INTRUDER, hailing from "Thrashville" Nashville, Tennessee have a very rich history, from their early days as AVATAR and TRANSGRESSER to the Live to Die release on Azra/Iron Works through the entire Metal Blade era up until now. The group began as a four-piece cover band that simply played in the basement. They went through name changes, member changes and record label changes, just like most young bands. It wasn't until they signed with Metal Blade and released A Higher Form of Killing in 1989 that INTRUDER became a viable force in the suddenly overcrowded thrash scene. Their little-known debut Live to Die was recorded as a quartet in the speed metal vein. The Metal Blade years saw INTRUDER add a rhythm guitarist and make the jump to the popular thrash metal style of the day. The 3-year period on Metal Blade was fruitful for the band as they put out a release for each calendar year. There were two classic thrash albums that acted as bookends for the very hard-to-find EP, Escape from Pain. While all the Metal Blade releases are aesthetically pleasing and quite impressive musically, the record label pretty much let the band fall by the wayside. The label obviously put some money into the band as the amazing Fastner and Larson album covers and lengthy librettos replete with lyrics and thank-you lists will attest, but there was very little done in the way of promotion. Nonetheless, INTRUDER was able to tour for each release in the US, Canada and Mexico and shared stages with the likes of Helstar, Fates Warning, Morbid Angel and D.R.I.

Each INTRUDER album has its own personality. Psycho Savant, their last album is widely regarded as their best effort. Their only Metal Blade release to feature all-original songs had leanings toward progressive thrash metal and was masterfully produced by Bill Metoyer. This was their first departure from using the steady and trusty Tom Harding, who still works with the band today. Psycho Savant contained not only some technically proficient playing and excellent songwriting, but also some great lyrics. Drummer/founder/lyricist, John Pieroni is an avid reader and based a lot of his lyrics on books he had been reading at the time. Like many thrash bands of that era, horror movie influences and non-metal cover tunes also crept their way onto their albums. In fact, Escape from Pain actually opens up with a remake of Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4". This EP was essentially put out as an excuse to tour. It featured only one brand new song, the title track - an epic number that clocks in at just under 9 minutes. The rest of the offering included three cuts from the Live to Die debut that most fans were not familiar with. One of those tracks, "Cold-Blooded Killer" was actually re-recorded at the time as a quintet to give it something of a thrash treatment. The EP was the only one of their Metal Blade releases not to be issued on all three formats of CD, cassette and vinyl. For some reason, Escape from Pain was not released on record, which is a shame since the artwork is so incredible and would've been great to see extended to a full 12" platter. Fastner and Larson, famous comic-book artists, truly outdid themselves with the three INTRUDER covers they drew. Some metal fans were familiar with their work through fellow thrashers, Overkill.

Finally, in backwards retrospect, we come to INTRUDER'S Metal Blade debut, the now classic A Higher Form of Killing. A terrific and well-balanced album, AHFOK introduced the metal world to an absolute Thrash classic, "Killing Winds" which the label included on its compilation, Metallic Overdrive. Pieroni took on double duties and sang on the funny cover of "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone", made famous by The Monkees. Over the years, fans have complained at how difficult it is to find these titles on compact disc. Those fortunate enough to score a copy on eBay are sometimes paying through the nose. More great news in the INTRUDER camp is that Lost & Found Records recently reissued A Higher Form of Killing! No word on the other two Metal Blade releases being reissued but there is always hope. A new best-of CD will be released in the fall, 2014. Featuring re-recorded versions of songs voted for by the fans, the release will also include a brand new track and some live tracks as well. They also plan to do some select reunion shows in Thrashville and the Mid-South.

INTRUDER reunites from time to time. They headlined the Classic Metal Fest in Ohio in 2002 and had a headlining spot at the Headbangers Open Air in Germany in 2004. They later returned to Germany to play the Keep It True festival. As long as people still want to hear incredibly tight, awesomely played, lyrically thought-provoking music, INTRUDER will be glad to oblige. - Eric Sanders