Vanishing Lessons

Vanishing Lessons is the fourth studio album by the American Christian metal band Tourniquet. It was originally released on Intense Records in 1994. It was the first Tourniquet album to feature then-lead vocalist Luke Easter, who joined the band in 1993. The songs "Bearing Gruesome Cargo," "Acid Head" and "K517" were included on the Tourniquet/Mortification Collector's Edition CD Single in 1994; the disc also featured tracks with Ted Kirkpatrick talking about Tourniquet and included material from the Australian Christian metal band Mortification's Live Planetarium and Blood World releases. A different version of "My Promise" was included on Tourniquet's extended play Carry the Wounded, and a music video for "Bearing Gruesome Cargo" was included on the band's VHS tape Pushin' Broom in 1995. This album was later bundled with 1992's Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance and released on KMG Records in 2000. Vanishing Lessons was independently re-released on Pathogenic Records with digital remastering, bonus tracks, and new artwork in 2004.

Vanishing Lessons
Studio album by Tourniquet
Released	July 1, 1994
Recorded	1993
Studio	Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California
Genre	Christian metal Thrash metal Hard rock Heavy metal
Length	48:42 (original) 73:42 (remaster)
Label	Intense Records (original) Pathogenic Records (remaster)
Producer	Jim Faraci
Tourniquet chronology
Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance (1992) Vanishing Lessons (1994) Carry the Wounded (1995)
2004 Cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Cross Rhythms
Powermetal.de	(mildly favorable)

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Ted Kirkpatrick unless otherwise noted; all music is composed by Ted Kirkpatrick unless otherwise noted

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Bearing Gruesome Cargo"			4:35
2.	"Pecking Order"			5:52
3.	"Drowning Machine"			4:45
4.	"Pushin' Broom"	Gary Lenaire		5:36
5.	"Vanishing Lessons"			4:21
6.	"My Promise"	Lenaire	Lenaire	4:32
7.	"Acid Head" (1)			4:24
8.	"K517"			2:11
9.	"Twilight"			4:03
10.	"Your Take"	Lenaire	Lenaire	3:21
11.	"Sola Christus"	Victor Macias	Macias	5:02
Total length:				48:42

^1. Titled "Acidhead" on the remaster.

2004 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"HHS2 (Handel Harpsichord Suite #2)"	1:28
13.	"Acidhead (Live 2000)"	4:57
14.	"Pecking Order (Live 2002)"	5:47
15.	"Vanishing Lessons (Live 2002)"	4:25
16.	"Drowning Machine (Demo 1994)" (2)	4:27
17.	"Twilight (Demo 1994)" (2)	3:56
Total length:		73:42

^2. Excluded from the Brazilian remaster.

Brazilian version remaster exclusive live track

No.	Title	Length
16.	"Bearing Gruesome Cargo (Live 2000)"	4:27
Total length:		69:46

Personnel

Tourniquet

• Luke Easter - vocals
• Gary Lenaire - guitar
• Victor Macias - bass
• Ted Kirkpatrick - drums

2000 and 2002 live tracks

• Ted Kirkpatrick - drums
• Luke Easter - vocals
• Aaron Guerra - guitars, vocals
• Steve Andino - bass guitar

Additional personnel

• Executive producer: Matthew Duffy
• Produced by: Jim Faraci
• Engineered by: Jim Faraci
• Assistant engineer: Michael Steinbrech
• Mixed by: Jim Faraci
• Recorded and mixed at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California
• Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, California
• Photography: Jim Muth
• Art direction and design: Kristy Anderberg
• Additional backing vocals: Lavant Coppic (“Drowning Machine”)
• Additional guitar: M. Russo ("Drowning Machine," "Vanishing Lessons," "Twilight" and "Sola Christus")