Tourniquet

Formed in Los Angeles in 1990, thrash metallists Tourniquet is a trio, featuring members Luke Easter (vocals), Aaron Guerra (guitar, vocals), and Ted Kirkpatrick (drums), the latter who also doubles as the group's main songwriter. It doesn't take long after hearing the group's music to find out their chief musical influence is Iron Maiden — especially evident in the galloping rhythms and challenging song structures (as well as thought-provoking lyrics). But the trio is not your average metal band, as they've been known to deconstruct their tunes and play "unplugged" shows, while receiving favorable press from such publications as Modern Drummer, Guitar for the Practicing Musician, and Guitar Player. Tourniquet has issued six releases: 1990's Stop the Bleeding, 1992's Psycho Surgery, 1994's Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance, 1995's Vanishing Lessons, 1997's Crawl to China, and 2000's Microscopic View of Telescopic Realm.