Razor White was born in New Orleans Louisiana in 1986. The band featured a young, powerhouse vocalist named Philip Anselmo along with guitarists Matt Thomas and Jimmy (Hipp) Davis, bassist Craig Cazubon and drummer (Psycho) Steve Joseph.
Playing metal covers of the day from Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead and the like, the band garnered a strong local following in the New Orleans area. Bassist Craig Cazubon was replaced by Wip Buras shortly thereafter and the band was gaining steam as a live act to be reckoned with. The band started writing originals around this time with some of the more popular songs being Never Cry Wolf and Come On Strong.
Performing regionally at this point, the band was becoming a strong draw across the Southern United States.
In 1989, vocalist Philip Anselmo got an offer to join an up-and-coming band from Texas called Pantera. He made the decision to leave and the band soon hired New Orleans born singer Troy Marks to step in. R.C. Holmes was also recruited to play bass around this time, but Wip Buras was to return shortly thereafter.
The band continued on with strong momentum touring all around the United States with acts such as Foghat, Zebra, Robin Trower, Lillian Axe and more. Continued writing led them to release what is now known as the Black Demo. Consisting of 5 songs, it drew the attention of the major labels and the band soon found its way to New York.
Showcasing for major label record companies, the band was asked to write a batch of more radio friendly material. This studio session led to the ultimate independent release called, “Just What The Doctor Ordered.” With songs such as “Backdoor To Heaven” and “Back Into My Heart”, the release was met with positive reviews and sold a ton of copies. With label interest dissipating and the direction of the band in question, Razor White disbanded in 1992.
Troy Marks went on to have a successful career in music with his New Orleans band, No Idea. He has also released two solo records called, Illumino and Godspeed.
Steve Joseph went on to have a very successful career as a road manager and pyrotechnic engineer for artists such as Pantera, Florida Georgia Line and many others. Jimmy (Hipp) Davis retired from the music business completely and has a beautiful family in Louisiana. Matt Thomas went on to perform in New Orleans bands Butt Ugly and Crowbar before becoming a lawyer. Wip Buras released an album, singing and playing bass, under the name Fall From Grace that was very well received. Philip Anselmo went on to become the legendary frontman for Pantera and single-handedly revolutionized metal singing as we know it.
- Troy Marks, 2022