Misery Index

by Eduardo Rivadavia
A death metal band from Baltimore, MD, Misery Index was founded in 2001 by vocalist and bassist Jason Netherton, drummer Kevin Talley (both former members of Dying Fetus), and guitarist Mike Harrison (ex-Pessimist). They announced their arrival that same year with a self-released EP entitled Overthrow and another disgruntled Dying Fetus alum, guitarist Sparky Voyles, would join the group in time for a 2002 split release with Commit Suicide. Voyles was soon handling all six-string duties, due to Harrison's departure, though, and drummer Talley also quit at this time to concentrate on other projects, eventually hooking up with nu-metal upstarts Chimaira, and later the Red Chord. He was replaced by Matt Byers (ex-Severed Head) before Misery Index's next split CD (with Structure of Lies) in 2003, which, in turn, was followed by their first U.S. tour. The exposure from which helped bring Misery Index to the attention of Nuclear Blast Records, for whom they released their full-length debut, Retaliate, later the same year (and who would unceremoniously drop them only a short time later, when its sales fell short of expectations). Misery Index went underground for a few years and experienced more personnel turnover, but a new lineup consisting of Netherton, Voyles, second guitarist Mark Kloeppel, and drummer Adam Jarvis was eventually picked up by Relapse Records, and recorded a sophomore opus, entitled Discordia, in 2006.