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PURGATORY BAND PAGE
 PURGATORY
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CURRENT NAME
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Purgatory | |
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FORMER NAMES
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- | |
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ORIGIN
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USA | |
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STATUS
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Disbanded | |
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FORMED IN
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- | |
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GENRE
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Power metal | |
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STYLE
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- | |
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LYRICAL THEME
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- | |
| BAND ADDED | 2004-04-15, 00:00 | |
| LAST UPDATE | 2004-04-15, 00:00 | |
Biography | Band members | Discography | Shows | Forum
| Band biography |
Their first live gig, which would be in May at the Old Brooklyn Tavern. The show was a big success, and they began to get a lot of offers to play out. They eventually opened up for bands like Metal Church, Lizzy Borden, and Fates Warning -- as well as doing some headlining shows. In just a few short months, Purgatory was in all the local music press, as well as being one of the top draws on the local metal scene.
In the winter of 1985, Purgatory signed to Bill Peters and Auburn Records and began recording their debut LP "Tied To The Trax". The 9-song album was recorded at Suma Recording Studios and took several months to complete. New versions of the four songs from the EP were included, along with 5 new original tracks. All of the songs contained a strong mixture of speed, melody, and tempo changes -- something that gave Purgatory an identity of their own. Purgatory completed a licensing deal with the German based SPV/Steamhammer Records which would ensure worldwide exposure of the album. With the album completed, all that the guys could do was wait until its release. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but what lay ahead would be the biggest challenge for the band to face yet.
Prior to the LP's release, Greg Perry decided to leave the band. His departure took place around March of '86, and he cited musical differences as his reason for leaving. Purgatory got a replacement, Ed Whittingler, for a short while, but that didn't work out. By this time, Jeff and Mark were changing the direction of the band to a bit more thrash/speed metal. Randy was not feeling the new direction, and thought that the band lacked what it once had with Greg Perry and him on dueling guitars. So, in May of '86, Randy also left the band due to musical differences. And now, with a new album on its way out, Purgatory was left without any guitarists.
The 3 remaining members frantically searched for new guitar players. They came out of the search with Frank Romano and Dave Felton, two upcoming guitarists from the Cleveland area. Shortly thereafter, Greg Perry worked out his differences and rejoined Purgatory. After encountering musical differences, Dave Felton left the band. Purgatory had survived a major obstacle, and their optimism about the release of the new album had returned.
The band played out often and got a great response from the album. They played all through '86 and '87, and then the guys started to drift apart. Jeff started to have musical differences with the band, and ended up leaving the band in 1988. Greg Perry also made his second and final exit in '88. Kenny, Mark, and Frank stuck together and recruited guitarist Tony Ross and vocalist Andy Boyer. The new lineup sent the bands sound back to the early days of Purgatory. They released an EP titled "Dr. Pain" in early 1989, and played a few live shows before finally disbanding for good.
Despite being together for 5 years, Purgatory seemed to have an even more short-lived career. The band seemed to have such a promising future, and had a unique style in the local Cleveland metal scene. Purgatory only recorded one full-length album, but it had an impact in metal for years to come.
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