Taint

Welsh hard rock trio Taint assembled a distinctive approach by drawing on punk, stoner rock, sludge metal, technical metal, and occasional indie-rock touches, then fusing those strands into a tight, relentless onslaught. The band originated in South Wales during 1993 when guitarist and vocalist James "Jimbob" Isaac joined forces with bassist Darren Mason and drummer Alex Harries. Following several self-released cassette demos and a track on a Household Name Records compilation, Taint issued their first EP, Die Die Truthspeaker, via Household Name in 2000; by then Mason had departed, making way for Stophe on bass, who himself exited in 2001 and was succeeded by Chris West. Further split releases appeared with Black Eye Riot in 2003 and Army of Flying Robots in 2005, accompanied by widespread touring, after which the group aligned with the steadfast British metal imprint Rise Above Records in 2005. Rise Above promptly issued Taint’s debut full-length, the landmark The Ruin of Nová Roma, cut in California under the guidance of ex-Fudge Tunnel guitarist Alex Newport. Following successful runs across the U.K., Europe, and Greece, the trio returned to record their second album, Secrets and Lies, which arrived in 2007.