Mastermind started in 1986 when Bill Berends and his brother, Rich, decided to form the group. They added Phil Antolino and quickly began playing gigs. They hooked up with ZNR Records in 1990, releasing their debut, Volume One. They followed that one with Brainstorm in 1992. By this point, the group was continuing with extensive touring, but still managed to release a third disc, Tragic Symphony, in 1994. Actually, Japan was the only place where it was released that year; its worldwide release didn't happen until the following year. The group was gaining a following and began pushing the envelope by more heavy touring. They began work on their follow-up disc while touring in 1995, but it was not released until 1996, titled Until Eternity. They continued their heavy touring schedule in promotion of that album all the way through 1997. There was a live album recorded during those gigs that was released as a limited-edition CD in 1997. That disc was entitled Live in Tokyo. Later that year, Jen Johansson joined the group and they released an instrumental album entitled Excelsior. Before releasing their next album, Angels of the Apocalypse, in 2000, the group added another member, Lisa Bouchelle. ~ Gary Hill, Rovi