Intruder (American band)

Lore & Background

Intruder began as a four-piece cover band called Transgresser in 1984. They released demos in 1984 and 1986, which later appeared on a re-release of their debut album. After several name changes, they became Intruder and released their debut album Live to Die in 1987 as a speed metal four-piece. The band signed with Metal Blade Records in 1989, adding rhythm guitarist Greg Messick and shifting to thrash metal for their second album A Higher Form of Killing (1989). Their rare Escape from Pain EP (1990) featured three tracks: one new original song, one cover, and one live track, and was released as an excuse to tour. Their final album Psycho Savant (1991) was their only Metal Blade release with all original songs. The group disbanded in 1992 after being dropped from Metal Blade Records following the release of Psycho Savant. Guitarist Greg Messick later stated that lineup changes made continuation impossible, while vocalist Jimmy Hamilton compared the split to a marriage needing counseling.

Reader's Guide

Intruder's significance lies in their brief but active presence in the late-1980s thrash metal scene. Despite limited promotion, they toured extensively across the US, Canada, and Mexico, sharing stages with Helstar, Anvil, and Morbid Angel. Their shift from speed metal to thrash metal on A Higher Form of Killing marked a stylistic evolution. The band's reunions since 2002, including festival appearances in the US and Germany, kept their legacy alive among underground metal fans. The death of longtime rhythm guitarist Greg Messick in 2020 at age 55 was a notable loss. Their discography, though small, includes the rare Escape from Pain EP, which was not released on all three formats. The band's 2004 re-release of Live to Die with bonus tracks and a planned 'Best Of' compilation featuring a new track and the return of original bassist Todd Nelson highlight ongoing interest in their work.

Did You Know?

• Intruder's Escape from Pain EP (1990) featured a cover of '25 or 6 to 4' by Chicago, plus one new original song and one live track.
• The band was dropped from Metal Blade Records after the release of 'Psycho Savant' (1991); there is no record of them charting or being dropped mid-tour.
• Longtime rhythm guitarist Greg Messick died unexpectedly on September 5, 2020, at age 55.
• Intruder's 2004 re-release of Live to Die included six bonus tracks from their early demos.

From Transgresser to Intruder: The Nashville Origins

Intruder trace their roots back to 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee, when a group of musicians first assembled under the name Transgresser. What began as a four-piece cover band gradually evolved into something more ambitious. The early years were marked by demo recordings in both 1984 and 1986, material that would eventually find a second life as bonus tracks on a later reissue of the group's debut. After cycling through several name changes, the band settled on the moniker Intruder and entered the studio to record their first full-length effort. Live to Die, released in 1987, showcased the quartet in a raw, speed-metal style. The album captured the energy of a young band still finding its identity, and its six bonus tracks drawn from the earlier demos gave listeners a window into the group's formative period. This debut would serve as the foundation upon which everything that followed was built, establishing the band's presence in the American heavy metal scene well before their eventual signing with a record label.

The Metal Blade Years: Reinvention and Output

Signing with Metal Blade Records in 1989 marked a turning point for Intruder. The label's backing brought a crucial addition to the lineup: rhythm guitarist Greg Messick, whose arrival transformed the group from a four-piece into a five-piece unit. Their second album, A Higher Form of Killing, released that same year, signaled a deliberate shift away from the speed-metal approach of their debut toward a more aggressive thrash-metal sound. The following year produced the Escape from Pain EP, a notably rare release that the band candidly described as "an excuse to tour." It was a mixed bag of previously recorded material, a cover of Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4," and a single new composition bearing the EP's title. Uniquely, it was the only Metal Blade release not pressed on all three standard formats of CD, cassette, and vinyl. In 1991, the group delivered Psycho Savant, their final full-length and the sole Metal Blade album composed entirely of original material, rounding out a prolific three-album, one-EP run between 1989 and 1991.

Touring, Reunions, and the Long Tail of Legacy

Despite a career spanning only a handful of years, Intruder managed an impressive touring footprint. With little in the way of promotional support, the band still hit the road across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to support each of their releases. They shared stages with well-known acts including Helstar, Anvil, and Morbid Angel, building a reputation through sheer live performance. After their 1992 breakup, the group's story did not end. Beginning in 2002, Intruder reunited periodically for live shows, headlining events such as the Classic Metal Fest in Ohio and the Headbangers Open Air in Germany. They also appeared at Germany's Keep It True festival in 2007 and returned to their Nashville roots in November 2011 for a 20th-anniversary celebration of Psycho Savant. In 2004, Hellion Records issued a re-release of Live to Die with six bonus tracks. The band also worked on a "Best Of" compilation featuring eight fan-selected songs from their two Metal Blade albums plus a new track, marking the first time the original Metal Blade lineup recorded together since 1991.

The Split, the Loss, and a Final Chapter

Intruder's original run came to an end in 1992, just five years after their first release. The circumstances were bittersweet: the band was dropped by Metal Blade in the middle of a tour, at a moment when they were just beginning to gain chart traction. In a 2006 interview, vocalist Jimmy Hamilton compared the split to a marriage that had lost its love, saying the group needed "counseling" before deciding whether to continue. Guitarist Greg Messick noted that the band had tried to hold things together after the label departure but ultimately could not overcome the inevitable lineup changes pulling members in different directions. The loss of Messick in 2020 proved to be the band's most devastating blow. He died unexpectedly on September 5, 2020, at the age of 55, and the news was announced by his bandmates that very day. Intruder had announced a reunion via their Facebook page in October 2019, planning shows for 2020 including the Headbangers Open Air, but Messick's passing cast a long shadow over what might have been another chapter for the Nashville thrash outfit.

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