Crisis

Crisis arose in New York as an art-metal unit that wove together sonic threads drawn from Faith No More, Killing Joke and Slayer. Charismatic and eccentric frontwoman Karyn Crisis guided the ensemble with vocal techniques that moved fluidly among melodic singing, death-grunts and abrupt squeaks or squawks, producing effects that eluded standard labels. The band took shape in the early 1990s and assembled an international lineup that included Pakistani guitarist Afzaal Nasiruddeen, Taiwanese bassist Gia Chuan Wang and American drummer Fred Waring, yielding an explosive creative blend first presented on the 1994 release 8 Convulsions.

Its ambitious follow-up, Deathshead Extermination, surfaced two years later and distinguished itself through labyrinthine arrangements paired with unrelenting force, reshaping expectations within the underground metal community. The somewhat more restrained The Hollowing appeared in 1997, after which an extended quiet period set in until a 2001 announcement revealed plans for a return under the moniker Skullsick Nation. That intention was withdrawn the next year; once guitarist/drummer Jywanza Hobson joined the ranks, however, Crisis resumed work on a fourth album. Separately, Karyn Crisis has built a following through her leather-smithing practice.