But at the same time, Evolotto has a strong sense of melody; the trio loves to fluctuate between high-speed exhilaration and dark, moody melodies that are played at slower tempos. Evolotto brings a variety of influences to its work -- influences ranging from Voivod, Helmet, and Motörhead to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Thrash and speed metal are an influence; so are punk, grunge, and industrial.
Evolotto was formed in Toledo in 1994, when lead singer/bassist Schmid joined forces with two friends he had known since high school: guitarist Chris Sobb and drummer Ben Bomlitz. The name Evolotto was inspired by Evil Otto, a character in the '80s video game Berserk. Shortly after Evolotto's formation, the Midwesterners recorded a demo titled Candied Peas -- and they had been together four years when they finally landed a record deal. In 1998, Evolotto signed with Sin Klub Entertainment, a small, independent, very metal-friendly label based in Toledo (which was certainly convenient for the band). Sin Klub released 1776, Evolotto's first official album, in 1998 -- and in 2002, they recorded their second album, Sixers, for Sin Klub. Sixers' front and back covers turned some heads in alternative metal circles; Evolotto hired model/actress Michonne Bourriague (who is perhaps best known for her role in 1999's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) to pose in ultra-sexy attire and depicted her as a Satanist who had devil-like horns coming out of her forehead. But the album's dark-humored cover, for all its shock value, didn't seem to be an endorsement of Satanism and the occult. In fact, Sixers' inside cover contained the following quote from the Bhagavad-Gita, which is to Hindus what the Koran is to Muslims and the Bible's New Testament is to Christians: "As unnecessary as a well is to a village on the banks of a river, so unnecessary are all scriptures to someone who has seen the truth." The members of Evolotto, in their own irreverent, goofy, over the top way, seemed to be saying that while spirituality was basically a good thing, people needed to be wary of fanaticism and extremism in the name of organized religion. The headbangers didn't seem to be attacking religion in general, only the excesses of radical fundamentalism.
After about nine years with Evolotto, Schmid left the trio in 1993 and was replaced by singer/bassist Matt Myers, formerly of the band Valve. ~ Alex Henderson