On March 2nd, 2022, Cannibal Corpse was passing through Minneapolis on their North American tour. It was at this show, at the Skyway Theatre, that guitarist Jack Jaszewski and drummer Liam Urbanowicz met. They began to entertain the idea of forming a band in the following days, sending snippets of songs they knew how to play back and forth to each other. 

Jack had met bassist Ernie Brothen through skating, and soon contacted him to ask if he would like to join the band. After Ernie accepted, he contacted his Mound Westonka Jazz bandmate Kolton Soppeland, who joined the band as the rhythm guitarist. 

After a few days of messaging back and forth, debating which covers to learn, and what style of music they would play, Visceral Reaction settled on two songs: “A Skull Full of Maggots” and the ever so legendary “Pull the Plug.” These songs were what began to inspire Visceral Reaction’s thrashy breed of Death Metal.

However, Visceral Reaction was not yet known as such. They needed a name. After toying around with some comedic ideas such as “Powerwasher Lobotomy,” Ernie said, “We need a name that’s going to give people a visceral reaction,” and Visceral Reaction was born.

The band officially formed later that month on March 30th, 2022, when all four members got together for the first time. They played the covers they had learned, then got started on their first original, “Death Incarnate.” After their first few shows with Jungle Rot and Internal Bleeding, Crowbar, and Deterioration, Visceral Reaction had made a name for themselves in the Minneapolis metal scene.