Damien Thorne

by Eduardo Rivadavia One of numerous thrash metal bands (see also Master, Znowhite, Zoetrope) to emanate from Chicago with great promise, only to crash and burn leaving little evidence of their contributions to the bustling '80s heavy metal movement, Damien Thorne were formed in 1983 by singer Justin Fate, guitarists Ken Starr (aka Mandat) and George Shelton, bassist Sanders Pate, and drummer Brian Horak. A pair of demos followed the next year, and shortly thereafter came their lucky break, when Virgin Steele guitarist Jack Starr recommended them to Roadrunner subsidiary Cobra Records, for whom Damien Thorne (now featuring new drummer Pete Pagonis and guitarist Michael Monroe -- nope, not him -- in place of Shelton) would record their 1986 debut album, The Sign of the Jackal. Its power-thrash style met with little commercial success, however, and after legal disputes forced the already recorded follow-up, Wrath of Darkness, into unreleased limbo, part of the band relocated to Los Angeles with hopes of a fresh start. This never materialized, though, and it wasn't until 1998 that a revamped lineup of Damien Thorne was put together by Fate and Mandat (now back in Chicago) with bassist Matt Heuser and drummer Tommy Krez to record a new EP called Former Life. Amazingly enough, 2001 finally saw Wrath of Darkness released, and now at peace with their underground status, Damien Thorne continue to perform on occasion.