Alabama Thunderpussy

Whether the name Alabama Thunderpussy strikes listeners as provocative or comical, it reliably seizes attention, yet the group’s music proves even more compelling through its ferocious, densely textured alternative metal sound that manages to be both infectious and pulverizing. Unlike many angular alternative metal acts of the 1990s, the band favored a groove-driven approach and placed strong emphasis on memorable hooks. Formed in Richmond, VA, during the 1990s rather than in Alabama, the group inked a deal with the San Francisco-based imprint Man’s Ruin in 1998. Its first two releases for the label were Rise Again (1998) and River City Revival, the latter recorded in 1998 and issued the following year. At that time the lineup featured singer Johnny Throckmorton, guitarist Asechiah “Cleetus LeRoque” Bogden, bassist Sam Krivanec, and drummer Bryan Cox. The band’s third album, Constellation, arrived in early 2000. Capitalizing on the rising profile of country metal, the musicians toured relentlessly and expanded their audience. The following year they unleashed the raging Staring at the Divine. In 2004 Fulton Hill appeared on Relapse instead of Man’s Ruin, introducing former Barbed Wire Dolls vocalist Johnny Weils in place of Throckmorton. Weils remained for only that single album; Kyle Thomas assumed vocal duties for the 2007 release Open Fire.