To tell the story of Cyclone Temple, one must begin with Znowhite (aka ZnöWhite). Formed in 1982 by siblings Greg Fulton (guitar) and Tony Heath (drums) along with their cousin, Curtis Fulton (bass), Znowhite eventually welcomed singer Nicole Lee and became one of the more promising speed metal acts in the U.S. Throughout the mid-'80s, the Chicago-based outfit issued two EPs and a live album before signing with Roadracer Records for the release of their critically acclaimed album, Act of God, in 1988.

Following lineup changes that found Fulton surrounded by an all-new cast consisting of Scott Schafer (bass), John Slattery (drums), and powerhouse ex-Hammeron vocalist Brian Troch, a name change was imminent. Rechristened as Cyclone Temple, the group signed on with Combat Records and entered Normandy Sound in Warren, RI to track their debut album, I Hate Therefore I Am, with engineer Tom Soares.

A soulful masterpiece of thrash, I Hate Therefore I Am arrived in stores in 1991, and Cyclone Temple toured with a variety of acts before being unceremoniously dismissed from their label during a Sony takeover. As such, the groundbreaking creativity, intelligence, emotion and power of I Hate Therefore I Am unjustly failed to make its mark. A frustrated Troch walked away, and Cyclone Temple soldiered on to release an EP (Building Errors In The Machine, 1993) with singer Marco Salinas, and follow-up album My Friend Lonely with yet another vocalist, Sonny DeLuca before throwing in the towel in 1994.