had played together in various punk bands from the age of fourteen, including Criminal Damage but had decided to move into hardcore punkHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. By the beginning of 1987 they were joined by John Hess (Bass) together they recorded and produced the debut album "Pray For War".
A few months after the recording they were joined by Coke McFinlay on lead guitar and by October the album was released on the Metalworks label.
The October tour with Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
and Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
took the band to Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Manchester and finally to the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
The new tracks they had been playing formed the basis for their next album, Force Recon. Over the next couple of months they wrote more material, rehearsed, recorded and came out to play two more gigs. The first was supporting Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
& punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
outfit Chelsea at Hammersmith Clarendon and was followed by the Christmas on Earth gig at Queens Hall, Leeds two days later. Virus were to be the first band on stage followed by Laaz Rockitt, Voivod
Voivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
, Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags
Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
, Kreator
Kreator
Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences. Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal...
, Overkill
Overkill (band)
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
, Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. Apart from Megadeth no-one got a sound check and the Virus set was effectively used to get the sound system up and running.
That gig did not do the band a great deal of good with the press. Certain journalists, despite many years in the business, apparently failed to notice the equipment problems and simply slagged the band off. Fortunately the audience turned out to be rather more aware and praised the band for attempting to continue in the face of overwhelming odds.
Blood and Madness
In December they headed to the recording studio to begin work on their second album, this was completed by the end of January in London.Released three months later the album Force Recon proved a hit with both fans and press and it showed a maturity in both music and lyrics. One reviewer commented "A unique thing about this album is how much instrumental there is. McFinlay and Heston are quite apt with the guitar, talented indeed. The percussion and bass are capable too, extremely fast. The riffs and solos are top caliber".
The band themselves regarded said album as their true debut.
In July 1988 the band took the support slot on the Death Angel
Death Angel
Death Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Concord, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released six studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and two live albums....
UK tour. This took in Brighton, Nottingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Newport.
At the end of the tour Virus headed back to London's Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
studios to record for the Friday Night Rock Show for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.
In the meantime Combat Records
Combat Records
Combat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and...
had released Force Recon in America and with minimal advertising the album sold in excess of 15,000 copies.
Combat were also setting up a US tour with the band supporting Death and DBC
Dead Brain Cells
Dead Brain Cells are a Canadian thrash metal band from the late 1980s. Called DBC for short, the band started in 1985 in Montreal as a small project named "Final Chapter" by guitar players Eddie Shahini and Gerry Ouellette, who put an ad in a magazine looking for a drummer...
. The tour, scheduled for October 1988 eventually fell apart and the band never made it to the US in that year.
There's A Tension In The Air
Despite this disappointment, or perhaps because of it, the band returned to their rehearsal rooms and started to write material for a new album. The album, Lunacy, was recorded on SSL at Raezor Studios, London in May 1989 and was scheduled for release worldwide via MetalWorks/AVM in July. Unfortunately, due to distribution problems, the release was delayed until September causing the cancellation of the short tour that had been scheduled for July.When released it received great reviews though not quite as revered as its predecessor, it remains a true great of the genre.
Towards the summer of 1990 Virus lost two members John Hess and Coke McFinlay due to personal differences within the band. Henry and Tez left England for the East Coast of America settling in New York, then Philadelphia, and proceeded to audition musicians there.
Eventually Virus USA took shape with musicians Benny Herb (vocals), Mark Baranowski (bass), and Syd Sholly (guitar). Demos were recorded and attracted considerable interest from the American press and various major labels. Unfortunately the world recession hit and the funding supporting Henry and Tez in the US dried up.
Leaving the US, Virus made it back to England but the American members were refused entry by immigration and red tape so the band decided to hang up their boots and concentrate on other projects.
The music scene in the UK was changing thanks in part to the emerging "Grunge" movement and the commercialisation of thrash bands like Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, at that point in time it seemed like thrash in its pure and raw form was dead.
Coke later went to Dundee and formed the band Splatterhead.
Skulls of My Enemies
In April 2008, Coke announced that he was going to reform the band initially for a one off reunion gig planned for September, however events would lead to something much better.With thrash now back and bigger than ever in the UK the time was indeed right but the original members declined the offer, undeterred, Coke set about finding the right people not just for a one off show but to completely revamp the old songs and make the name a force again.
After an initial line up, a more settled group was formed with Dave Sherwood from a new generation thrash band 'Tiberium' and Black Metal legends 'DorEterna' on drums, Isa on bass and Pawel Matuszkiewicz ex Tempest on guitar, Coke himself also took on vocal duties as well as lead guitar.
In an interview Dave explained how he got the job "It really started to kick off once Grey (Extreme London Metal Militia DJ) got in touch with me about Virus.... and i replied to Cokes ad which said "'looking for drummer but no 18 year old cunts with big egos'" and i replied with "'im not 18, but im a 17 year old cunt who thinks he can play drums and wants to try out'"
Isa was later replaced by Matt Cooper, the guitarist with Cellbound and Sam Brandon from melodic death metal band 'Matron' took over from Pawel.
The new line up made their official debut at the Rock Attic in Streatham on December 13 (Though they had played a small secret warm up gig the previous week as opening act for Joe Stump
Joe Stump
Joe Stump is an American guitarist and composer. He plays neo-classical metal, in a style similar to that of Yngwie Malmsteen. He has released albums with his band, Reign of Terror, and as a solo artist. He also plays the lead guitar for the symphonic metal band HolyHell...
at the same venue).
One review put it this way "In those few opening notes Coke had already proved his point and silenced the critics yes he could pull it off, but he went one better this is a new invigorated Virus full of life and power and dedicated to the music now and not on a nostalgia trip."
The Pain Will Pass
As the year closed Virus released a compilation CD with band artwork designed for them by 2000AD artist Michael Fiamanya.The following year, 2009, had seen the band writing and performing new songs and were steadily starting to attract higher profile gigs with the likes of Lawnmower Deth
Lawnmower Deth
Lawnmower Deth are an English thrash metal band who parodied the genre and recorded three-and-a-half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008.-Main career :...
, Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
, Gama Bomb
Gama Bomb
-Beginnings: 2002-2005:Gama Bomb formed in Newry 2002 and soon built up a loyal following in their native Ireland and the UK, which they consolidated with a rigorous touring schedule and frequent forays into self-released recording. The band first gained attention with their demo The Survival...
and a return bout with Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
at the Electric Ballroom, Camden.
Towards the end of the year, Sam Brandon was replaced due to other band commitments, with bass player Steve Taylor (ex 'Hostile Dawn'), meaning Matt went onto guitar. The change happened at a critical period as recording for the first release in 20 years were a hand-grab away.
In late 2009, A brand new 4-track EP entitled Raped By Mutants was recorded, with artwork again designed for them by Michael Fiamanya.
Coke stated in an interview "20 years have passed & I'm doing again what I loved doing all those years ago, this time I'm a lot wiser to whats going on & not so naive as to believe anything I hear or read. Yes I've become more cynical, yes I'm the rock that can never be moved, the sword in the stone, it was past experiences that moulded me into what I've become. The passion is still there, the energy is still there & my ability to write good thrash is still there....lookout world here I come....again!"
At the beginning of 2010, Virus started pre-production on a brand new album with ex-live Cathedral bassist, Max Edwards.
In January 2011 Virus parted company with Matt Cooper,Dave Sherwood & Max Edwards...to make way for an exciting & revived Virus in the shape of the old pretender, Coke Finlay, Darren "Rusty" Rust Paul James & finally completing the quartet was Scott Lauzon..a very strong line-up that has done several headline gigs in 2011 & already played with Lawnmower Deth & D.R.I...the Virus is again spreading into Europe in 2011.