I Remember

The first time I heard Psychotic Waltz, after having finally managed to track down a copy of the bands debut album A Social Grace back in 1990 at a friends strong insistence, I simply didnt know what to think. After five or six consecutive plays that same night, half the songs were stuck in my head, while my mind struggled to get around the rest. I was hooked. While most melodic/progressive bands at the time were either making ham-fisted attempts at Watchtowers cold technicality, entrenched in the Bay Area school of riffing, or seeing whose vocalist had the highest pitch, here was a band bringing something new to the table. Finally, someone who played music to please themselves first and foremost, often with stunning results.
The San Diego-area quintet, having jammed and played together in various incarnations in high school between 1983-1985, finally united under the name Aslan, under which they recorded a self-titled three-song demo in 1986. Upon finding that another band already had rights to the name, they settled upon the moniker Psychotic Waltz, and recorded a new four-song demo in 1988, one that showed the bands burgeoning and inimitable talents. By this time, a lot of press contacts (particularly in Germany and Greece) took notice and began raving about the groups style, which the band themselves described as progressive hippie metal.
In 1990, Psychotic Waltz released the independently-financed debut, A Social Grace, released in Europe via a licensing deal with Rising Sun Productions, and it immediately was named Album Of The Month in magazines like Rock Hard and Metal Hammer, launching the bands career in grand style. Back home in the US, however, the situation was more difficult, as they released the album on their own Sub Sonic Records label, and hindered by minimal distribution and no promotion, would only gain cult status there. Nonetheless, the band thrived off their European exposure for this 13-song album, and even today its easy to see why.
Concisely put, there has never been another band with a sound even remotely close. Some do try, but its impossible to recreate the lyrical poetry or culmination of their musical talents. Its astonishing to listen back and hear the breadth of the material on this disc from the insistent pounding of I Of The Storm to the sinister but glorious Spiral Tower, the band were able to capture listeners on the heavier side of the spectrum. Then, effortlessly, they can transition into the technicality of opener And The Devil Cried, then soar on majestic melodies as within Another Prophet Song and Only In A Dream before stunning you with a beautiful piece like I Remember, Lackeys spot-on tribute to Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. Meanwhile, tracks such as A Psychotic Waltz are an architecture of genius, showing a deft touch for arrangements and orchestration that musicians of their age are simply not meant to possess.
It was only the first step in their careers, but what a distinguished one it was

Out of sight, not out of mind

With one highly-acclaimed debut album (A Social Grace) and appearances in Europe now behind them, Psychotic Waltz now concentrated on their second studio album. Although guitarist Dan Rock suffered a near-fatal fall while rappelling (rope-jumping) off a bridge in 1991, leaving him unable to play for over eight months, he eventually recovered and the band moved forward once again. With a new European label behind them the group spent seven weeks in Herne, Germany with Ralph Hubert (of Mekong Delta, who would produce) recording their new album, Into The Everflow. The end result was eight songs that showed the band coming into a new level of musical proficiency.
By the time of Into The Everflows release in Europe in early 1993, anticipation had built to a near-frenzy. Keep in mind that during this era, the Internet did not yet exist, and consequently the printed page was heavily relied upon, especially where the underground scene was concerned. Things like tape-trading and word-of-mouth were vital to the discovery of new bands and the acceptance of new styles, and Psychotic Waltz were the subject of much excited discussion, and their music was the subject of more hasty dubbing than Asian martial-arts movies. While in their home country they were met with confusion and apathy, preventing them from securing a label, distribution or touring possibilities, it was the reactions in Europe that kept the band going strong. Once again, they pulled down Album Of The Month honors at the top magazines, reactions were jubilant, and the band managed two headlining tours (sometimes playing sets as long as two-and-a-half hours).
The band cite syncopation as an emergent trait on Into The Everflow, and say that each members concerns and struggles with lifes usual suspects (love, money and future) led to a more brooding atmosphere. The rhythmic change is evident within Norm Leggio and Ward Evans more cohesive work, but the serious tone is offset by the vibrant colors contained within the albums rich melodies. Buddy Lackey found more range and emotion within his delivery, while the work from guitarists Brian McAlpin and Dan Rock is at times transcendental. The two worked out some devilishly intricate riffs (Little People, Freakshow) and verged on their their heaviest compositions yet (Out Of Mind) while indulging freely with false harmonics, but what really turned heads were the cascading melodies, such as the ones that lift Ashes up into the heavens. The real culmination of their progression can be found within title track Into The Everflow, a piece that slowly but carefully builds up to a majestic crescendo, triggered when a lead break turns into an improbable riff, then is joined in tandem, just as the song blossoms into art of the highest form. For my money, its four of the finest minutes ever committed to a so-called metal album.
As extras on the reissue, youre given their eerily accurate take on the Black Sabbath track Disturbing The Priest (originally only found on the bands private reissue of the album, as well as the European compilation Weird Thoughts), as well as the bands first 1986 demo tape when they were still called Aslan. I hope it all has at least a fraction of the impact on first-time listeners as it did with many of us a full decade ago.


Waiting For Something, Something That Never Really Came


Riding the peak of the bands popularity, plans were well underway for the bands third album. And, for the third time in a row, the band signed with yet another German independent label, this time Zardoz Music, the label of Into The Everflow producer Ralph Hubert. Recording took place in Los Angeles in late 1994, picking producer Scott Burns (who had made his name recording some of the top death metal albums) who proved a good match to the groups personalities. Unfortunately, it was to be the last album recorded with the same line-up, and it would not be an easy process.
The studio sessions would prove arduous, with stress levels reaching a peak when Buddy Lackey, having difficulties with some vocals, nearly walked out on both Burns and the band eventually, cooler heads finally prevailed and the recording was completed. Once again, the quintet were unable to secure a North American release for the album (despite having US-based management) but their European distribution via Intercord at least allowed more domestic fans to find it as an import upon its release. Europe was without a doubt the primary market for the band, but one has to wonder if that would have changed if only the band had a label distributing and promoting them within their home country.
Reactions to the Mosquito album were mixed, perhaps for the first and only time in their career. All their trademarked elements were still in place, but put into a more conventional songwriting format and relying more often on heavy chords to provide an anchor to their normally free-floating melodies. Reviews were still excellent, but the bands more simplified songwriting approach left some listeners pining for the technical indulgence of the past. Some threw the phrase sell-out at them, but that particular accusation made little sense, given that they were more popular than ever after the second album.
It should have been all too obvious that Psychotic Waltz simply were not going to rest comfortably or rehash their past glories, no matter how often or freely people praised what they did. However, nobody could argue that they now had the best sound to date, and the albums material went over extremely well live, proving a perfect complement to the older songs which they kept in their repertoire.
The album still shines with numerous highlights, such as the leadoff title track, the tour-story song of Haze One and its hypnotic melodies, the throwback late-Sixties psychedelia of All The Voices, and the irresistible riffing found in the heaviest track the band had penned to date, Locked Down. Buddys lyrics also made it worthwhile for fans to fold out their CD or cassette and strain to read the fine print, offering more personal details than in the past but with his usual poetic elegance. Once again, the band did two full tours of Europe to back up the record, but the band found more internal difficulties and had to part ways with bassist Ward Evans, replacing him with Phil Cutino. Of course, the band had problems with their label yet again (in what can only be diplomatically called financial unaccountability) but despite these hurdles, the band would have one more card up their sleeve, and it would be an Ace


Dont want to go, but I cant really stay

Backed for their first time by a legitimate label (Bulletproof/Intercord), armed with recent recruit Phil Cutino on bass, and with newfound friend Scott Burns helping them to capture a great sound, Psychotic Waltz returned to the studio in early 1996 to begin work on their fourth album. This time around the band finished eleven tracks and the end result was Bleeding, released in early 1996 and packaged with its own mindtrip courtesy of the over-the-top visuals from newcomer Travis Smith.
The band were not so much stung by some of the criticisms to Mosquito as they were surprised, but in no way did it affect how they approached the new material. If anything, they were more determined than ever to show what was intended on the last album, but in more refined form. The powerful chords and grooves were still intact this time, but spliced more harmoniously this time around with their melodic acuity. Songs like Need, Skeleton and opener Faded showed they were more adept at the combination this time around, leaving room for both strength and beauty within each track, while the latter half of Sleep is perhaps the finest example of how these two disparate styles are able to be joined harmoniously. Lyrically, Buddy Lackey pursued more simplified text than he had in the past, and also delivers a vocal performance that some would refer to as mature, others as low-key.
The results worked, however, landing the band high praise once again, being heralded as a comeback (an irony in itself, since it was merely a refinement of the Mosquito songwriting formula) and the wheels were set in motion once more. Before touring could get underway, however, guitarist Brian McAlpin announced that he would not be participating due to the needs of his family. A substitute guitarist, Steve Cox, was drafted into the band as McAlpins replacement for the two subsequent European tours that followed (in late 1996 and another in early 1997). On these legs, the band debuted at least three new songs, one titled Medication that was written with the recording line-up, and two more penned with Steve, titled For The Sake Of The Dead and From Beyond. A promo video-clip for Faded was also filmed by Cutino, but it was a cursed affair that would help bring about the bands premature demise when a cast member claimed a light on the set caused them blindness and tied the band up in costly litigation for the next several years.
During the whole neverending court process (which would eat up much of the bands personal finances) relationships began to fragment and splinter, bringing rifts between some of the members that would last for years. Buddy was the first to officially leave, and for a while Dan Rock, Norm Leggio and Cutino announced plans to find a new singer and continue, but each of them soon found life in their own projects.
Dan Rock went on to record two albums with his solo mostly-instrumental project Darkstar, while Norm Leggio and Steve Cox are currently playing with Teabag, while Buddy Lackey has since changed his name to Devon Graves and released two albums with his new band Deadsoul Tribe. Each one of these bands bears witness musically to what the individual musicians had created, but for many listeners Psychotic Waltz remains a band whose whole exceeded the sum of its parts. I, for one, am both grateful and honored for the music weve had, and whether they reunite or not at some point is essentially irrelevant as we have four completely remarkable albums whose intricacies can be explored, like a favorite book or film, again and again. And like all of those, it is not the final destination where the real adventure lies, but what you encounter throughout the journey. As journeys go, I could recommend no better.

-Ula Gehret