“Greying Out” by Clockhammer

In the late 80’s and early 90’s the college music scene was laced with a hotbed of talent and considered the minor league for the music industry.  Many independent artists had easy access to a network of college radio, nearby independent retail stores, and venues to showcase and sell their music. Major labels took advantage of this and would sign groups through their network of “mini-majors.” They would disguise them as indie bands with money to market and finance until they were ready to release more “polished” and marketable albums.

One group that showed great promise during this time was Nashville’s three-piece Alternative Metal band Clockhammer. With very little money and support behind them, they released 1991’s Clockhammer and 1992’s Klinefelter on First Warning Records. Both albums were genre bending, combining metal, jazz and experimental and received critical acclaim.
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“Greying Out” is not my favorite song of theirs but it is a great introductory track for those of you that missed out on this talented group. It features Bailey’s warm voice and lucid soloing, Coomer’s command of the drum-kit and Swanson’s reflective bass lines. If not for infighting, their host label folding, and the financial issues therein, this band would have achieved a higher level of recognition.