by John Bush
Influenced by Throbbing Gristle and 80s industrial bands, Jared Hendriksen (vocals, programming) and Dylan Thomas More (programming) met up in Washington, D.C. in the late 80s. The duo began recording as Chemlab with the Ten Ton Pressure EP in 1990, and a tour with Nine Inch Nails the following year gained them a larger audience. After signing with Metal Blade, Hendriksen and More assembled a band (guitarist Steve Watson, bassist Ned Wahl and drummer Mark Kermanj) to record Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar, which was released in 1994. The following year, Chemlab re-released their debut EP on the mini-LP Magnetic Field Remixes, along with one new track and several remixes. Their second album, Lower East Side Militia, appeared in the fall of 1996; Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar followed three years later.