Thruster

Thruster is a heavy metal band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1983. One of the Queen City's most enduring metal acts, the band built a loyal following throughout the 1980s on the strength of their aggressive riffs and powerful live performances across the Cincinnati club circuit. The classic Thruster lineup featured Dell McFarland on lead vocals, Clark Connley and Russ Willoughby on guitars, Greg Hilvers on bass, and Jimmy Brink on drums. The band recorded their debut album M.I.A. at Creative Counterpoint Studios between November 1986 and May 1987, with mastering handled at Jewel Recording Studios in Cincinnati. The album was preceded by the 1985 single Back in Time and remains a defining document of Cincinnati's 1980s heavy metal underground. In 2009 M.I.A. was given a proper vinyl reissue - 500 copies pressed, including 100 on limited grey vinyl - introducing the band to a new generation of metal fans. Thruster continued performing into the 2010s, including a well-received appearance at Bogart's in Cincinnati in 2015, proving the band's staying power more than three decades after their formation.