Born in 1985 in Lachine, a borough of Montreal, Vensor emerged from the fertile Quebecois speed/thrash metal scene of the time that spawned its patriarch, Voivod, just four years earlier. Spearheaded by brothers Marc Brodeur (aka Mark Othrus, drums/vocals) and Luc Brodeur (aka Mike Othrus, guitar/vocals) and Yves Racette (aka Steve Mestima, bass/vocals) and played its first concert in January 1986 at the members' high school in Lachine. Like many bands from that particular era and region, Vensor's music was influenced by metal bands such as Celtic Frost, Kreator, and Destruction. Addtionally, and more so than some of their contemporaries, Vensor also infused their own style with a healthy dose of darkness and evil, which was certainly inspired at least in part by the first wave of black metal pioneered by Venom. This trait was emphasized by the band's visual aesthetic, which resembled a blend of Sodom-like bullet belts and studded leather in combination with a half-King Diamond, half-Kiss style of face paint. In June of that same year, while Marc was merely fourteen years old, the band recorded its first demo, "Trash 'Till Death." This thirteen-song demo was one of the most savage and evil examples of thrash metal to surface from the Quebec scene of the time. Unfortunately, the cassette was not circulated very extensively in the tape-trading circuit, and Vensor only managed to play a few live gigs as a result of the drummer being so young and the consequent difficulty in booking shows in clubs. These circumstances notwithstanding, Vensor recorded a second demo, "Weird Society," two years later in July of 1989 at the same Le Studio 8 (Ghislain Musique) in downtown Montreal as the first demo. However, this second demo was never released to the public, and the band broke up the same year. Although Vensor never garnered the recognition that its music merited, the band's evil genius has been resurrected thirty years after its initial recording, and it is hereby appropriately given its due with this vinyl LP version of "Trash 'Till Death". - C. Conrad
