| About LVR |
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Released in early '93, within a year the Lords of Babylon's aggressive alt-metal debut neatly scored a rave review in the January 1994 issue of 'Guitar World' and a distribution deal in the Far East. Idling at 110 decibels, this Tampa-based trio's high impact live performances landed them gigs opening for major label acts ranging from Surgery to the Misfits. The Lords have a heavy sound that combines the energy of punk and thrash with elements of metal, classic and dirge rock. There's an interplay on these eight tunes that suggests this band's strong point is live performance. Musically, the band offers generous guitarwork over alternating frenzies and lulls of rhythm. The gruff vocals work in a predominantly free-form fashion, playing off of, but not particularly tied to, the guitar and bass progressions. - the Unknown Reviewer The Lords of Babylon original 1993 debut album has carefully been digitally remastered from the original 1/4" analog master tapes and will now be available for download for the first time from digital music stores including i-Tunes, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, Amazon MP3, Lala, and Shockhound. To commemorate the release of the remastered material, The Lords of Babylon also have a brand new website which offers up comprehensive info regarding the band, their gear, and behind-the-scenes accounts of the band's early days leading up to the recording of their debut album for Longview Records. Lords of Babylon founder Bill Bechtel was experienced as a writer, touring guitarist, and recording engineer in Ohio and Florida, had licensed several self-produced singles out to various independent labels in the U.S., and was now looking to produce projects for release on his own Tampa-based indie label Longview Records. The Lords of Babylon totally personified the aggressive new approach that Bechtel envisioned for the new endeavor. John Henson had played bass, written songs, and sang lead and background vocals for obsessively gigging bands playing their own gear while attending college in Gainesville. By the time he had transferred back home to Tampa to attend USF, he was already well underway in developing his own signature writing and performance style, and was looking for a suitable outlet for high volume creative expression. Fred Amatoro had played drums in countless cover bands and was creatively discouraged, and was considering abandoning drums altogether until he landed a job as bodyguard for Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen. Allen, upon learning of Freds' plight, said, "You spent all this time learning and all this money on equipment and you're bloody well going to quit now?!! Are you daft? Get back on it, mate!" "By the early '90s I was looking beyond the confines of the alternative rock scene to get something more aggressive happening. The name of the new project-to-be was inspired by the book 'The Lords and The New Creatures' by the Doors' singer Jim Morrison. I had been reading the 'New Creatures' section, which basically revolved around his tales of Los Angeles in the late '60s. I thought that it sounded like its own little Babylon, and when the book fell on the floor moments later I could see the front cover title. "The Lords.." And then I thought, "of Babylon!" The new name totally worked, so all we had to do then was form the group.." -Lords of Babylon founder and guitarist Bill Bechtel, on how the band got their name. With the infiltration of their trademark high-volume riffage into the digital domain, coupled with the launching of their comprehensive new website, the Lords of Babylon will introduce their music to a whole new generation of metal fans across the world. |