Viking (band)
| Viking | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Thrash metal |
| Years active | 1986–1990, 2011–present |
| Labels | Metal Blade |
| Associated acts | Dark Angel |
| Website | www.vikingthrashmetal.com |
| Members | Ron Eriksen Mike Gonzalez Justin Zych Matt Jordan |
| Past members | James Lareau Brett Eriksen Gene Hoglan Glenn Rogers |
Viking is an American thrash metal band in Los Angeles, California, which had existed for four years, between 1986 and 1990. However, they reformed in 2011. To date, Viking has released three studio albums, Do or Die (1988), Man of Straw (1989) and No Child Left Behind (2015).
Viking was formed in Los Angeles in the spring of 1986 and held the same personnel until they broke up in 1990. The band signed a record contract with Metal Blade Records after their second live appearance and went on to record two full-length albums and open up for bands like Dark Angel, Megadeth, Forbidden, and Sacred Reich as well as headlining many other shows.
In 1988, they released their debut album called Do or Die. Although the brutality of the songs was appreciated by thrash metal fans, the frenetic tempos and bad production were not well received by the critics.
Following Do or Die, they moved to a new level of songwriting and musicianship. Adding half-time mosh bridges and more technical riffs, the songs for Man of Straw demonstrated a marked improvement over the previous offering.
Shortly before they started to record Man of Straw, Ron Eriksen became a born-again Christian and changed some of the lyrics to avoid blasphemies. Before embarking on a tour with Texas-based Helstar in 1990, Ron felt that his new faith could not endure the tour, and he left the band, which immediately broke up upon his departure. Prior to their breakup, Viking demoed new material for their third album for a 1990 release, and one song, "Abortuary", was released as a bonus track on the 2006 reissue of Man of Straw.
Ron and drummer Matt Jordan soon after moved to Oregon, Brett Eriksen joined Dark Angel full-time and bassist James Lareau pursued a career in sculpture.
...
Wikipedia