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Pissing Razors

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Pissing Razors
OriginEl Paso, Texas, U.S.[1]
GenresGroove metal[2][3]
Years active1993–2004, 2014–present
LabelsNoise, Spitfire, Art Is War
MembersEddy Garcia
Mat Lynch
Joe Rodriguez
Geo Gomez
Past membersDanny Garcia
Dave "Loco" McNutt
Rick Valles
Cesar Soto
Jason Bragg
Matt Difabio
Andre Acosta
Dave McNutt

Pissing Razors is an American groove metal band formed in El Paso, Texas in 1993.[1] Their most recent album Eulogy Death March was released in 2021.

History

The band was started by brothers Eddy and Danny Garcia in 1993[1] and was originally named Back Door Cyclops. Eddy played guitar and Danny played drums, and they were joined by singer Dave McNutt and bassist Mat Lynch. McNutt soon departed and was replaced by Joe Rodriquez. By 1997, Danny Garcia has departed and Eddy Garcia switched to drums and Lynch switched to guitar, with Rick Valles joining on bass.[4] Their self-titled debut album was released in 1998.[5]

In the late 1990s, McNutt quit and Joe Rodriguez was brought on. A short time later, drummer Danny Garcia decided to move from El Paso, Texas to New York City and Eddy Garcia took this opportunity to switch from playing guitar to drums while Mat Lynch moved from bass to guitar. This left the group with a spot for a new bassist; Rick Valles, a long time guitarist who used to be part of another band with Joe Rodriguez was then hired as the new bassist. This line-up proved to be progressive as the four began to work on new material.

In 1997, after submitting countless demos to record labels across the US, the band was signed to German/Los Angeles-based Noise Records and released their self-titled CD the following year. Five more albums were released in the following years and the band got the opportunity to participate in several festivals and shows across the world. In 2000, they were asked to contribute a song for a Pantera tribute album, entitled Panther: A Tribute to Pantera from Eclipse Records. They provided the opening track, "Domination".

Shortly after their first major tour, Mat Lynch decided to depart the band as the toll of being away from his wife and child grew heavy and the band's financial situation had not improved since the contract with Noise Records. The band would recruit then-guitar tech for Lynch, Cesar "Achmex" Soto, into his place. Soto was already familiar with the material and was open to extended time away from home and did not have a family to support. The band continued writing material for the Fields of Disbelief album where Soto's classical style contributed to the now modified sound of the band.

Later in 2000, singer Joe Rodriguez quit the band as well, due to his growing family and financial needs. The band at this point were still proving their worth to the label and were not generating sufficient income despite the low cost of living in Far West Texas. Joe was replaced by Jason "Dewey" Bragg from California who again was from another unsigned band. Bragg who only recorded on the 2001 album Where We Come From left shortly afterwards due to conflicting personalities that were not discovered until they were on the Where We Come From tour. Bragg was quickly replaced by a local vocalist from El Paso: Andre Acosta who had not worked with any signed bands in addition to not having any touring experience. By this time, the band had gained some traction and could attract talent from other bands on the same level. Acosta's studio test and first contribution to the band would be the live album Live in the Devil's Triangle, titled after the nickname given to the area of town where Eddy Garcia grew up in, and featured the band's actual touring RV on the cover. Despite the recording being marketed as a live performance, the recording was done in the same studio that the first unsigned release was recorded in with a few close friends providing the "live crowd" sounds.

2002 brought yet another detrimental line-up change when Cesar "Achmex" Soto abruptly quit the band in October due to the everlasting financial issues of the band. The band was still not generating enough income to support the band and all of the other members were working part-time/seasonal jobs when not on tour. Soto contacted the widely popular website Blabbermouth.net (at the time hosted by Roadrunner Records), to publicly announce his departure, even though he was asked to keep it under wraps while the remaining partners (Eddy Garcia and Rick Valles) figured out the band's next step. Shortly after, it was announced on the same site, that Soto had joined fellow ex-members of the band, Mat Lynch and Joe Rodriguez, in a new unsigned and short lived project named "Fueled II Fire".[6]

Before the end of the year, founding members Eddy Garcia and Rick Valles contracted Matt Difabio from Langhorne, Pennsylvania as Soto's replacement. Difabio was also involved in leading a band of his own as well as his own local small business. Difabio and Acosta contributed to the 2003 Evolution album. The band then followed the release with a short tour.

In 2004, Pissing Razors quietly disbanded following the less than enthusiastic response of the band's final record "Evolution". Some blame the constant lineup changes, bad management and the lack of talent that would take the music seriously ultimately contributed to their down fall.

In 2014, Pissing Razors announced an attempt to "put the band back together" on social media. Despite the fact that the rehash involved founding members Eddy Garcia, Mat Lynch and Joe Rodriguez, Rick Valles decided to not participate in this regroup and they were forced to start in the same manner they left off in ten years prior, with new member Geo Gomez on bass.

In 2020, Pissing Razors continued their effort behind the scenes and virtually collaborated to complete Eulogy Death March. The collaboration also involved Sterling Winfield who mastered the album.

In 2021, after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band will be releasing their latest album, Eulogy Death March, in late September 2021 and will have a CD release show in October in El Paso, Texas.

Band members

Current

  • Eddy Garcia – drums (1997–2004, 2014–present), guitars (1994–1996)
  • Mat Lynch – guitars (1997–1999, 2014–present), bass (1994–1996)
  • Joe Rodriguez – vocals (1995–2000, 2014–present)
  • Geo Gomez – bass (2014–present)

Former

  • Dave McNutt – vocals (1994; died 2013)
  • Danny Garcia – drums (1994–1996)
  • Cesar Soto – guitars (1999–2002)
  • Jason Bragg – vocals (2000–2001)
  • Andre Acosta – vocals (2001–2004)
  • Matt Difabio – guitars (2002–2004)
  • Rick Valles – bass (1997–2004)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

  • Psycho Punko Metal Groove (Independent, 1996)
  • Pissing Razors (Noise Records, 1998)
  • Cast Down the Plague (Noise Records, 1999)
  • Fields of Disbelief (Noise Records, 2000)
  • Where We Come From (Spitfire Records, 2001)
  • Evolution (Spitfire Records, 2003)
  • Eulogy Death March (Razor Records, 2021)

Live albums

  • Live in the Devil's Triangle (Spitfire Records, 2002)

References

  1. ^ a b c "Oldschool Sunday: PISSING RAZORS [New 'Crushing Grip' Arrives]". Riff Relevant. January 27, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  2. ^ Griffiths, Dave (June 6, 2019). "Prepare For PISSING RAZORS | HEAVY Magazine". heavymag.com.au. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  3. ^ "PISSING RAZORS: Neues Album soll dieses Jahr erscheinen". Rock Hard (in German). January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "Pissing Razors Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Pissing Razors - Pissing Razors | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved November 28, 2021
  6. ^ "PISSING RAZORS Confirm Guitarist's Departure". Blabbermouth.net. October 28, 2002. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
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