Radical Squadron

Radical Squadron is a thrash metal band, formed in 2008 at Perry, Florida. They are one of many local bands of #fisk_maps, and the second of which to feature Bashe and Carlos as constant members. They currently have 2 studio albums released, and an EP of cover songs as well.

Early days (2008-2009)
Radical Squadron came to be after rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jake Clawson saw The Incomplete play live at a concert. He contacted Bashe later in time to plan a rehearsal, along with Kevin, and they jammed together for the first time. After this, they decided to form a group that would later be named Radical Squadron, after the subtitle of the SWAT Kats cartoon series. A few months after their formation, Carlos later joined as a rhythm guitarist.

In March of 2009, Carlos was kicked out of the band due to trying to sexually assault the then-girlfriend of Razor. He spent several months out of the band, and during this time practiced hard to become a much better guitarist, and wowed Razor by the end of June with some great playing. He was let back into the band, and their relationship as friends has been stable ever since. Carlos' position switched to lead guitar upon his rejoining.

First album (2010)
In 2010, the band announced they would be recording their first album, "The Mysteries of Death" in the spring. Before the recording occurred, Bashe was injured in a car accident and broke his left arm. This left him unable to record, and the band without any choice but to continue on due to time and monetary restraints. Razor ended up covering all the bass parts for the album, though Bashe was still present for all the studio sessions as a consultant.

The album was released on June 11, 2010. The album was distributed through the Lawrence Peterson Recording Company label, and sold modestly. The band did several shows after its released, after Bashe was no longer injured.

Conflict (2011)
2011 saw the departure of drummer Kevin Ramensky. He was kicked out of the band due to verbally assaulting Sheila Black, after a poor performance as a temporary drummer for a bebop band. He attempted to fight with Bashe, but eventually left the scene. Kevin later apologized to Bashe and Sheila, and was offered a spot back into the band, but declined, claiming he needed to get his head on straight and find himself amongst all the conflict.

In Kevin's place, Adam Wilkerson was hired to play drums, until Kevin would return later. His style was different than Kevin's, notably with a more technical flair than Kevin. He was able to play one live show with Radical Squadron in the end of 2011 before leaving the band on very amicable terms, allowing Kevin back into the band.

Boring Cover EP and beyond (2012-Present)
In 2012, the band would record an EP of cover songs titled "Boring Cover EP." It featured songs from band such as Iron Maiden, Rigor Mortis, Testament, and even Duran Duran. The EP was recorded as at tribute to the band's influences over the years, and was the first album recorded by Radical Squadron outside of Lawrence Peterson's studio. As a result, the album is a bit louder in terms of dynamics than the other releases by the band, but not excessively so.

The band would continue to play local shows around the Athens, Georgia throughout the rest of 2012 and 2013. In 2013, they went back to the studio to record their second album, "Eyes of Silver". It was completed in the summer of 2013, and met with a modest response much like their first album. The album was unique in that it featured Luna Noa performing vocals on the final track of the album. It also saw the band take on more of a speed metal influence, though not enough to override the thrash metal style the band was known for.

Currently, the band is continuing playing shows and rehearsing, while also dealing with the threat of another band named Radical Squadron. This has yet to unfold, but currently the band are not happy with the discovery.

Musical style
Radical Squadron plays thrash metal, and early on were very influenced by the metal band Razor, in which rhythm guitarist and vocalist Razor claims he got his nickname. This would persist for most of the band's early music and performances, but slowly, the began taking on more of a speed metal influence, along with other influences such as traditional heavy metal and even US power metal to a small extent. The band still considers themselves thrash metal, as does their fans, but their overall sound has changed over the years, sounding a little more like Stone's second album these days.

Current members

 * Jake "Razor" Clawson - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2008-present)
 * Carlos Tores - lead guitar (2008-2009, 2009-Present)
 * Joseph "Bashe" H. - bass guitar (2008-present)
 * Kevin Ramensky - drums (2008-2011, 2012-present)

Past members

 * Adam Wilkerson - drums (2011)

Discography

 * The Mysteries of Death  (2010)
 * Boring Cover EP  (2012)
 * Eyes of Silver  (2013)