Taint

Welsh hard rock trio Taint have forged a unique style from a broad range of influences, embracing elements of punk, stoner rock, sludge metal, technical metal, and even bits of indie rock, and melding them into a precise, unrelenting attack. Taint were formed in South Wales in 1993 by guitarist and singer James "Jimbob" Isaac, bassist Darren Mason, and drummer Alex Harries. After recording a handful of self-released cassette demos and appearing on a compilation from Household Name Records, Taint released their debut EP, Die Die Truthspeaker, through Household Name in 2000; by this time, Mason had left the group and Stophe had replaced him on bass, though Stophe would leave the band in 2001 and Chris West would take over as Taint's new bassist. Split releases with Black Eye Riot and Army of Flying Robots followed in 2003 and 2005, respectively, along with extensive touring, and in 2005 the group signed with the uncompromising U.K. metal label Rise Above Records. That same year, Rise Above released Taint's first full-length album, the epochal The Ruin of Nová Roma, recorded in California and produced by former Fudge Tunnel guitarist Alex Newport. After rounds of successful touring in the U.K., Europe, and Greece, Taint returned to the studio for their second full-length album, 2007's Secrets and Lies.