Sacrifice, true kindred spirits, and tight-knit dedication are hard to find in many bands, even for those strong enough to strive well beyond basement practices and bar circuits. So when five high school friends decided to power up and earnestly pursue heavy music together in the small town confines of Hays, Kansas, some seven years ago, diehard commitment was immediately going to be a powerful, unifying motivation.



Throughout its development during the mid-to-late 90's that collective fire and drive would see the quintet rarely take anything for granted. At the time, a battering, hardcore-inspired blister was revitalizing metal, and Gryn's stripped-down, confrontational stranglehold upon this thriving sound would be captured on a clutch of self-financed, self-issued releases from 1995 to 1998. One full-length effort along with two EPs recorded at Red House Recording by Ed Rose (Coalesce, My Own Victim, Stick) were diligently promoted in and well- received by the underground across America as well as abroad. Along with obtaining a substantial amount of fanzine and radio show response around the world, Gryn also aimed its sights at performing live, putting considerable concentration towards amassing more than just a large, loyal hometown audience. By September of '98 the accomplishments were plenty. Possessing a work ethic rivaled only by a solid, hard-hitting sonic attack, Gryn had paved the way for what was soon to be the ultimate test of determined will. A mere month later - with the understanding and approval from fans, friends, and family alike - a relocation to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex was complete.



"Kansas Bred, Texas Spread" was the rallying exclaim behind the spirit of camaraderie Gryn carried down to D/FW in hopes of expanding its following. Such an amicable introduction quickly and easily helped to establish a foothold among the local scene. Meanwhile, area clubs and media alike embraced a new arrival whose resolve and tenacity could not be ignored. Two short years later, Gryn had created enough of an impression around its new home away from home to ink a deal with Dallas-based Last Beat Records. By March of 2000 the band's unrelenting focus would once again turn to the studio for its label debut, Our New Earth, and as one of the hottest, driest summers scorched down on the Lone Star State, Last Beat would quickly become just as bound and determined as Gryn themselves about unleashing the heaviest, most potently aggressive record to bear each other's logos.



Produced by Last Beat in-house man Ben Yeager and Gryn, Our New Earth is a weight-soaked, steeltoe kick in the pants that thrives on everything but fashionable pretense and by-the-numbers, trend-of-the-moment impersonation. Fueled by defiantly caustic verbal backbone, cohesively astringent guitarscour, and a piston-firing rhythm section punch that's equal parts destructive and dynamic, the album's ten tracks are rigorously infectious anthems just itching to wear out anyone within earshot. The triple-powered opening thrust that is "O.N.E.", "Tabula Rasa", and "Inside Of Me" all flex hammering, brass knuckle riffage, hellbent on striking blows that connect like the crafty momentum of a prizefighter. Elsewhere, "Human Warfare" and "Mentality" revel in churning, cinderblock-over-open-sore abrasiveness with six-string basher Ben Bunker providing a bit of his own throaty roar on the latter to command attention. But it's "Veto II" along with closing call to arms, "G.R.Y.N." - both spearheaded by a lashing vocal performance and lyrical stance from Brett Straight - that ultimately scream volumes in regards to exactly the sort of unyielding, fervent conviction we're dealing with here.



Gryn and Our New Earth would undoubtedly be very different otherwise.