Outpatients (band)

The group formed from the remnants of Vis’ first group, Mace, formed in 1980. When Mace’s bassist left for the U.S. Navy in late 1982, he was quickly replaced by Vis' 14-year-old brother, Scott (who’d formed the hardcore group Deep Wound[3] in 1982 with Lou Barlow and J Mascis). The band’s name was changed to Outpatients. They quickly made waves in the hardcore scene, gaining rave reviews almost immediately. In February 1983, they released The Basement Tape,[4] which circulated in the underground worldwide, and made Maximumrocknroll's[5] Top 20. In 1983 they also made the first of many New York City appearances at CBGB. They appeared on several compilations, including Bands That Could Be God.[6] This included tracks from their first studio recording, which was done with punk producer Lou Giordano and Jimmy Dufour at Radio Beat Studios in Boston. Outpatients toured with Battalion of Saints in 1984. Musically, lyrically and ideologically, Outpatients never fully committed to the hardcore punk genre, opting to allow themselves to progress musically. The band felt that hardcore was becoming too restrictive in general, despite its non-conformist themes. Scott was among the bassists in the area who incorporated slap bass into hardcore and metal, and by 1985 the band’s sound had crossed over from hardcore to an eclectic form of heavy metal. In 1987 Mike Kingsbury left and was replaced by Scot Bates. In 1988 the band released Free Association,[7] its first full-length album on vinyl.

In 1988 Scot Bates announced that he was leaving the group. That summer NYC friends School of Violence, who were signed to Death Records, a sublabel of Metal Blade, lost their bass player. Vis and Scott relocated to New York and teamed up with the remaining SOV members to complete their lineup. SOV broke up in 1990, and Outpatients reformed that same year. Mike Kingsbury moved to New York to play drums a second time but was replaced again by Scot Bates. In 1991 they released the demo “Life On The Outside” and hired Marc Lichtenstein as a second guitarist. In 1992, they toured in South America. Scot Bates left the group at the end of that year. In early 1993, the band released their Test of Time CD,[8] recorded at Don Fury Studios in Manhattan. Subsequently, Mike Smith was hired on drums until the band's breakup in 1995.

Outpatients performed a single reunion show with Mike Smith on drums in New York City in 1996.

Original line-up:

• Vis Helland - Guitar, Vocals
• Scott Helland - Bass, B. Vox
• Mike Kingsbury - Drums, B. Vox

Outpatients also included:

• Scot Bates - Drums 1987-1988, 1990-1993
• Marc Lichtenstein - Guitar 1990-1993
• Mike Smith - Drums 1993-1995

• The Official Outpatients Website
• Outpatients at Kill From the Heart
• Scott Helland official site
• Bands That Could Be God Comp at Kill From the Heart