The Arrival of: LETHAL (1988) Demolish Mag.

Hebron, Kentucky, a town only miles away from Cincinnati, Ohio—and not exactly known for its production of bands, is the home of five musicians who have come together to form LETHAL, a band surging forward [by virtue of power and pro-like execution] into the music scene and gradually climbing to the “top of the crop” of new talent.

pic © Chris Metz

With a well-packaged demo that has sold well over one-thousand copies, Dell Hull/Eric Cook (guitars), Adrian Powers (drums), Glen Cook (bass), and Tom Mallicoat (vocals) have been recognized many times by various magazines/fanzines all over the world in write-ups and features for their brand of heavy, cutting riffs.

Combining these heavy riffs with multi-layered musical prowess, fast guitar runs, and a vocalist who has  a wide-ranged, soaring and unrelenting voice, LETHAL have created a chemistry that resembles a band that has played together for many, many years—yet they are still a young band that has captured and developed this chemistry early on in their career.

The most obvious signs of this development exist in their ability to cohesively blend mood-setting acoustic pieces with equally mood-setting and hair-raising metal!

As DEMOLISH Mag. spoke with LETHAL, Dell Hull commented, “Since our area is very conservative and doesn’t have much of a music scene, we had to look to larger cities such as New York, Los Angeles and also Europe to get more attention. Luckily, a lot of magazines have given us really good reviews, which has helped a lot. Without those, it would take a long time for anyone outside our area to notice us.”

Bogart’s, in Cincinnati was the place where the band played their first live performance—a completely sold-out show. “There were over 1,200 people there that night, which was a really big surprise. They had to stop selling tickets ’cause the place was getting too crowded” added Hull. After that show, LETHAL replaced drummer Adrian Powers with Jerry Hartman, a skin beater that plays with much more energy, according to the band. This drummer replacement was not the first line-up change for the band, they went through many guitarists before finding Dell Hull in the early 80’s and started with a different vocalist than the one they have now.

Melodic power-metal quintet from U.S.A.

Listen to: “Tomorrows King” (from The Arrival demo tape)

The recording history of LETHAL consists of two demo tapes.

• The first one, recorded around the time of those early line-up changes, was a two song affair which gained them local radio airplay.
• The three years following that demo resulted in a more serious approach to their music and a second demo entitled The Arrival.

Hull comments, “We were just messin’ around until we got serious and did the latest demo.” With this demo, the band has received a response from several record labels and plan to record an album. “If we sign a record deal soon, we will probably re-record the demo songs and add some of our new songs to them to make a full-length album” responded Hull and Eric Cook about the future of LETHAL.

 

“Right now we are getting ready to record an album but we are not sure who we are going to sign with. If the album does well, we will probably gear up for a tour which we are really looking forward to. We want to get out and meet all the people who like our music, it means a lot to us.”

Look out for this band because they are sure to accomplish big things in the near future. They have a chemistry that many other bands only dream of. Metal fans everywhere should witness The Arrival of LETHAL. You can contact the band at:  XXXX Fir Tree Lane, Erlanger, KY 41018

 

*click to enlarge flyer

 

Pic © Chris Metz

Backstage Bogart’s – Pic © Chris Metz

 

The line starts here! Pic ©C.Metz

 

 

Updated links and Info

 

LETHAL were signed to Metal Blade Records & released the excellent “Programmed” album in 1990

Get a copy on Amazon!

Also available on CD Universe!

 

 

 

In 95′ LETHAL recorded an (EP)  entitled “Your Favorite God” released by Massacre Records

 

In 1996- they released “Poison Seed” by Massacre Records

 

The boys still have it & they certainly showed that on some live European shows back in 2007!

 

Lethal – Immune

You knew I wouldn’t answer

When you called me yesterday
For it’s getting so much harder
To carry on this way
Did you hear what happened
When I tried to make the news
I thought that we could change the world
No one wanted to

Just for a moment
I had to turn away
And find another point of view
A playback was refused

Halfway through a short life
I tried to stop in mid flight

Condemned to touch the ground
I found myself alone

There was only one exit
My flight was not detected
I just have to rewrite
My restless serenades

Just for a moment
I had to turn away
Who was supposed to feel the shame
When no one would take the blame

It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain
The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune

Just like a prisoner
I found escape through dreaming
The world keeps turning me
With fate like carousels

I sat in my empty room

I sent out my distress signals
They never could be heard
The walls were closing in

Just for a moment
I had to talk away
Who was supposed to feel the shame
When no one would take the blame

It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain
The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune
It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain

The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune

Just for a moment
I had to talk away
Who was supposed to feel the shame
When no one would take the blame

It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain
The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune
It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain

The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune
It doesn’t feel the same
I feel no pain
The world doesn’t bother me
I’m immune

You knew I wouldn’t answer

When you called me yesterday

 

Latest Lineup

 

Vocals : Tom Mallicoat

Guitars : David McElfresh

*Guitars : Eric Cook (R.I.P. 2012)

Bass Guitar : Glen Cook

Drums and Percussion : Jerry Hartman

*I’m sad to report that guitarist Eric Cook lost his battle with cancer in 2012.

 

*This is a very rare [unpublished] interview originally conducted in 1988.  Please note: in order to transport you directly back to 1988 we will continue to keep the language in the posts “present tense” even though this is 2009.

 

 

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