.Rival was formed in the hot Chicago summer of 1990 by founding drummer Gary Olson, bassist/vocalist John Johnson, and guitarists Neven Trivic and Chuck McNulty. Having been in previous cover bands with each other before at some point, this union was a mixture of just the right chemistry. They entered a recording studio with limited funds, and emerged with a self-titled 5 song EP in 1991 consisting of all original material. Soon to follow was an invitation to perform at the "Headbangers Open Air" and "Bang Your Head" festivals in the summer of 2002. Because of the success of their two disks as well as their festival performances, Rival landed their very first record deal with Metal Blade. So with new material, Rival entered the studio late fall of 2003 to record the "State Of Mind" CD with a renewed sense of intensity. The result, 9 hard hitting, aggressive songs were created