Morbid Angel
Encyclopedia
Morbid Angel is an American death metal
band based in Tampa, Florida
. UK
music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness
appearing at number 1. Decibel Magazine
also rated guitarist Trey Azagthoth
as the number one “death metal guitarist ever.” The band′s songs are complex in arrangement, owing to the considerable technical skills of both Azagthoth and drummer Pete Sandoval
, who also played in the grindcore
death metal band Terrorizer
. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, Morbid Angel is the third best-selling death metal band in the United States with sales of over 445,000; with their third album Covenant
being the best-selling death metal album of all time with over 127,000 units sold.
, Florida
. The band made their debut in 1987 on the New Renaissance Records
record label. They recorded their debut album, Abominations of Desolation, in 1986, but the band was unsatisfied with the final product and it remained unreleased until 1991. Their first proper studio album, Altars of Madness
, was released in 1989.
Morbid Angel was one of the original death metal
bands signed to Earache Records
, and was also influential in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal
roots to its current form by incorporating guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beat
s, atonality
in guitar soloing, and dark, chunky, mid-paced rhythms. They were also the first death metal band to have a touch of mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992 and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head
.
The band's original lyrical themes focused mostly on Satanism
, occultism and anti-Christian subject matter, but from Blessed Are the Sick
onward, the lyrics moved toward the ancient Sumerian gods. Much of this is a nod to the Simon Necronomicon
, which was influenced by Sumerian mythology, the author H. P. Lovecraft
, and fascination with the Roman Empire
. However, some anti-religious elements continue to permeate the lyrics. Their albums are notable for being released in alphabetical order (their first album starts with the letter A, the second with B, etc.). Guitarist Trey Azagthoth
commented in an interview that it was a coincidence with the first two albums, but has been done consciously since then.
Morbid Angel's appearance on some of the mid-summer 2008 European festivals was announced as a "short break from writing and pre-production of their new 8th studio album". In May 2008, it was announced that Thor Anders Myhren
of Zyklon
would be the band's new touring guitarist. Myhren will also appear on the new album. During European tours and festivals in 2008, a new song entitled "Nevermore" was played from the forthcoming album.
On March 5, 2011, the band headlined the Scion Rock Fest in Pomona, California
. This performance was their first in the US in six years, aside from a one-off show in Los Angeles in May 2009. On March 18, 2010, the band announced that Tim Yeung
would play drums on the upcoming album, allowing Pete Sandoval to recover from back surgery. On June 22, 2010, the band entered the studio to begin the recording of their new full-length album. On March 9, 2011, Morbid Angel confirmed that their new album would be called Illud Divinum Insanus
. The album was released on June 7, 2011 on Season of Mist.
Drums
Guitar
Vocals
EP
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band based in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness
Altars of Madness
Altars of Madness is Florida-based death metal band Morbid Angel's debut album. Bonus tracks were included on the CD version as well as the remastered 2003 release. These are remixed versions of songs from the album...
appearing at number 1. Decibel Magazine
Decibel magazine
Decibel is a monthly heavy metal and extreme music magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media. Since October 2004, Decibel has featured a plethora of extreme metal bands and musicians. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame...
also rated guitarist Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth is an American musician best known as founder and guitarist of the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel. Azagthoth began playing at the age of 16...
as the number one “death metal guitarist ever.” The band′s songs are complex in arrangement, owing to the considerable technical skills of both Azagthoth and drummer Pete Sandoval
Pete Sandoval
Pete Sandoval is an American death metal drummer. Born in Santa Ana, El Salvador, he is known for his accomplishments in the world of extreme metal drumming. His first significant stint as a drummer was for the grindcore band Terrorizer, formed in 1986, where he began to demonstrate some of his...
, who also played in the grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
death metal band Terrorizer
Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore and death metal band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel , Napalm Death and Nausea...
. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, Morbid Angel is the third best-selling death metal band in the United States with sales of over 445,000; with their third album Covenant
Covenant (Morbid Angel album)
Covenant is the third official full-length album by Florida based death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 22, 1993. This album represented Morbid Angel's first foray into mainstream metal, through their contract with Giant Records. The music video for "God of Emptiness" was featured...
being the best-selling death metal album of all time with over 127,000 units sold.
History
Morbid Angel was formed in 1984 in TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The band made their debut in 1987 on the New Renaissance Records
New Renaissance Records
New Renaissance Records is an American record label founded in 1984 by Ann Boleyn, who also is the lead singer of the group Hellion and is credited for coining the term speed metal.-History:...
record label. They recorded their debut album, Abominations of Desolation, in 1986, but the band was unsatisfied with the final product and it remained unreleased until 1991. Their first proper studio album, Altars of Madness
Altars of Madness
Altars of Madness is Florida-based death metal band Morbid Angel's debut album. Bonus tracks were included on the CD version as well as the remastered 2003 release. These are remixed versions of songs from the album...
, was released in 1989.
Morbid Angel was one of the original death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
bands signed to Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
, and was also influential in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
roots to its current form by incorporating guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beat
Blast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s, atonality
Atonality
Atonality in its broadest sense describes music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality in this sense usually describes compositions written from about 1908 to the present day where a hierarchy of pitches focusing on a single, central tone is not used, and the notes of the chromatic scale...
in guitar soloing, and dark, chunky, mid-paced rhythms. They were also the first death metal band to have a touch of mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992 and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
.
The band's original lyrical themes focused mostly on Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
, occultism and anti-Christian subject matter, but from Blessed Are the Sick
Blessed Are the Sick
Blessed Are the Sick is the second official release from death metal band Morbid Angel. It features an overall slower musical sound, although containing very fast riffs, and reveals another side of the band, with classical music undertones...
onward, the lyrics moved toward the ancient Sumerian gods. Much of this is a nod to the Simon Necronomicon
Simon Necronomicon
The Simon Necronomicon is written by an unknown author, but is introduced by a man identified only as "Simon". Stories presented are a blend of Mesopotamian myths, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian and a storyline of unknown authenticity about a man known as the "Mad Arab."The book was released in...
, which was influenced by Sumerian mythology, the author H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, and fascination with the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. However, some anti-religious elements continue to permeate the lyrics. Their albums are notable for being released in alphabetical order (their first album starts with the letter A, the second with B, etc.). Guitarist Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth
Trey Azagthoth is an American musician best known as founder and guitarist of the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel. Azagthoth began playing at the age of 16...
commented in an interview that it was a coincidence with the first two albums, but has been done consciously since then.
Morbid Angel's appearance on some of the mid-summer 2008 European festivals was announced as a "short break from writing and pre-production of their new 8th studio album". In May 2008, it was announced that Thor Anders Myhren
Destructhor
Thor Anders Myhren , better known as Destructhor, is a Norwegian musician who has played guitar with metal bands Myrkskog, Zyklon, and Morbid Angel. Along with being a guitarist, he has been the vocalist with Myrkskog. He joined Morbid Angel in 2008.-References:...
of Zyklon
Zyklon
Zyklon is the German word for Cyclone.It may also refer to:* Zyklon, a Norwegian industrial blackened death metal band.* Zyklon B, a pesticide ultimately used by Nazi Germany in gas chambers...
would be the band's new touring guitarist. Myhren will also appear on the new album. During European tours and festivals in 2008, a new song entitled "Nevermore" was played from the forthcoming album.
On March 5, 2011, the band headlined the Scion Rock Fest in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
. This performance was their first in the US in six years, aside from a one-off show in Los Angeles in May 2009. On March 18, 2010, the band announced that Tim Yeung
Tim Yeung
Tim Yeung is a prominent extreme metal drummer. He was born on November 27, 1978 in Rochester, New York and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Tim started playing drums when he was 11 years old.-Biography:...
would play drums on the upcoming album, allowing Pete Sandoval to recover from back surgery. On June 22, 2010, the band entered the studio to begin the recording of their new full-length album. On March 9, 2011, Morbid Angel confirmed that their new album would be called Illud Divinum Insanus
Illud Divinum Insanus
Illud Divinum Insanus is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on June 7, 2011 by independent French record label Season of Mist...
. The album was released on June 7, 2011 on Season of Mist.
Current line-up
- Trey AzagthothTrey AzagthothTrey Azagthoth is an American musician best known as founder and guitarist of the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel. Azagthoth began playing at the age of 16...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, guitar synthesizer, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(1984–present) - Pete SandovalPete SandovalPete Sandoval is an American death metal drummer. Born in Santa Ana, El Salvador, he is known for his accomplishments in the world of extreme metal drumming. His first significant stint as a drummer was for the grindcore band Terrorizer, formed in 1986, where he began to demonstrate some of his...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1988–present) - David VincentDavid VincentDavid Alexander Vincent , also known as Evil D, is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Morbid Angel as well as the bassist for Genitorturers...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1986–1996, 2004–present) - DestructhorDestructhorThor Anders Myhren , better known as Destructhor, is a Norwegian musician who has played guitar with metal bands Myrkskog, Zyklon, and Morbid Angel. Along with being a guitarist, he has been the vocalist with Myrkskog. He joined Morbid Angel in 2008.-References:...
– guitar (2008–present)
- Tim YeungTim YeungTim Yeung is a prominent extreme metal drummer. He was born on November 27, 1978 in Rochester, New York and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Tim started playing drums when he was 11 years old.-Biography:...
– session drums (2010–present)
Former members
Bass guitar- Dallas Ward – bass guitar, vocals (1984–1985)
- John Ortega – bass guitar (1985–1986)
- Sterling Von Scarborough – bass guitar (1986)
Drums
- Mike BrowningMike BrowningMike Browning is an American metal drummer and vocalist.-Career:He is perhaps best known for being the former drummer/vocalist for death metal pioneers Morbid Angel. He played in the band from 1984 to 1986 and made one official recording with them, the Abominations of Desolation album, which was...
– drums, percussion, vocals (1984–1986) - Wayne Hartsell – drums (1986–1988)
Guitar
- Richard Brunelle – guitar (1985–1992, 1994, 1998)
- Gino Marino – guitar (1992–1993)
- Erik RutanErik RutanErik Rutan is an American heavy metal musician from New Jersey. He currently leads Hate Eternal on lead vocals and guitar and has also spent time with Morbid Angel and Ripping Corpse...
– guitar, keyboards (1993–1996, 1999–2002, 2006) - Tony Norman – guitar (2003–2006)
Vocals
- Kenny Bamber – vocals (1985)
- Michael Manson – vocals (1986)
- Steve Tucker – vocals, bass guitar (1997–2001, 2003–2004)
- Jared Anderson – vocals, bass guitar (2001–2002)
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat. Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Ind. Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
CHE Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
FIN |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GRC |
NLD MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||||
| 1989 | Altars of Madness Altars of Madness Altars of Madness is Florida-based death metal band Morbid Angel's debut album. Bonus tracks were included on the CD version as well as the remastered 2003 release. These are remixed versions of songs from the album...
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | Blessed Are the Sick Blessed Are the Sick Blessed Are the Sick is the second official release from death metal band Morbid Angel. It features an overall slower musical sound, although containing very fast riffs, and reveals another side of the band, with classical music undertones... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 81 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | Covenant Covenant (Morbid Angel album) Covenant is the third official full-length album by Florida based death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 22, 1993. This album represented Morbid Angel's first foray into mainstream metal, through their contract with Giant Records. The music video for "God of Emptiness" was featured... Giant Records Giant Records was launched in 1990 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Records and Irving Azoff, who had sold his companies to MCA Records for $15.7 million. Azoff initially intended for the label to be called Big Records, but that name had been taken.... |
— | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995 | Domination
|
— | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 93 | — | 124 | ||
| 1998 | Formulas Fatal to the Flesh Formulas Fatal to the Flesh Formulas Fatal to the Flesh is the fifth full-length studio album by death metal band Morbid Angel. The title of this album is a biblical reference: it contains the letter "F" - the 6th letter of the alphabet - capitalized three times, which refers to the Number of the Beast, 666... |
— | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 93 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | Gateways to Annihilation Gateways to Annihilation Gateways to Annihilation is the sixth studio album by the death metal band Morbid Angel.This album saw a change in musical style as the speed-laden intensity of the previous album Formulas Fatal to the Flesh was abandoned for a slower, more droning style, reminiscent of Blessed Are the Sick... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003 | Heretic Heretic (Morbid Angel album) Heretic is the seventh studio album by the death metal band Morbid Angel. This would be their last under Earache Records, as the band decided not to renew its contract, and the last to feature bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker.... |
— | 27 | 28 | — | — | 146 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | Illud Divinum Insanus Illud Divinum Insanus Illud Divinum Insanus is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on June 7, 2011 by independent French record label Season of Mist... Season of Mist Season of Mist is a record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing... |
141 | 3 | 24 | 97 | 18 | — | — | — | 41 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Illud Divinum Insanus – The Remixes
|
Live albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Entangled in Chaos
|
Demo albums
| Year | Album details | NLD |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Abominations of Desolation Abominations of Desolation Abominations of Desolation was an early demo album by Morbid Angel. While it was originally recorded in May 1986, the band did not release it at the time due to their dissatisfaction with the final product. These recordings would later be released in 1991 at the decision of the band's record label,...
|
77 |
EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Laibach Re-mixes
|
Singles
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Rapture" | Covenant |
| 2011 | "Nevermore" | Illud Divinum Insanus |
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Immortal Rites" | |
| 1991 | "Blessed Are the Sick/Leading the Rats" | |
| 1993 | "God of Emptiness" | Tony Kunewalder |
| "Rapture" | ||
| 1995 | "Where the Slime Live" | |
| 2003 | "Enshrined by Grace" | Pete Bridgewater |
External links
- Official website
- Morbid Angel at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....