Attention Deficit

M

ichael Manring (a.k.a. Michael Hedges) first pulled Tim Alexander (of Primus) and Alex Skolnick (of Testament) together for his 1994 solo project, Thonk. The mixture of Michael's bass work, Tim's complex rhythms and Alex's interest in Jazz and Fusion, mixed with his heavy metal guitar style came together formally as a group for their 1998 self-titled Attention Deficit on the 'Magna Carta' label. Together they produced an album of Jazz, Metal and progressive rock. Their band, specializing in improvisation, generated their name from looking at the culture of today with its lack of focus. In 2001, their second effort The Idiot King would emerge.