Grip Inc. was an American
groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre achieved success in the 1990s and continued having success in the 2000s. Inspired by thrash metal and traditional heavy metal, groove metal features raspy ...
band and
side project
In popular music, a side project is a project undertaken by one or more people already known for their involvement in another band. It can also be an artist or a band temporarily switching to a different style.
Usually these projects emphasize a ...
of drummer
Dave Lombardo
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...
. The band was formed in 1993 and was signed to
Steamhammer Records
SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributor ...
.
History
Following the birth of his first child in 1993, Lombardo formed Grip Inc. with
Voodoocult
Voodoocult was an international thrash metal supergroup formed in 1993 by Phillip Boa, vocalist of the alternative band Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub. The project was especially notable for the reputation of the participating musicians, such as ...
guitarist
Waldemar Sorychta
Waldemar Sorychta (born 1967) is a Polish heavy metal record producer and musician who has lived in Germany since 1982.
Career
He initially worked with German thrash metal band Despair, founded in 1986.
In 1994 he took part in the recording ...
.
The pair recruited bassist
Jason VieBrooks
Jason VieBrooks (born August 9, 1971) is an American touring bassist and guitarist. He has toured the world with many groups, and is an endorsee of Esh Bass.
Biography
Born on August 9, 1971, in Cincinnati, Ohio, VieBrooks graduated from Hami ...
and vocalist Gus Chambers to complete the line-up, releasing their debut record ''
Power of Inner Strength
''Power of Inner Strength'' is the debut album by American groove metal band Grip Inc. It was released on March 7, 1995.
Track listing
Personnel
* Gus Chambers – vocals
* Waldemar Sorychta – guitar, backing vocals
* Jason VieBrooks – ...
'' (1995), distributed via
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distrib ...
.
Prior to the album's release Lombardo described leaving
Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...
as a career low, because he did not know what type of music to play.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
reviewer Vincent Jeffries singled out Lombardo for praise on the album, remarking that Slayer fans "will enjoy the drummer's double bass work and overall aggression throughout the disc."
Sorychta said critics and music fans always spot mistakes in their music, because of Lombardo's popularity with Slayer – expecting the band to sound like Slayer and complain.
However, when Lombardo uses the
double bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
, Sorychta said people complain "now Grip Inc. sound exactly like Slayer."
The band released ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'' in 1997.
Jeffries praised Lombardo's "crushing drum work" which takes center stage on the album. Bassist VieBrooks left the band and was replaced by Stuart Carruthers in 1997. With a new bassist, the band released ''
Solidify'' in 1999, which was described as a step towards "progressive and exotic
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
s,
structures
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
, and instrumentations, while never compromising intensity" by Jeffries.
Members
Final line-up
*Gus Chambers – vocals (1993–2006; died 2008)
*
Dave Lombardo
David Lombardo (born February 16, 1965) is a Cuban-American drummer, best known as a co-founding member of American thrash metal band Slayer. He is currently playing drums with Testament, Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle ...
– drums, percussion (1993–2006)
*
Waldemar Sorychta
Waldemar Sorychta (born 1967) is a Polish heavy metal record producer and musician who has lived in Germany since 1982.
Career
He initially worked with German thrash metal band Despair, founded in 1986.
In 1994 he took part in the recording ...
– guitars (1993–2006), bass (1999–2006)
Former members
*Chaz Grimaldi – bass (1993)
*
Bobby Gustafson
Robert Wayne Gustafson (born July 15, 1965) is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the New Jersey-based thrash metal band Overkill from 1982 until his split with the band in 1990. He was also the rhythm guitarist for thr ...
– guitar (1993)
*
Jason VieBrooks
Jason VieBrooks (born August 9, 1971) is an American touring bassist and guitarist. He has toured the world with many groups, and is an endorsee of Esh Bass.
Biography
Born on August 9, 1971, in Cincinnati, Ohio, VieBrooks graduated from Hami ...
– bass (1993–1997)
*Stuart Carruthers – bass (1997–1999)
Discography
Studio albums
Music videos
References
External links
Grip Incat Myspace
*
coventrytelegraph.net
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 1993
American groove metal musical groups
American progressive metal musical groups
Heavy metal musical groups from California
1993 establishments in California
Musical groups from Los Angeles