Nuclear Death

Last updated

Nuclear Death
Origin Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Genres Death metal, grindcore
Years active1986–2000
Labels Wild Rags, Cat's Meow, Dark Symphonies, The Crypt, Extermist, Floga
Past membersLori Bravo
Steve Cowan
Phil Hampson
Joel Whitfield

Nuclear Death was an American death metal band formed in 1986 in Phoenix, Arizona. They were a very early example of a band in the extreme metal genre with a female vocalist, [1] [2] Lori Bravo.

Contents

Their style, which drummer Joel Whitfield described as "deathrashardcorextreme music", was compared to bands like Repulsion and Scum -era Napalm Death. [3]

History

Nuclear Death were formed on March 23, 1986, by Lori Bravo (vocals, bass guitar), Phil Hampson (guitar), and Joel Whitfield (drums) while they were in high school. [3] Nuclear Death cited Venom, Motörhead, The Plasmatics, Witchfinder General, and Discharge as their influences. [3] Their first demo, Wake Me When I'm Dead, was released later that same year, receiving positive reviews from American and overseas zines. They were notable as at the time very few death metal artists had female singers. [2] Their second demo, Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid, followed in 1987, on the back of which Nuclear Death signed a contract with Richard Campos from Wild Rags, a record label, fanzine and record dealer in California.

In 1991, the band released their more controversial work, entitled Carrion for Worm, containing many songs considered to be in bad taste, [2] such as "The Human Seed", "Lurker in the Closet: A 'Fairy' Tale", and "Greenflies". Carrion for Worm featured vocals by Chris Reifert, singer from popular death metal band Autopsy, on two songs, "Cathedral of Sleep" and "Vampirism".

On May 23, 1992, Nuclear Death played a notorious concert in Puerto Rico, with label partners Impetigo. Later that year they released For Our Dead, a four-track single containing a rerecorded version of 1987's "The Third Antichrist" from Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid.

After the break-up of Nuclear Death, Lori went on to form a new band, Raped, in 2002. Joel Whitfield joined Eroticide in 1991. After leaving the band in 1992, Phil was in Eroticide (1996 to 1998), and Whorror (2000 to 2002). In late 2013, Phil started Feral Viscera. He currently continues to record as Feral Viscera, but as of January 2016 decided to re-form Whorror (along with original vocalist Donn Sullivan and original drummer, Mike Wyatt (Genocaust).

Recognition

Nuclear Death's 1990 debut album Bride of Insect was listed in Decibel magazine 's "Hall of Fame" as entry No. 90. [3] The entry says:

The music is so dark, twisted and obscure that one could hazard comparisons to multiple strains of ensuing extremity ... The lyrics match–if not surpass–the music's filthy intensity. In a time when extreme bands were ranting about the government or bumping fists with Satan, Nuclear Death chose to delve into the depths of human depravity. Murder and sexual deviancy were the order of the day, as incest, bestiality and necrophilia were all celebrated in loving detail. [3]

Members

Last known lineup
Past members

Discography

DVDs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morbid Angel</span> American death metal band

Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered one of the most influential bands in the genre and important in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots, they were one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, multiple tempo changes and a dark atmosphere. They have been described as one of "the most influential and emulated bands in death metal", alongside Obituary, Death, Cynic, Autopsy and Deicide, and have been cited as an influence by many later bands. They were also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992, heavy rotation of their music videos on MTV, and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head. Their first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the genre.

Terrorizer is an American grindcore band from Los Angeles, California. It was originally formed in 1985 as Unknown Death by vocalist Oscar Garcia and guitarist Jesse Pintado. They would rename themselves Terrorizer after recruiting drummer Pete Sandoval, who remains the band's sole constant member throughout their discography, in 1986. The band's current lineup consists of Sandoval, bassist David Vincent, vocalist Brian Werner and guitarist Richie Brown. They are currently signed to Earache Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carcass (band)</span> British extreme metal band

Carcass are an English extreme metal band from Liverpool, formed in 1985. The band have gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Bill Steer and bassist-vocalist Jeff Walker as the only constant members. They broke up in 1996, but reformed in 2007 without one of their original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons. To date, the band have released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, four EPs, two demo albums, one video album, and six music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadus</span> American thrash metal band

Sadus is an American thrash metal band from Antioch, California, active from 1985 to 2015, and reunited in 2017. Originally a quartet, the band's sound fuses thrash metal with death metal, featuring highly technical musicianship. They are known for the unique death growl of vocalist Darren Travis, and bassist Steve Di Giorgio. During their career, Sadus has released six studio albums, one compilation album and four demos, and had two lineup changes, with the band continuing without replacing any of the departed members.

Beherit is a Finnish black metal band from Rovaniemi. The band was formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, Jari Vaarala and Sodomatic Slaughter, with the purpose of performing "the most primitive, savage, hell-obsessed black metal imaginable". "Beherit" is the Syriac word for Satan. Through the uncommercial nature of their music, visuals, and live performances, the band quickly attracted a cult following. Besides the "raw" sound, the band's music is noted for its avant-garde side and emphasis on atmosphere. Beherit are now regarded as a pioneer in their genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Necrophagia</span> American death metal band

Necrophagia was an American death metal band. The band is credited as one of the inaugural groups within the death metal genre, along with Possessed and Death.

Morbid Saint is an American death/thrash metal band from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The band is known for being a regular opening act for Florida's Death, one of the progenitors of death metal, as confirmed by Jay Visser, as well as having an influence in the genres of blackened thrash and death metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Vincent (musician)</span> American bassist and vocalist

David Justin Vincent, also known as Evil D, is an American musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Morbid Angel, as well as the bassist for Terrorizer and Genitorturers.

<i>Altars of Madness</i> 1989 studio album by Morbid Angel

Altars of Madness is the debut studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on May 12, 1989, by Combat Records/Earache Records. The album was recorded in December 1988 at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida. The album is one of the earliest examples of death metal and is considered to have helped pioneer the sound along with Possessed's Seven Churches in 1985 and Death's Scream Bloody Gore in 1987, and set a new precedent for heaviness and extremity, both musically and lyrically. It is one of the most celebrated albums in death metal, and one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time.

Brutality is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. The group was signed to Nuclear Blast Records in the 1990s.

The following is a complete Nuclear Death discography.

<i>Cause of Death</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Obituary

Cause of Death is the second album by American death metal band Obituary. It was released on September 19, 1990. Cause of Death is considered a classic album in the history of death metal. The artwork was done by artist Michael Whelan. It is their first release with longtime member Frank Watkins on bass, and also their first and only album with guitarist James Murphy, previously of the group Death. Murphy did not contribute to the songwriting as the riffs he showed to the band would end up appearing on Disincarnate's Dreams of the Carrion Kind.

Armoured Angel were an Australian thrash and death metal band from Canberra, which formed in 1982 as Metal Asylum. The band's founding mainstay, Glen "Lucy" Luck provided bass guitar. They pushed the musical boundaries of the local thrash metal scene and were pioneers of Australian death metal. The group also helped establish Australia's metal festival, Metal for the Brain in 1991. They issued a studio album, Angel of the Sixth Order, in July 1999 before disbanding soon after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Root (band)</span> Czech black metal band

Root is a Czech black metal band.

Fantom Warior is an American thrash metal band that was founded in 1984 in Union, New Jersey. consisting of John Chernack, Keith Pires, James Jensen (drums) and Steve Schley (guitar). The band's major influences were Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax. Fantom Warior had a self-distributed demo and album as well as appearing on a compilation album. Fantom Warior's musical style was said to be hardcore thrash similar to Slayer and Kreator with changes throughout their songs that mix speedcore and very heavy thrash. Their music contained a blend of speed and technical development unknown to some of the other bands of their time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic Holocaust</span> American thrash metal band

Toxic Holocaust is an American thrash metal band from Portland, Oregon.

Order from Chaos was an extreme metal band formed in 1987 in Kansas City, Missouri, by Pete Helmkamp, Chuck Keller and Mike Miller. They are recognised as being an extremely influential group in the early U.S. black metal scene, and served as a launching pad for its band members that went on to form such groups as Angelcorpse, Ares Kingdom, Revenge, Vulpecula, and Kerasphorus.

Infected were an industrial death metal band from Perth, Western Australia, which formed in 1992 with James Campbell on bass guitar, Joe Kapiteyn on vocals, Matthew Jefferson on guitar, and Gareth Morris on drums.

<i>Illud Divinum Insanus</i> 2011 studio album by Morbid Angel

Illud Divinum Insanus is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 7, 2011, by independent French record label Season of Mist. It is Morbid Angel's first album since Heretic (2003), the band's longest gap to date between studio albums. This is the only Morbid Angel album to feature guitarist Destructhor and drummer Tim Yeung, making it their first not to feature Pete Sandoval, who was recovering from surgery. It is also the band's only album to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since he rejoined in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyste'riah</span>

Hyste'riah was a Swedish thrash metal / metallic hardcore band that originated in Landskrona in 1987.

References

  1. ↑ "Female Fronted Heavy Metal: 1976–1989". Femalefrontedheavymetal.blogspot.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Prato, Greg. "Nuclear Death". AllMusic. Retrieved on May 16, 201.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nuclear Death – Bride Of Insect", Decibel , July 28, 2012. Retrieved on May 16, 2017
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.