Though they never had the mainstream success of fellow NYC band Helmet or massive cult following of Washington, D.C., icons Fugazi, Quicksand was one of the most revered and influential post-hardcore groups to surface during the early '90s alt-rock explosion. Formed in 1990 by singer/guitarist Walter Schreifels -- who had already made a name for himself on New York City's hardcore scene, playing bass in Youth Of Today and helping found popular punk outfit Gorilla Biscuits -- with guitarist Tom Capone, bassist Sergio Vega and drummer Alan Cage, the quartet attracted label interest on the strength of a self-titled EP released on punk indie imprint Revelation Records and eventually scored a deal with Polygram.

The quartet's debut effort Slip nodded to the juggernaut riffs of Helmet and Fugazi's angst-ridden vocal delivery, but managed to combine memorable melodies with touches of angular dissonance and ferocious intensity that makes songs like "Fazer," "Omission" and "Dine Alone" as hard-hitting and immediate today as they were when they first came out two decades ago. The well-crafted mix of punk and metal influences made Quicksand the perfect touring partner for a range of bands as they logged extensive road time with the aforementioned Helmet, Rage Against the Machine and The Offspring as well as more head-banging outfits like Anthrax and White Zombie.

The band's 1995 follow-up Manic Compression arguably surpassed the first album's kinetic fury with such pit-churning salvos as "Backward" and "Divorce," but showed off even greater dynamic sophistication on songs like "Delusional" and "Simpleton" that in a more perfect world would have been major radio hits. Though their sophomore effort sold better than their debut, internal conflicts and burnout from touring led Quicksand to split up just as the band seemed to be gaining commercial momentum.

The members moved on to other projects, but would reunite in 1998 for a series of successful live dates and an unfortunately abortive attempt at recording songs for a third album. Since then, Schriefels went on to form Rival Schools while Capone played guitar for Brooklyn band Instruction and Vega has filled in for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng after he was seriously injured in a 2008 car accident. Quicksand reunited again for a brief unannounced set in June of 2012 on the closing night of Revelation Records' 25th Anniversary Shows in Pomona, sharing the stage for the first time in 13 years. The rapturous response to that performance and several subsequent festival dates led to the current headlining tour, giving a host of fans who never had a chance to see the influential band live a new opportunity. Title Fight opens the show.

Quicksand
Monday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m. $26.50-$28
Regency Ballroom