http://www.myspace.com/tourniquetrocks
Tourniquet is a Christian neo-classical progressive thrash metal band, formed in 1989, Los Angeles, California, USA. They have achieved 6 GMA Dove Award nominations and won multiple recognitions from the readers of HM Magazine, including "Favorite Band of the 1990s" and "Favorite Album of the 1990s" (Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance). They have released 7 studio albums, a compilation album, EP, acoustic album, 5 music VHSs and 3 music DVDs. They have sold over 300, 000 albums. Tourniquet is known for its characteristic style. One of the band's trademarks is the incorporation of classical music into their guitar riffs. They are also known for the medical terminology used in their lyrics.
Tourniquet's first three albums are cited as classics of thrash metal. In the early 1990s Tourniquet stood out from other thrash groups with its drum work and two vocalists who mastered their vocal ranges outstandingly well. While Tourniquet is said to be a musically skilled group, they never became as big as the "Big Four" of thrash metal: Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth. Some critics have speculated that this might possibly be due to their complex style which probably did not appeal to wider audiences. However, Tourniquet has become so well-known that they are probably the best-known Christian metal band after Stryper.
The current members of Tourniquet are Ted Kirkpatrick (drums), Luke Easter (vocals), Aaron Guerra (guitar, vocals), and Steve Andino. Kirkpatrick has continuously achieved top rankings when there has been voting for the best metal drummers in the world. The band's latest release, Where Moth and Rust Destroy, features special guests Marty Friedman, formerly of Megadeth, and Bruce Franklin, formerly of Trouble, on lead guitar. They are outspoken against animal abuse, appearing in many publications such as The Vegetarian Times and United Animal Nations, and Animals Agenda.
The band is named after a tourniquet which is "a surgical device for arresting hemorrhage by compression of a blood vessel." According to the band, tourniquet is a metaphor for "a lifelong spiritual process by which a personal God, through the atoning blood, death, and resurrection of His only Son—Jesus Christ—can begin to stop the flow of going through life without knowing and serving our Creator. He is our Tourniquet."
Very famous in the USA, but unknown in the rest of the world. These guys have put out some really amazing albums and they are worth a listening. They have the strange-ness of Annihilator and the raw-ness of Megadeth in their riffs. Complex but nice stuff. Amazing drumming by a superb drummer and unique voices by both of their singers. They became famous for their "Ark Of Suffering" video which is against animal abuse.
Favourite songs: Where Moth And Rust Destroy, Acidhead, Ark Of Suffering.
I bought a T-shirt from their website and Teb Kirkpatrick, the drummer, sent me an autograph
. Check them out!
