Las Cruces

Emerging from San Antonio, Texas, the little-known doom metal act Las Cruces drew heavily from the early American trailblazers Saint Vitus and the Obsessed. Weak backing by the small independent labels behind their releases kept the band’s pair of albums—S.O.L. in 1996 and Ringmaster in 1998—from gaining notice beyond the metal underground. The roster, which featured vocalist Mark Zammaron, guitarists Mark Lopez and George Trevino, bassist Art Cansino, and drummer Ben Regio Montano, shifted repeatedly, leaving only the singer and bassist in place when the Lowest End EP appeared in 2001. Activity soon tapered off, yet late in 2007 founding members Trevino and Zammaron relaunched the group with guitarist Mando Tovar, drummer Paul Deleon, and bassist Marilyn. Indications are that Ringmaster will see a prompt reissue, after which a new studio album called Dusk is expected.