Unorthodox

Unorthodox originated in Silver Spring, Maryland, during 1992, after vocalist and guitarist Dale Flood, bassist Jeff Parsons, and drummer Ronnie Kalimon were compelled to drop the Asylum name they had used for nearly ten years once another group secured rights to it. Because that earlier project had never progressed past the demo phase, the musicians could start fresh with the official debut album Asylum, issued the same year on the Hellhound label. The record ranked among the most eclectic and intriguing releases to surface from the storied D.C. doom metal community, which also includes Pentagram, the Obsessed, Internal Void, and similar acts, as it folded contemporary sensibilities and elements such as thrash and alternative rock into established doom structures. That foundation led directly to the similarly inventive 1995 album Balance of Power, which featured bassist Josh Hart. Despite earning critical praise, the release failed to generate meaningful sales, and the musicians, exhausted after years of sustained effort, entered more than a decade of sporadic activity. In an unforeseen development, 2008 brought the third Unorthodox album, aptly titled Awaken, with Flood supported by bassist Mark Ammen and drummer Gary Isom of Spirit Caravan, Iron Man, and other projects; both musicians were soon succeeded on tour by Mark LaRue and original member Kalimon, respectively.