Rise Above Records

Chris West - Bass
Alex Harries - Drums
James 'Jimbob' Isaac - Guitar & Vocals

As teenagers Taint formed in 1994’s South Wales DIY punk/metal scene. After a string of formative demo cassettes the 'Die Die Truthspeaker' mini-album was released in 2000, on London's Household Name records.

Playing national shows with such bands as Acrimony, Avail, Boy Sets Fire, Canvas, Capdown, Cathedral, Consumed, Converge, Clutch, Earth Crisis, Hard To Swallow, Iron Monkey, Stampin' Ground, Spirit Caravan and Will Haven gave the band great experience in honing their craft of sludge-y discordances and emotionally charged outpourings.

‘Die Die Truthspeaker’ garnered the band comparisons to such diverse bands as Black Sabbath and Slint, a precedent to the glut of derivative Neurosis-ites and post-rock/metal amalgams that are so currently en vogue, 5 years later.

2002 Saw Taint team up with hometown brethren Black Eye Riot for a split album on Black Phoenix Records. This was received well with praise from the DIY punk press as well as the high street rock press.

A mini-tour with Maryland, USA hardcore-blues men Clutch followed with a triumphant set in front of a sold out Garage in Highbury, London, quickly followed by an appearance at the tribute show to late Iron Monkey vocalist Johnny Morrow.

Taint’s sound began it’s next evolutionary step with a more refined approach to groove, melody and a step up in Jimbob’s contrasting vocal attack; both cynical and wry, yet retaining an urging positivity.

The self-booked 'Tour of Fury 2003' was embarked upon with London heavyweights Art of Burning Water. With support from Rocksound magazine and great feedback from the kids, the tour turned out to be a success. More national shows followed with the likes of –(16)-, Army of Flying Robots, Dukes of Nothing, Charger, John Holmes, The Murder of Rosa Luxemburg, Keelhaul, Minus, Snowblood, Unsane, The Hidden Hand, Capricorns, and Envy.

July 2004 saw the recording of Taint's first full-length album, titled 'The Ruin of Nová Roma'. Mixed in Los Angeles by Alex Newport (Fudge Tunnel, At The Drive In, The Mars Volta, Melvins, The Icarus Line).

"2004 will be the year that Taint presents a live, breathing discourse on the flaws of hip post-modern irony and small minded scene tittle-tattle, while illustrating the amaranthine importance of marrying the riff, the melody, space and the lack thereof." Kerrang, Jan. 7th 2004

April 2005 saw Taint head out for a successful headline DIY tour of Europe, taking in Le Havre, Paris, Gent, Tilburg and Utrecht, with good friends Army of Flying Robots. To mark the event a limited tour 7" was released with Superfi Records, spilt between Taint and AOFR. Taint’s album track ''I'm Going To Kill Henry Ford' was included, with lovely gatefold packaging designed by Jimbob. A week in the UK followed taking Art of Burning Water out once again. Another sold out show in the capital with Clutch came in May at the Mean Fiddler, to rapturous applause and a great review from Kerrang magazine.

'The Ruin of Nová Roma' is a 57-minute journey of dynamics, groove, emotion and colossal riffs. Those in the know are already forewarning an album of “precisely-angled modernism” and that “It all positively moves earth, doesn’t sound like it needs fat trimmed.” (Noel F Gardener, Rocksound magazine).
To take this album to even more people is a must, as if the band’s life depends on it, with visits to Europe and the U.S already firmly in mind.

‘The Ruin Of Nova Roma’(RISE66CD) is released in the UK on Oct 24 2005.

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