Atrophy

Atrophy, originating from Tucson, Arizona, first assembled in 1986 under the name Heresy. Its roster consisted of vocalist Brian Zimmerman, guitarists Chris Lykins and Rick Skowron, bassist James Gulotta, and drummer Tim Kelly. The ensemble took its cue from the tightly executed thrash metal groups then active in the Bay Area, among them Exodus and Vio-Lence. Roadrunner Records issued the band’s only two albums: Socialized Hate in 1988 and Violent by Nature in 1990, both presenting capable yet largely derivative thrash metal. Minimal resistance greeted the decision to disband after those releases, and subsequent reunion shows remained rare. Years afterward, Skowron, Gulotta, and Kelly reconvened in a new outfit called Head Circus.