Reign

Hailing from South Shields in north-east England, Reign operate as a thrash/doom metal unit shaped by the sounds of Paradise Lost and Carcass. The group’s roster includes John Cook on vocals and bass, Mark Robinson handling rhythm and acoustic guitar, Ronnie McLean at the drum kit, and Mick Storrie covering both rhythm and lead guitar duties. Early attention arrived through a finals slot in BBC Radio 1’s Rock War competition, where they stood out as arguably the most extreme band present. A contract with the European imprint Mausoleum Records soon followed, prompting work on their first full-length record. That album, Embrace, fused aggressive riffs with measured melodic passages. Warm notices in the specialist metal press led the band to schedule UK dates in support of the release throughout spring 1995.