biographical info
Combat Records
Biography 1989
1986
Canadian thrash outfit Dead Brain Cells begins as a semi-serious side-project
with drummer Jeff St. Louis and local personality Dave Javex from Vomit
and the Zits. After only a few practices, the "joke" is coming
up with some impressive material.
1987
Combat Records releases 'Dead Brain Cells'. Produced by Randy Burns
(Nuclear Assault, Ludichrist), the 13-song LP establishes DBC as a leading
underground force. A solid thrash piece with socially conscious lyrics
displaying an interesting hardcore inclination (especially in songs
such as "Outburst" and "Lies", Dead Brain Cells
elicits favorable reviews from Faces, Metal Hammer, Burn, and others.
Several tracks hint at a promising, unconventional approach that bodes
well for the future.
1989
Universe, the fruition and sum of these elements, finally arrives. Nothing
short of a full-blown concept work (replete with bibliography), Universe
is DBC's exploration of the origin of the cosmos and its indigenous
life forms, up to and including the future. Bassist/vocalist/lyricist
Phil Dakin explains "It starts with 'The Genesis Explosion', which
is about the origins of the universe through the formation of the solar
system and so on. Each song is a chapter in this story, even the instrumental
'Exit the Giants' deals with the extinction of the dinosaurs. 'Rise
of Man' is self explanatory, while 'Threshold' is man's confrontation
with the future and with what he has to do in order to survive."
In tackling these bold new territories, the members of DBC implemented
a surprisingly innovative change of direction. Guitarists Gerry Ouellette
and Eddie Shahini have refined their once Slayer-esque attack into a
classically oriented approach, while the Dakin/ St. Louis rhythm section
oversees these careful orchestrations with painstaking precision. The
power of their 1987 debut remains, and is intensified at points by the
radical new bent Dakin defines as"brainmetal".
"We've really matured," Dakin concludes. "We've found
our direction. It's not as hardcore as the first LP. We've learned to
bring out moods by the way we put things together. The lyrics are more
scientific, less sociological. You'd really have to hear it to understand."