Kiss It Goodbye

Vocalist Tim "Trim Swinger" Singer's talking, screaming, bellowing vocal storytelling sat so nicely atop Kiss It Goodbye's dynamic and explosive songcraft that drummer Andrew Gormley would later remark to Eclipse magazine that the screamer could effectively make "me throwing my drums around the room" sound good. Equal parts off-time warping and heavy crunching guitar play, Kiss It Goodbye's music was pummeling enough to appeal to fans of Pantera, personal enough for the hardcore set, and mind-bendingly creative enough to jar loose the cynical "musician" types fond of bands like Voivod and Die Kreuzen. The roots of Seattle, WA's Kiss It Goodbye can be traced back to dissolution of the classic lineup of the New Jersey band Deadguy. Hot on the heels of a defining full-length for Victory Records that heralded the dawning of the noisecore movement -- a movement later embellished upon by bands like Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch -- vocalist Tim Singer and guitarist/songwriter Keith Huckins decided to leave the incendiary outfit as Singer made plans to move to Seattle to pursue a career in graphic design. Huckins followed his friend to the Northwest and Deadguy replaced them both where in 1996, they hooked up with bassist Thom Rusnack (Ambush) and drummer Andrew Gormley (Die 116), both of whom Huckins had played with on the East Coast as part of the groundbreaking hardcore punk band Rorschach. The four friends quickly made a demo tape, garnering interest from hardcore and metal-oriented labels alike with Singer's storytelling lyrical wordplay, Gormley's creative drum talents, and Huckins' explosive, dissonant guitar playing. Revelation Records signed Kiss It Goodbye to a multi-album deal and soon they were in a Seattle studio with San Francisco-based producer Billy Anderson...