Segression

Segression was a heavy metal band from Wollongong, Australia. Originally known as Eezee and playing sleaze metal, the group decided to change its name after moving into in a thrash direction in mid-1994. As Eezee, the band had recorded an EP in 1993 and the 1995 album Rise From Darkness. The group had also played support shows with Morbid Angel, Machine Head and Deicide. The line-up at this time was Christiaan Rand (bass, vocals), Chris Sellin (guitar), James Broadbent (guitar) and John Buckley (drums). The sleaze version of Eezee had also included Rand and Sellin, along with Lloyd Burton on vocals and Jamie McGarva on drums.

Formed from a conjunction of the words "segregated" and "aggression" (which was later a track on the fourth album), Segression announced its new name on New Year's Day 1996 and played its first show, at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, a few weeks later. By this time, Broadbent had been replaced by Shane Partridge. Some of Broadbent's playing appears on the first album, which was already underway. A show in Sydney with Fear Factory and a rigid touring schedule that took in several centres in regional New South Wales followed. L.I.A., an abbreviation for lesson in aggression, was released in October 1996.

In 1997 Segression continued to tour solidly, featuring on several shows of Mortal Sin's comeback tour at the same time as working on its second album. Fifth of the Fifth took its name from a prediction that the world would end on May 5, 2000 and was released in September. The album consolidated the band's success on the Australian metal scene and also saw the introduction of the nu-metal elements into their music that would eventually become their dominant style.

During 1998 the group played a national support tour with Ozzy Osbourne and late in the year Buckley was replaced by drummer Adrian Herbert (Red). With this new line-up, Segression headlined the Metal for the Brain festival and spent most of 1999 working on a new album and playing live rarely.

The Smile album surfaced in early 2000 after a national tour with Slipknot and following a deal with Roadrunner Records' Australian development label Dark Carnival. The relationship with Roadrunner soured almost immediately and the Segression was forced to do virtually all of the promotion for the album itself. After being announced as part of that year's Metal for the Brain festival, Segression decided to withdraw from the show, instead announcing a move to the United States after a final Australian tour.

Segression moved to Chicago in early 2001 and played some club shows there while working on new material but returned to Australia in May to tour with Pantera. Red quit the band after this tour and was replaced by Keith Owen.

June 2002 saw the release of the band's fourth album Segression. The album wasn't particularly successful and after touring for the rest of the year, Segression played a final show in December and hasn't performed live since.

In late 2003, Segression announced that the band was on indefinite hold. With bass player Michael Caruana, all members of Segression now play in Side Effect X, a melodic heavy rock band. That group has recorded a single, "Turn the Page" and an album called Life

Discography
L.I.A.
Released: 1996
Format: CD
Label: Oracle

Fifth of the Fifth
Released: 1997
Format: CD
Label: Oracle

Smile
Released: 2000
Format: CD
Label: Dark Carnival/Roadrunner

Segression
Released: 2002
Format: CD
Label: Murder Machine