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The Obsessed | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Warhorse (1976–1979) |
Origin | Potomac, Maryland, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active |
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Labels | |
Members | Scott "Wino" Weinrich Brian Costantino Chris Angleberger Jason Taylor |
Past members | Mark Laue Dave Williams Ed Gulli Scott Reeder Greg Rogers Guy Pinhas Dave Sherman John Reese Bruce Falkinburg Reid Raley Brian White |
The Obsessed is an American doom metal band from Potomac, Maryland, led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich. [1] Formed in 1979, [2] they recorded a few demos and played a handful of live shows until they first split up in 1986 when Weinrich joined as lead vocalist for Saint Vitus. [3] About two years before his departure from Saint Vitus, Weinrich reformed The Obsessed in 1989, and three studio albums − The Obsessed (1990), Lunar Womb (1991) and The Church Within (1994) − were released before disbanding for the second time in 1995. [3] [4] After reuniting for occasional live shows between 2011 and 2013, the band announced a permanent reunion in March 2016, and has since released two more studio albums: Sacred (2017) and Gilded Sorrow (2024).
The band formed originally under the name "Warhorse" in 1976 in Potomac, Maryland, led by Wino. In the late 1970s, Wino's band became known as the Leather Nunz. The band played original punk tunes with singer Billy Beam, Jeff Urban on drums, Robert Krug on rhythm guitar and Mark Laue on bass.
Later on, a new more focused and improved group moved into a band house in Rockville, Maryland and renamed the Obsessed, where some of their most creative and hardest music was written. Before this move, however, original guitar player John Reese and Davey WIlliams on drums departed from the band. The band became a trio and remained that way until 1982 when Vance Bockis and later Norman Lawson joined the band. [3] During this time they released the Sodden Jackal EP (spring 1983) and had one track ("Concrete Cancer") featured on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre VI . The Obsessed also managed to record their debut album in 1985 for Metal Blade, but it never officially surfaced.
The band broke up in the late 1980s and Wino went west to California to join up with Saint Vitus. [3] Wino recorded three albums, an EP, and a live album with Saint Vitus. Around 1989, the Obsessed reformed and signed to Hellhound Records (Vitus's then current label), which released The Obsessed (originally recorded in 1985) in the following year. [4] This prompted Wino to leave Vitus and focus on the Obsessed full-time, with a new rhythm section consisting of Scott Reeder and Greg Rogers. [3] The band was quickly signed to Hellhound Records and soon released Lunar Womb . [3] Scott Reeder later left to join Kyuss, whereupon he was replaced by Guy Pinhas. [3] After the addition of Pinhas, the Obsessed signed with Columbia Records, through which they released their third album The Church Within to strong critical reviews. [3] To promote The Church Within, the band toured as an opening act for Entombed and Unsane during the first part of 1994. Despite the tour, as well as a large amount of promotion on behalf of Columbia Records (including a 25-minute documentary on the history of the Obsessed), the album did not sell as well as expected. After the demise of the Obsessed, Wino went on to form Shine which changed name to Spirit Caravan and more projects before reuniting with Saint Vitus in 2003 (and again in 2008), while the Obsessed's rhythm section became the basis for Goatsnake.
In September 2011, the Roadburn Festival announced that The Church Within lineup (featuring Wino, Greg Rogers and Guy Pinhas) would be reuniting to play their next edition on April 14, 2012. The band later confirmed they would be performing at the Hellfest Open Air 2012. The band performed yet another reunion show at Maryland Death fest XI in May 2013 featuring Wino, Greg Rogers and Reid Raley.
TKO Records re-released the self-titled 7" on November 23, 2012.
Wino announced the full-time return of the Obsessed in March 2016 and the band's official signing to Relapse Records to record the follow-up to The Church Within. The new lineup originally consisted of Spirit Caravan bassist Dave Sherman and Wino's longtime friend and former road crew member Brian Costantino (drums). On October 31, 2016, Wino announced that The Obsessed would test the waters for the remainder of 2016 by adding Bruce Falkinburg on bass and Seraphim on guitar, making this the first time in over 35 years that the Obsessed have been a four piece band.
In April 2017, the band released Sacred, their first studio album in 23 years. Their next album, Gilded Sorrow, was released on February 16, 2024. [5] [6]
Current
Former
Spirit Caravan was an American doom metal / stoner rock band featuring guitarist and vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich.
Saint Vitus is an American doom metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. They are considered to be one of the first doom metal bands, and have been labeled as one of the "big four" of that genre, along with Candlemass, Pentagram and Trouble. Having released nine studio albums to date, Saint Vitus never achieved a popular breakthrough, but have exerted great influence on the development of doom metal, sludge metal, and stoner rock.
Robert Scott Weinrich, better known as Wino, is an American singer and guitarist. He has been highly influential in helping develop and codify doom metal's trademark sound, and is also considered an influential figure in the stoner rock and punk rock genre.
The Hidden Hand was an American stoner rock and doom metal band from Maryland, formed in 2002 and dissolved in 2007.
Pentagram is an American heavy metal band from Alexandria, Virginia, noted as one of the pioneers of heavy metal, and the sub-genre of doom metal in particular. As such, they are considered one of the "big four of doom metal," alongside Candlemass, Saint Vitus, and Trouble.
Clearlight is an American instrumental rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana. They are also known as the Mystick Krewe of Clearlight due to other bands using the same original name.
Incarnate is a compilation album by American doom metal band The Obsessed. It consists of tracks taken from a number of rare and unreleased sources, namely their Sodden Jackal and Altamont Nation 7"s, the Hellhound Records What the Hell! compilation, and some unreleased demos. There are also two cover songs -- "On the Hunt" and "Inside-Looking Out". The track "Streetside" is a video clip.
Born Too Late is the third studio album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1986. It was the first Saint Vitus album featuring The Obsessed singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich. It is generally cited as their greatest effort.
Mournful Cries is the fourth studio album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1988. It was the band's last release on SST Records. The cover art features a painting of a hydra.
V is the fifth studio album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released in 1990. Its title is a reference to the Roman numeral five, not the letter "V" from the English alphabet. The album was the band's first release not on SST Records and the last one to feature singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich.
Thirsty and Miserable is an EP released by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus in 1987 on SST Records. The title track is a cover of Black Flag. The tracks were released in 1987 on CD by SST as bonus tracks to the Born Too Late album.
Live is the first live album by the American doom metal band Saint Vitus, recorded on November 10, 1989, at Germany's Circus Gammelsdorf. The album was released in 1990 on Hellhound Records. It was re-released by Southern Lord Records (SUNN43) in 2005. This was the final release to feature singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich until he rejoined Saint Vitus some years later, performing on their 2012 album Lillie: F-65.
Heavier Than Thou is a compilation album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released via SST Records in 1991. It features tracks taken from each of their releases on SST. Although the compilation was released after V, it contains none of the songs from that album as Saint Vitus had switched record labels by that time.
The Obsessed is the debut album by American metal band the Obsessed, released in 1990 by Hellhound Records. All songs were recorded in 1985 for an intended album for Metal Blade Records, which had never been released. The release of this album prompted singer Scott "Wino" Weinrich to leave Saint Vitus and reform the Obsessed with a new rhythm section.
Lunar Womb is the second studio album by American heavy metal band The Obsessed. It was released in 1991 by Hellhound Records and reissued in 2006 by MeteorCity. The painting on the cover is entitled Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco de Goya.
The Church Within is the third studio album by American metal band The Obsessed. It was released in 1994 by Columbia Records and Hellhound Records, and was their final album before their 16-year breakup from 1995 to 2011. Columbia Records released two promo singles to support the album, "Streetside"/"Blind Lightning" and "To Protect and to Serve"/"Mental Kingdom".
Sodden Jackal is the title of the debut EP/single released by doom metal band The Obsessed on 7" vinyl. All three songs from the EP were eventually included on The Obsessed's Incarnate compilation.
Shrinebuilder was an American stoner/doom metal supergroup consisting of various established musicians, particularly of the doom metal subgenre. Their first and only album, Shrinebuilder, was released in October 2009.
With Vision is the second studio album release by Place of Skulls. It was released in 2003 on the Southern Lord Records label. The recording of this album was marked by numerous personnel changes before the final staff was assembled. This is the only Place of Skulls album to feature Scott Weinrich on vocals and second guitar. He left to concentrate on The Hidden Hand. Writing credits are far more widely distributed among the band members than on their previous album.
Lillie: F-65 is the eighth studio album by American doom metal band Saint Vitus, released on April 27, 2012. This is the first Saint Vitus studio album since Die Healing (1995) and the only one to feature Scott "Wino" Weinrich on vocals in 22 years, since V (1990). It also marks their first album with Henry Vasquez on drums, and their final release with bassist Mark Adams, who left the band in 2016 due to Parkinson's disease, which he died from in 2023.