Stressball were formed in the early '90s and consisted of vocalist Steven Gaille, guitarist Lennon Laviolette, bassist Eddie Dupuy, and drummer Joseph Fazzio. Building their unusual sound from a number of heavy metal and hardcore influences, the group released a single, eponymous album in 1994 before fading into oblivion. On their perplexing 1994 self-titled debut, Southern originals Stressball manage to defy most expectations of what more heavy metal should be, or at least what it usually is: fast-paced, overwhelming, and LOUD. Instead, unnaturally subdued heavies like "Dust," "Colum," and "Empty Promises" casually contradicted these seemingly inexorable maxims with patient, slow-burning intensity. Like Pantera playing at half the volume and half the speed (double kick drums and all), Stressball cook up a mysterious gumbo of sound that combines elements culled from death metal, hardcore punk, and Southern sludge. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.