by MacKenzie WilsonSouthern Cal punksters Tiger Army have been honing their psychobilly twists since 1995, playing gigs around the Bay Area, where Operation Ivy, Rancid, and Green Day made names for themselves. By 1997, Tiger Army dealt with departing bandmates as well as scoring recognition from Rancid's Tim Armstrong. Singer/songwriter and guitarist Nick 13 was the only member left in Tiger Army yet still formed a union with Armstrong's Hellcat Records. Two years later, Nick, AFI drummer Adam Carson, and Quakes bassist Rob Peltier headed into the studio to begin recording Tiger Army's self-titled debut, which was issued in December 1999. By year's end, Geoff Kresge was added to play standup bass. Tiger Army was finally becoming a band, and in 2001, they issued Tiger Army II: Power of Moonlite. Later that year, SoCal local Fred Hell joined on drums and Tiger Army hit the road in support of their sophomore effort as an official rock group. Shared dates with Dropkick Murphys, Reverend Horton Heat, and The Damned as well as a stint on Hellcat's first Punks vs. Psychos tour and a spot on Warped followed into 2002. As the band prepared for the recording of their third album in spring 2003, Hell was shot four times during a botched breaking-and-entering incident at a friend's apartment. He survived wounds to the back, chest, and head but was unable to physically play in the studio. Drum tech Mike Fasano temporarily stepped in for him while Hell remained present during the studio sessions. He made a triumphant return as did Tiger Army in mid-2003 for a short summer tour with Rancid. The psychobilly-powered Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise followed in June 2004. Kresge left the band after they had finished another Warped tour and was replaced by former Cosmic Voodoo and Calavera member Jeff Roffredo. Drummer James Meza was added to the lineup before Tiger Army embarked on another tour, this time supporting the legendary Social Distortion. They spent part of 2005 touring Europe and Australia before coming home and headlining their own tour of the U.S. In 2006 they began recording sessions with veteran producer Jerry Finnand the results, 2007's Music from Regions Beyond, proved to be the most diverse and commercial sounding album of their career.