For the third part of my series on the old American death metal scene, I decided to focus on the lesser known acts from the genre's greatest nexus of power: Florida. Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse are household names among metalheads, but fewer know of Resurrection, Eulogy, and Epitaph. I want to bring more attention to those great yet obscure bands. First up is the aforementioned Resurrection, whose strong material is heavily inspired by Malevolent Creation. Next is Eulogy, whose frontman Jason Avery would perform for Monstrosity for a time. After that is Judecca, a band that produced some rather dark death metal during their brief existence. Then comes Epitaph, a short-lived but incredible death/thrash band. Finally, we have Astaroth, a band whose music not only had great instrumental work, but also a strong sense of atmosphere.
Resurrection - Embalmed Existence
Resurrection began life in 1989 as a thrash metal band named Roadkill. Barely a year later, they saw how popular death metal was becoming in their state, so they changed their style and rebranded. After two demos and a split EP, they put out their full-length debut Embalmed Existence in 1993. They seemed like they could have gone places, but unfortunately, they disbanded three years later due to their inability to keep a stable lineup.
Production duties were handled by the famous Scott Burns. If you've ever listened to anything else he's produced, then you'll know what to expect here: a rich, full sound which also possesses a heaviness difficult to replicate with modern equipment. The music itself features equal amounts of rapid aggression and slow, crushing sections. Solstice member Alex Marquez mans the drum kit. His many intricate mid-paced patterns feature lots of thumping double bass, a trait which reminds me of Gene Hoglan. The galloping rhythms and skank beats are often broken up by slow passages that show off a strong snare sound. Dave Scott plays bass. Thanks to Scott Burns' production mastery, his excellent performance can be heard extremely well.
Frontman Paul Degoyler performs a raspy growl that feels like it belongs in a blackened death metal band. I still enjoy them, though. They give the music a cold and sinister atmosphere. The guitars are played by John Astl and Charles Haines. Their many palm-muted riffs and chromatic riffs are finely crafted and hard-hitting. Breaking these up on occasion are slow, doom-like chords and slam-like chugging riffs. They also play plenty of rapid screeching solos that sound great, but my favorite moment on here was the end of "Pure Be Damned" where they gradually got slower and slower until it became a crushing dirge.
Strange decisions hold it back from perfection, unfortunately. Every song begins with a bizarre spoken word intro featuring a nasally-voiced man speaking of evil and wickedness. I understand that they included these for atmosphere, but they just come across as silly. I also thought it was odd to end the album with a Kiss cover. It's incredibly out of place and feels like it was put there as filler. Other than that, Embalmed Existence was an excellent album. The band briefly got back together and released another full-length called Mistaken for Dead in 2008, but it was nowhere near as good, so stick with this one. Hammerheart Records handled the most recent reissue, so they have you covered.
Eulogy - Dismal
Eulogy is best known for featuring Jason Avery, who later went on to do vocals for two of Monstrosity's full-length albums: In Dark Purity and Rise to Power. This band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1989 and released their first demo Dismal in 1992.
The music is heavily inspired by Brutality, which means it features impressive guitar work and maintains a fast tempo for a large portion of the runtime. Speaking of which, the guitars are played by Jarrett Pritchard and James Medina. Their many palm-muted riffs, tremolo riffs, and chromatic riffs induce a feeling of dread and terror despite the somewhat lo-fi production. They're also a bit complex at times. Sometimes they launch into a breakdown wherein they play crushing chord progressions. They also throw in a few nice screeching solos.
Mike Bearden's bass performance is quite impressive. He ruthlessly rattles the strings. It almost reminds me of Alex Webster. Drummer Clayton Gore plays some strong blast beats, but he mostly plays complex mid-paced rhythms full of double bass which are then punctuated by even more elaborate fills. Frontman Jason Avery performs a slightly hoarse yet sinister growl inspired by the likes of David Vincent. He also does sick screams on occasion.
This was a strong debut demo full of stellar instrumental work and excellent vocals. Not much else to say other than I enjoyed it immensely.
Eulogy - The Essence
Just one year after the band's first demo, Eulogy released an EP called The Essence. The music on here is slower and more atmospheric. It feels more akin to Morbid Angel's slower tracks. They still include some fast-paced sections, so it's not a complete departure.
Drummer Clayton Gore spends a great deal of time playing slow patterns, but he also throws in some blast beats on occasion. His performance overall has become much more complex. The blast beats are more refined, the double bass hits harder, and the fills have become more extravagant. He reminds me of Pete Sandoval at times. If anyone is wondering where Clayton is now, he is currently a member of Pulchra Morte.
Bassist Mike Bearden continues to impress by playing many strong and complex passages. Jason Avery still performs excellent sinister hoarse growls, as well as wicked screams reminiscent of George Fisher. Jarrett Pritchard and James Medina once again bless us with amazing guitar work. Their slow chord progressions have a touch of melody to them, making them feel akin to doom/death. They still play plenty of palm-muted riffs, tremolo riffs, and chromatic riffs, but they're much more polished. The solos have also become more intricate and exciting. The most interesting part for me were the melodic chord progressions on "Entombed by Belief," which sounded like something Nile would later come up with.
The more I listen to this EP, the better it becomes. It features excellent instrumental work, engaging songwriting, and a compelling atmosphere, a combination that few other death metal albums possess. These guys are still around, but they have not released any new material in a very long time.
Judecca - Beyond, What the Eyes Can't See
Judecca was one of the more obscure death metal bands from Florida. They emerged in 1991 from the ashes of an even older band called Deathcreation. After putting out two demos, an EP, and a split with Horror of Horrors, they released a full-length album called Beyond, What the Eyes Can't See in 1995. They broke up three years later, and as far as I can tell, the members never went on to do anything else in the metal scene.
Not every Floridian death metal release was lucky enough to have been recorded at Morrisound Studio. This is one such case. It doesn't sound as polished as something from Morbid Angel, Deicide, or Cannibal Corpse, but it's still enjoyable to listen to. Bill Smith's bass work impressed me greatly. His deep and somewhat intricate riffs sound like the shifting and shambling of some grotesque netherworld creature. Drummer Brent Carmany plays some pretty strong blast beats, but he spends most of his time playing nicely crafted mid-paced rhythms filled with thumping double bass. Sometimes these rhythms pick up speed and become more of a gallop.
Vocalist Tom Kimbrough is heavily inspired by Glen Benton, for his growls are deep and gruff. They sound nice and fit the music well. Travis Haycook's guitar work is excellent. His chord progressions are sometimes groovy and other times strange, ominous, and even a bit melodic. Pinch harmonics are often thrown in at regular intervals, and there are also plenty of palm-muted riffs. There are no solos and the riffs overall are not as complex as those played by other such bands from Florida, but it's the brilliant songwriting that makes them engaging.
This album was barely longer than an EP, but the music contained within is dark, heavy, and quite thrilling. It's unfortunate that the band broke up and left the metal scene after this because they could have made something truly amazing.
Epitaph (US, FL) - Demo I
Here's a band that had tremendous potential but unfortunately dissolved before they ever had the chance to record a full-length. Epitaph formed in 1990, released two demos, then broke up in 1992. There was a reunion in 2012, but nothing ever came of it, for they disbanded again eight years later. Their first demo from 1991 has become a cult classic. It managed to generate quite a bit of buzz even back in its day, for it was released in two separate editions. The cover art shown here is from the more popular second edition.
This demo was recorded at Morrisound Studios and was produced by Tom Morris himself. Because of this, it sounds as good and polished as any full-length. Musically, they sound similar to Death and Obituary, but with a bit more thrash metal added. Kevin Astl proves himself to be an incredibly talented drummer. His many skank beats are frantic and hard-hitting. These are often broken up by highly detailed mid-paced rhythms that feature strong double bass. Mark Good's bass work isn't just good, it's great. The riffs he plays are quite complex, almost reminding me of Steve DiGiorgio at times. It also helps that he's very prominent in the mix.
Frontman Tony Teegarden performs hoarse growls that are similar in style to Chuck Schuldiner and John Tardy. They sound sick and vicious. Joining Tony on guitars is Scott Senokossoff. Their many aggressive palm-muted riffs are sometimes broken up by slower and more contemplative chord progressions. Some of these sound like doom/death, like the ones that start off "Once Removed." They also play some really heavy chugging riffs on occasion. These are then contrasted by bursts of technical flair, like the rapidly rising arpeggio on "I Endeavor." The solos are even more impressive. All of these different riffs are arranged extremely well. They all flow seamlessly from one to the other, and not a single one feels like filler.
This is one of the best death metal demos ever made. It sounds amazing and the instrumental work is incredible. If you're interested in listening to these guys, then you're in luck, because this demo and their 1992 demo were compiled and re-released by Divebomb Records in 2020.
Astaroth (US, FL) - Lost State of Dreams
There are many different metal bands named Astaroth, but the one from Florida was one of the best. They formed in Tampa in 1991 and put out their first demo Drowning in Blood one year later. The music was okay, but it was severely hampered by its muffled production quality. Their second demo, 1993's Lost State of Dreams, is much better.
The most obvious improvement is the production quality. It no longer sounds muffled. This is all thanks to Greg Marchak, who is best known for producing several Acheron albums as well as Winter's Into Darkness. The drums are played by Tony Laureano. That's right, In Their Darkened Shrines Tony Laureano. This was his first band, in fact. He does a pretty good job here. His many mid-paced rhythms and slow patterns sound really strong, and they are often broken up by elaborate fills. He also plays some lively skank beats which occasionally transform into simple blast beats. Bassist Bryan Winton mostly follows the guitars, but his performance gives the music a greater sense of depth.
Vocal duties are handled by Larry Sapp of Brutality. He performs a great hoarse growl inspired by the likes of Chuck Schuldiner and John Tardy. Rhythm guitars are played by Larry Sapp and lead guitars are played by Demian Heftel. They play a lot of fiery palm-muted riffs during the fast-paced parts and sinister chord progressions during the slow-paced parts. Demian then makes things even more exciting by playing some wild screeching solos. The band then throws a curveball in the form of "Broken Dreams," a short interlude featuring clean guitars. It's a testament to the brilliant songwriting that all of these different elements feel natural and flow nicely.
Lost State of Dreams was a great demo full of amazing instrumental work. Not only is it heavy and aggressive, but it also has a sense of depth that is lacking even in most modern death metal bands.
Astaroth (US, FL) - Songs of Sorrow
In 1995, Astaroth recorded a full-length called Songs of Sorrow, but they broke up before they ever got the chance to release it. Six years later, Mega Rabbit Recordings released it alongside the band's 1993 demo Lost State of Dreams.
The production is as good as it was on the demo. All the different elements come through clearly. Tony Laureano has been replaced by former Disincarnate member Tomas Viator. He is just as skilled as his predecessor. His blast beats are energetic and aggressive, his mid-paced rhythms are stuffed full of strong double bass and other bits of flair, his snare has tremendous impact during the slow sections, and he punctuates all of these different patterns with elaborate fills. Bryan Winton's bass work has become even more prominent this time around, and he uses that opportunity to play some intriguing riffs, like those on "Extinction."
Larry Sapp once again performs great hoarse growls. Joining him on guitars this time around is Mike Garrett. The palm-muted riffs and chord progressions they play have become a bit more nuanced, which results in them becoming more engaging. The slow, almost doom-like passages, such as those on "Undead Matrimony," are especially gripping. Mike also plays solos that are sometimes frantic and other times melodic. What sets this album apart from their demo is the greater emphasis on presentation and atmosphere. The slow sections create a sense of foreboding and build anticipation for the fast-paced parts. I was also surprised by "Lady in Red," a calm song consisting of clean guitars and distant clean vocals.
It's unfortunate that Astaroth broke up when they did, because Songs of Sorrow was a fantastic display of instrumental skill and creative songwriting. This album and their Lost State of Dreams demo were compiled and re-released in 2019, but I'm not sure if it's still available. If you manage to find a physical copy, be sure to pick it up. You won't regret it. Astaroth is a criminally underrated band who deserve more attention.