ACRIDITY got its start in Victoria, TX in 1986, and by the end of the year had solidified a still-teenaged lineup consisting of guitarists Anthony Pedone and Mel Langenberg, Mark Cox (bass), Mark Soto (drums), and frontman Darin Carroll. Combining passions for no-frills, heavy-or-die thrash as well as the sounds of the NWOBHM, the group set out to manifest its own brand of complicated thrash riffs, melodic overtones, and extended song structures-developed in parallel with their influences such as Metallica, Testament, Kreator, and Destruction. After issuing the four-song Countdown to Terror demo in February of 1988, ACRIDITY entered Beck's Studios in Corpus Christi, TX-where Devastation had recorded Violent Termination-in December of 1989 to lay down four new songs for subsequent demo, For Freedom I Cry. An exclusive track, "Whisper of Reality," followed in 1990 on the Voices of a Red God compilation, appearing alongside other Texas greats such as Deadhorse and The Morbid (i.e. Morbid Scream). At last, 1991 saw the release of the For Freedom I Cry full-length-essentially a combination of both demos (sans "No Mercy") with the addition of two all-new cuts-on CD and LP through Dutch label Prophecy. By the time the album hit the streets, however, ACRIDITY as a hard-charging thrash unit was more or less finished. Despite exploring the notion of relocating to San Francisco to be managed by Debbie Abono (Possessed, Exodus, etc.)-not to mention a bit of interest from Megaforce Records-the band had landed in Austin, TX. Combined with the era's shifting musical landscape and lineup changes that included a keyboard player and hired-gun studio singer, writing became influenced by acts such as Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. ACRIDITY morphed into a different outfit called The Gaia Foundation, and by 1993 it was all over. Since that time, For Freedom I Cry has become an extremely sought-after collectible-routinely fetching well over $100 on CD-so nearly three decades later, Divebomb Records is delighted to collect ACRIDITY's complete discography amidst this deluxe reissue of For Freedom I Cry. Remastered by Jamie King at The Basement Recording, the disc includes a 20-page booklet with photos, flyers, lyrics, and a retrospective interview with the band. For the fans, by the fans! FOR FANS OF: METALLICA, DESTRUCTION, EXODUS, KREATOR and SLAYER
