by Christopher M. TrueOriginally formed under the moniker M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction, that is), Blast! hailed from Santa Cruz, CA, and would become a labelmate of the very band they got compared to the most, Black Flag. M.A.D., formed in 1982 by Clifford Dinsmore on vocals, Steve Stevenson on guitar, Dave Cooper on bass, and Bill Torgerson on drums, would evolve into Blast! with the addition of second guitarist Mike Neider in 1984. Their sound, an amalgam of metal and hardcore not unlike what Greg Ginns Black Flag was tackling around the same time, gained the band a following and, in an ironic turn of events, got picked up by Ginns label, SST. Their first release for SST, The Power of Expression, came out in 1986 (it had been previously released on smaller label Wishing Well) and, sometime afterward, Stevenson left the band to be replaced by Kip DuVall, who would leave as well, returning Blast! to its original four-man format. 1987 saw the release of the bands follow-up, Its in My Blood, which was followed in 1989 by Take the Manic Ride and the departure of bassist Dave Cooper. Dinsmore followed suit, and the band, now led by Neider (on both guitar and vocals), pressed on, eventually changing their name to Blackout. By the late 90s, the band had yet again changed their name — to Lab — and released a smattering of EP-length work. In 2001, Blast! reunited, but only to play a few shows on the West Coast before splitting again.