Optimum Wound Profile were an industrial metal band from Ipswich, England, active between the years 1991-1996. Combining elements of metal, crust punk, and sampling/programming technologies they released three albums and toured across Europe.
Formed in 1991 by guitarist Roki and vocalist Phil Vane, the pair
quickly recruited Simon Finbow (vocals) and Ian Barnard (bass),
followed by Dom Cattermole on drums. Picked up by an Ipswich promoter
shortly after forming, the band entered the studio in the middle of 1991
to record two demos. On the strength of these OWP signed to Roadrunner Records at the end of the year.
Optimum Wound Profile's first album, Lowest Common Dominator, was released in the summer of 1992, and received positive reviews in Kerrang!
and other music press. Featuring Niall Corr on drums, who had replaced
the departed Dom Cattermole, the band's sound at this point was a hybrid
of hardcore punk and industrial metal. A successful European tour, with
Jason Whittaker of Whiteslug replacing Snapa Harvey, followed the
release before the band returned to the UK to begin work on the
follow-up.
Silver Or Lead was released in mid-1993 to much critical
acclaim, and entered the UK Rock Chart at number 11, where it stayed for
several weeks. This album saw the band's sound take a much more metal
turn. By this stage all of the drums were programmed. The album was
produced by Colin Richardson, who has worked with Slipknot, Machine Head and Bullet For My Valentine among a host of others. Another successful European tour followed, but Roadrunner Records declined the option of a third album.
In 1994, OWP signed to We Bite Records and in January 1995 released Asphyxia.
Having parted company with Phil Vane, all vocals were provided by Simon
Finbow. The album was the band's most critically acclaimed release to
date.
Optimum Wound Profile spent two years after the release of Asphyxia
writing a fourth album, 'Cult Of Saints 1425'. Only demo versions of
these songs exist as the band decided to split up in 1996.
In 2007, Metal Mind Productions licensed the first two OWP albums from Roadrunner Records for re-release in August the same year.
Late in 2007 Optimum Wound Profile reformed with former members
Simon, Roki and Jason being joined by Barnie Mills (bass) and Malcolm
Peck (drums), to concentrate on the unreleased Cult Of Saints album. The
band entered the recording studio for the first time in twelve years in
spring 2008 to record demos. The project has since been put on hold.
Roki (Martyn Peck), Simon Finbow, Dom Cattermole and Mark Schorah now play in post-rock band These Are End Times. Phil Vane continued to sing for Extreme Noise Terror until his death in February 2011.[3]
Jason Whittaker and Martyn Peck also run Antigen Records, whose roster
includes Henry Homesweet, The Waxing Captors, John Callaghan, Earth
Mother F*cker, These Are End Times, Sealionwoman, Jack Rundell and
Optimum Wound Profile.
(from Wikipedia) click me
