Iron Monkey

Iron Monkey formed in Nottingham, England, in 1994, intending "to irritate as many people as possible," according to bass player Doug Dalziel. That may have worked for a while, but eventually the band had to deal with the fact that quite a few people actually liked what they were doing. After releasing a self-titled six-song mini-album in 1996, the band gained a fair amount of appreciation in the underground. Rumors abounded that Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo was listening to the self-titled release when he overdosed on heroin in 1996. As a result of the buzz and infamy around the recording, live shows, and associated rumors, Iron Monkey was picked up by the metal giant Earache in 1997 and released the epic and disturbing Our Problem in 1998. The big label exposure transformed Iron Monkey from a local force into one of two powerhouse sludge bands in the late '90s, the other being New Orleans' Eyehategod. After recording Our Problem, Iron Monkey remained fiercely independent, recording the last effort by the group, the 10" record and CD split with Japan's Church of Misery, We've Learned Nothing, for Melvins cover artist and stoner rock label owner Frank Kozik's Man's Ruin records.