Chastain

Guitarist David T. Chastain has spearheaded multiple musical ventures, one of which is the heavy metal band that shares his name and remained a constant presence in America's underground metal community across more than thirty years while seldom breaking into mainstream view. The project originated in 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was swiftly signed to the shred-oriented Shrapnel label, recruiting ex-Rude Girl vocalist Leather Leone, bassist Mike Skimmerhorn, and drummer Fred Coury, who later joined Cinderella. This lineup recorded the debut album Mystery of Illusion later that year, though poor production quality limited its impact in a heavy metal landscape that was becoming increasingly polished. Stronger results followed with 1986's Ruler of the Wasteland, tracked alongside Coury's replacement Ken Mary; together with 1987's The 7th of Never, the record continues to rank among Chastain's strongest efforts for many listeners. Bassist David Harbour joined for 1988's Voice of the Cult, and 1990's For Those Who Dare introduced drummer John Luke Hebert after Mary departed to play with Alice Cooper. The early-1990s explosion of grunge then pushed heavy metal back underground and steered David Chastain toward separate solo work. A new Chastain album, Sick Society, finally appeared in 1995, preserving the band's fundamental metal approach even as it introduced singer Kate French, bassist Kevin Kekes, and former Trouble drummer Dennis Lesh; In Dementia followed in 1997. That second phase proved fleeting, and another long absence preceded the 2004 release In an Outrage. After yet another extended break, 2013 brought a near-complete reunion on Surrender to No One that restored Leone and original bassist Skimmerhorn while adding drummer Stian Kristoffersen. This mostly classic configuration proved durable, delivering We Bleed Metal in 2015 and Chastainium in 2017.