Nodes Of Ranvier

Nodes of Ranvier took their name from the gaps found along the myelin sheath of human nerve fibers. The Sioux Falls, SD outfit formed in 2000 when guitarist Jon Parker assembled a group that fused progressive metal’s technical precision with death metal’s aggressive intensity, while centering lyrics on thoughtful and philosophical themes. Their first recording arrived in 2002 via a split EP shared with Iowa’s Innocence Broken. Later that same year the band joined Facedown Records and issued their debut full-length, Lost Senses, More Innocence, performed by Parker and Zachary Poppinga on guitar, Thomas Hentges on lead vocals, Jon Schuld on bass, and Ryan Knutson on drums. The self-titled follow-up appeared in 2003 after Nick Thomas stepped in for the departing Poppinga. Extensive road work occupied as much as six months annually, yet the group still managed to track a third album, Years to Come, in 2005. By then the lineup had shifted considerably: Nick Murphy assumed lead vocals in place of Hentges, Jake Stefek replaced Thomas on guitar, and Terry Taylor filled the bass chair vacated by Schuld. Early in 2007 Nodes of Ranvier moved to Victory Records; that spring they entered the studio for their first release on the label, now featuring Bradley Murphy on bass after Taylor’s departure.