Merritt Gant is a guitarist originally from Millville, New Jersey

Millville, New Jersey

Millville is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 26,847. Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area which...

. Gant is most recognized for his association with the band Overkill

Overkill (band)

Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...

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In the late 1980s, Gant entered the local music scene with hard rock band Drastic Measures. During Gant's tenure with Drastic Measures, one full length album and one demo were released. In 1989, Gant was recruited by Chris Bombeke to play guitar with Faith or Fear. However, shortly after doing a series of shows and recording several songs with Faith or Fear, Gant auditioned and was hired to play for the thrash metal band Overkill

Overkill (band)

Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...

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In 1990, Overkill

Overkill (band)

Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...

 held auditions to replace departing guitarist Bobby Gustafson. Gustafson was replaced by two guitarists, Rob Cannavino and Merritt Gant. From 1990 to 1995, Gant toured and recorded on the albums Horrorscope

Horrorscope (Overkill album)

Horrorscope is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Overkill. Released in 1991 on Atlantic Records, it was their first album to feature the guitar duo of Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino.-Overview:...

, I Hear Black, W.F.O., and the live album Wrecking Your Neck. Gant appeared in several music videos featured on MTV, including the thrash metal anthem "Horrorscope." In 1995, Gant and Cannavino both left Overkill.

After leaving Overkill, Gant's involvement in the music industry evolved beyond being just a guitar player. Gant currently plays, engineers, and produces music in several bands, including his experimental music project Blood Audio. In 2001, Blood Audio released Bludgeoning Timbre and in 2003, Null Evil. In 2009, Gant also laid down several guitar tracks for New Jersey band, Dearly Beloved. In addition to being a recording artist, Gant is also a guitar instructor, producer and sound engineer, and an accomplished repairman and restorer of vintage and modern electric and acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments. In June 2009, "Faith or Fear" released a new album, Instruments of Death, featuring Gant on four previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1990.

Gant currently lives in southern New Jersey with his two children.
Also Gant and his brother own a music store named "Merritt's Music".