Calhoun Conquer
formed in Switzerland sometime during the 80's, releasing an EP called
"And Now You're Gone" in 1987 as the duo of Geri Christian Gerling and
Stefan Gerling, who were joined by Chris Muzik on guitar for their sole
full-length, "Lost in Oneself", which came out in 1989 on the Aaarrg
label. This is a remarkably characteristic album within the boundaries
of 1989 metal. And therefore it’s difficult to describe. Even though the
basis is slow or mid paced eighties thrash metal, there is so much more
happening.Often vocal lines sound pretty British. Calhoun Conquer were
pretty much ahead of their time. Thus the vocals are an acquired
taste.When listening to some of the riffs on ‘You Mean Nothing’ it’s
hard to realize this is a 1989 recording and it would take another 4
year until bands like Cynic, Atheist and Pestilence would start to write
similar things. The intro to ‘Portals of Delirium’ even gives us a
feeling as if Paul Masvidal is trying to write a Steve Vai inspired
section. By now you understand Calhoun Conquer are really all over the
place.By no means is this album fast nor heavy. But also it’s can’t be
considered a pure prog album since everything is perfectly written and
contrived to fit the songs and there are no elaborate leads, solo’s an
such. It also isn’t an album you can play any time. One has to be in the
mood. The band themselves described it as such: ‘an attempted
metamorphosis of the inheritance from groups such as Helmet and Yes,
Talking Heads and Tool, Hüsker Dü and King Crimson, the early Alice
Cooper and Prong, Voivod and Hendrix’. Line-up / Musicians Geri Christian Gerling/vocals,percussion Chris Muzik/guitar Stefan Gerling/bass,percussion Peter Haas/drums Discography Lost in Oneself 1989
1.Disgust and Hate 2.Fuckhead 3.You Mean Nothing 4.Torturer 5.Portals of Delirium 6.Psycho Trap 7.Nothing 8.Outermost Consequences 9.Worlds in Collision 10.Diane
