Deadly Blessing

In 1989, following the success of their debut album, Ascend From the Cauldron, New Jersey power metallers DEADLY BLESSING made the pivotal decision to part ways with their iconic-yet-polarizing frontman, Norman “Ski” Kiersznowski. In search of a more aggressive singer who could still be melodic, the band approached Larry Betson; whose gruffer, less over-the-top approach provided a perfect fit as the group continued to open for increasingly heavier national acts such as BIOHAZARD, DARK ANGEL, and PANTERA.

The following year, influenced by hardcore thrash from the Bay Area to New York, DEADLY BLESSING recorded two hard-hitting demos—the well-received Psycho Drama, and the never officially released Mechanical Solutions—before rechristening themselves OPTIMUS PRIME for one last demo, taking some inspiration from that era’s increasingly ubiquitous “grunge”-leaning sounds. However, as work began on their sophomore full-length, internal uncertainties combined with label and management woes left the group without a proper home, and the lineup eventually unraveled.

So now, more than 25 years later, Divebomb Records is beyond thrilled to finally deliver this deluxe edition of Psycho Drama: a massive two-disc set representing the Larry Betson era of DEADLY BLESSING into OPTIMUS PRIME across 18 studio and 11 live tracks—many appearing here for the first time ever—fully remastered by Jamie King at The Basement Recording. You’ll also find archival photographs, studio memories from Psycho Drama engineer Bob Kimmel, and an all-new retrospective interview with the band. For the fans, by the fans!