Crisis (metal band)

Lore & Background

Crisis was formed in March 1993 in New York City. Nasiruddeen and Waring, both from the band Stalwart, wanted a heavy band with a female singer who could perform in a heavy and emotional context. Karyn, an experimental musician who had recently moved from Chicago, was connected to Nasiruddeen through her roommate. After auditioning, she joined, and bassist Greg Mohr quit because he refused to play with a woman; he was replaced by Gia Chuan Wang. The band's first show was at CBGB with avant-jazz bands. Their debut album, 8 Convulsions, sold over 1,000 copies on cassette before being reissued by Too Damn Hype Records in 1994. They signed with Metal Blade Records in 1995 and released Deathshead Extermination (1996) and The Hollowing (1997). After parting ways with Metal Blade due to lack of support, they relocated to Los Angeles and underwent a transitional period from 2001 to 2002, experimenting with a more accessible sound under the alias Skullsick Nation. They reverted to their original name and signed with The End Records to release their fourth and final album, Like Sheep Led to Slaughter (2004). The band went on indefinite hiatus in May 2006.

Reader's Guide

Crisis occupies a unique place in heavy metal history as a band that largely defied categorization, blending diverse influences into complex songwriting. Their significance lies in their early inclusion of a female vocalist in a genre then dominated by men, and their willingness to experiment, including a temporary name change to Skullsick Nation. The band's legacy is marked by their four albums, each reflecting a different phase of their evolution, and their influence on later experimental metal acts. Despite limited commercial success, Crisis is remembered for their uncompromising artistic vision and the creative contributions of core members Karyn Crisis, Afzaal Nasiruddeen, and Gia Chuan Wang, who appeared on all albums.

Did You Know?

• Crisis's debut album 8 Convulsions sold more than 1,000 copies on cassette before being reissued on CD in 1994.
• The band's original bassist quit because he refused to play with a woman.
• Crisis temporarily changed their name to Skullsick Nation from 2001 to 2002.

Formation and Breaking Ground

Crisis came together in March 1993 in New York City when guitarist Afzaal Nasiruddeen and drummer Fred Waring III, both former members of a band called Stalwart, set out to build a heavy metal group around a female vocalist. They wanted a singer who could perform and write in a heavy, emotional context—something they felt hadn't been attempted before. They connected with Karyn Crisis, an experimental musician who had recently relocated from Chicago, through her roommate and the band's photographer, Richard Hobbs. The audition process was memorable: Nasiruddeen gave Karyn a rehearsal tape of "Drilling Me," and she wrote lyrics for it, using the track to shape her vocal approach. When she agreed to join, bassist Greg Mohr quit outright because he refused to play alongside a woman. His replacement, Gia Chuan Wang, was found through a newspaper ad. Karyn designed the band's logo to capture what she described as the "sharp and jagged" character of their music, and she would go on to create the artwork for every album they released.

Creative Evolution and the Human Drum Machine

Crisis's songwriting process shifted dramatically over the band's life. In the early days, Nasiruddeen was the principal composer, but Karyn's wide vocal range and creative input made the process more collaborative and democratic, a change he openly credited her with. This evolution was most visible on The Hollowing (1997), where the band, then a three-piece after several drummers had come and gone, devised what Nasiruddeen called a "human drum machine." Rather than settling on one permanent drummer, they recorded with multiple players—Waring, Roy Mayorga, Chris Hamilton, and Jason Bittner—each handling different tracks. This allowed the band to explore a broader stylistic range while they searched for a permanent member. Karyn recalled that this method pulled the group out of a "really dark period" and reignited their creative energy. The album also featured guest contributions from Norman Westberg of Swans and Sammy "Pierre" Duet of Acid Bath, further underscoring the band's refusal to be pinned to a single genre.

From Cassettes to the Mainstream Circuit

Crisis's commercial journey was anything but conventional. Their debut, 8 Convulsions, was initially self-released on cassette and sold over 1,000 copies at shows along the East Coast during two years of touring. Karyn noted that although the band had intended it as a demo, demand was so strong they had to press additional copies. In October 1994, Too Damn Hype Records reissued the album on CD, which led directly to a three-album deal with Metal Blade Records signed in June 1995. Through Metal Blade, the band released Deathshead Extermination (1996) and The Hollowing (1997), supporting both with major tours alongside acts like Pro-Pain and Voivod. However, by 1998 the band parted ways with Metal Blade, citing insufficient support. After relocating to Los Angeles, Crisis entered a transitional phase from 2001 to 2002, experimenting with a more accessible sound under the alias Skullsick Nation. When they reverted to their original name, they signed with The End Records and released their final album, Like Sheep Led to Slaughter, in 2004.

Defying Genre and the Final Chapter

Crisis was, by most accounts, nearly impossible to categorize. Their songwriting wove together multiple influences and styles, drawing on experimental, thrash, and avant-garde elements in ways that resisted easy labeling. This complexity was compounded by the band's lineup instability: while Karyn, Nasiruddeen, and Wang appeared on every album, the drummers cycled through Fred Waring III, Roy Mayorga, Scott Bates, Jason Bittner, and Justin Arman, with second guitarist Jwyanza Hobson joining in 1998. The band's final chapter was marked by an indefinite hiatus announced in May 2006. What made Crisis distinctive in the early-to-mid 1990s metal landscape was not just their musical ambition but the fact that a woman fronted and co-wrote for a band that played with genuine heaviness and emotional intensity. Their struggle to book shows early on—partly because of that gender dynamic—gave their eventual breakthrough, including a first show at CBGB arranged through a last-minute request from Swans drummer Virgil Moorefield, added particular weight.

Gallery