9.7 RICHTER

Emerging from Bucharest, Romania, the power/thrash outfit 9.7 Richter originated in 2002 and quickly established itself as a ground-shaking force. The group took cues from NWOBHM giants such as Judas Priest together with thrash pioneers Testament and Metallica, passing through numerous personnel shifts across its early development before locking in a stable roster of Cosmin Aioniţă, Adrian Rus, Lucian Grula, Sebastian Stanciu, and Alex Dascaloiu. Their first recording, the EP Epicenter, appeared in 2010, with the debut full-length Ground Zero following in 2014.