1980s death metal

There were a few death metal bands in the 80s. There were some, but not many. The genre really didn't take off until around 1990-91, with bands such as Gorguts, Suffocation, Benediction, etc.

I know of the following death metal bands who released death metal albums in the 80s: Death, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Obituary, Morgoth (released an EP in 1989), Pestilence (Consuming Impulse was December 1989. The previous album was thrash, not death,). I don't think I would consider Possessed - Seven Churches death metal. It's still a cool album, though.

Anyways, what are some actual death metal bands who had albums (not demos, but actual EPs or full lengths) out in 1989 or earlier?

Repulsion - Horrified

Required Fields wrote:

I don't think I would consider Possessed - Seven Churches death metal. It's still a cool album, though.

Why not?

Parabellum from Columbia were doing the most brutal version of black / death / metal back in 87.

both Possessed's Seven Churches & Death's Scream Bloody Gore were more proto death.

Napalm Death - Scum
I remember hearing that album and thinking to myself, "man, if music gets any faster, it's just going to be one continuous tone."

Scum is closer to grindcore than death metal.

ND were more grindcore until Harmony Corruption (1990), which is their first pure death metal album.

Required Fields wrote:

Scum is closer to grindcore than death metal.

ND were more grindcore until Harmony Corruption (1990), which is their first pure death metal album.

Ok.

How about
Lightforce - Break the Curse (1989)
Of course this band later changed their name to Mortification.

ultmetal wrote:

Napalm Death - Scum
I remember hearing that album and thinking to myself, "man, if music gets any faster, it's just going to be one continuous tone."

I will never forget when my brother brought that album home. I had never heard ANYTHING like that in my life, I swear I thought our turntable was broken.

Fat Freddy wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Napalm Death - Scum
I remember hearing that album and thinking to myself, "man, if music gets any faster, it's just going to be one continuous tone."

I will never forget when my brother brought that album home. I had never heard ANYTHING like that in my life, I swear I thought our turntable was broken.

that album is one of my favorites ever. i used to spend hours skateboarding in various parking lots with Scum cranked up to annoying decibels. the girls who would watch us would flip the cassette over so the music never stopped.

anyway, i think that album fits in this thread, since most 80's death metal was either grindcore like Napalm Death & Terrorizer, or more thrash oriented stuff like early Morbid Angel & Nihilist.

mc666 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Napalm Death - Scum
I remember hearing that album and thinking to myself, "man, if music gets any faster, it's just going to be one continuous tone."

I will never forget when my brother brought that album home. I had never heard ANYTHING like that in my life, I swear I thought our turntable was broken.

that album is one of my favorites ever. i used to spend hours skateboarding in various parking lots with Scum cranked up to annoying decibels. the girls who would watch us would flip the cassette over so the music never stopped.

anyway, i think that album fits in this thread, since most 80's death metal was either grindcore like Napalm Death & Terrorizer, or more thrash oriented stuff like early Morbid Angel & Nihilist.

It's funny, my brother has always been the big death metal guy in our family, he's been into it since the mid 80s, and though I never liked any of it back then, now years later I look back and I can actually appreciate how pivotal stuff like SCUM or SEVEN CHURCHES was. At the time though, I thought it was the absolute worst crap I'd ever heard in my life.

For a while Napalm Death held the "worst band ever" title as far as I was concerned, until my brother brought home an album called BRIDE OF INSECT by a band called Nuclear Death... gaaaaaack! That one still holds the title in my mind.

Even worse than New Kids on the Block?

So you see kids, "SCUM" is a very good thing, and you should LOVE "SCUM"....class dismissed.

Fat Freddy wrote:

mc666 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Napalm Death - Scum
I
remember hearing that album and thinking to myself, "man, if music gets
any faster, it's just going to be one continuous tone."

I
will never forget when my brother brought that album home. I had never
heard ANYTHING like that in my life, I swear I thought our turntable
was broken.

that album is one of my favorites ever. i used to spend hours skateboarding in various parking lots with Scum cranked up to annoying decibels. the girls who would watch us would flip the cassette over so the music never stopped.

anyway,
i think that album fits in this thread, since most 80's death metal was
either grindcore like Napalm Death & Terrorizer, or more thrash
oriented stuff like early Morbid Angel & Nihilist.

It's
funny, my brother has always been the big death metal guy in our
family, he's been into it since the mid 80s, and though I never liked
any of it back then, now years later I look back and I can actually
appreciate how pivotal stuff like SCUM or SEVEN CHURCHES was. At the
time though, I thought it was the absolute worst crap I'd ever heard in
my life.

For a while Napalm Death held the "worst band ever"
title as far as I was concerned, until my brother brought home an album
called BRIDE OF INSECT by a band called Nuclear Death... gaaaaaack! That one still holds the title in my mind.

I have that one too. Lori was one scary gal! I loved that band.

mc666 wrote:

I have that one too. Lori was one scary gal! I loved that band.

Oh yea, that Nuclear Death chick should not have been walking around loose. Definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

MASSACRE from the USA releases CHAMBER OF AGES back in 88, a realy good demo.
Also the early SEPULTURA releases like BESTIAL DEVASTATION and MORBID VISIONS had death metal sounds with thrash.
The MASSACRA(france) demos were close to death metal enough.
Also I.N.R.I and ROTTING by SARCOFAGO had enough old death metal in their songs too. Same with CAMPO DE EXTERMINIO by HOLOCAUSTO, or the demos by NECROFAGO had death metal.
SEASONS OF THE DEAD by NECROPHAGIA from 1987 is again a very early death metal release.

krokus wrote:

MASSACRE from the USA releases CHAMBER OF AGES back in 88, a realy good demo.
Also the early SEPULTURA releases like BESTIAL DEVASTATION and MORBID VISIONS had death metal sounds with thrash.
The MASSACRA(france) demos were close to death metal enough.
Also I.N.R.I and ROTTING by SARCOFAGO had enough old death metal in their songs too. Same with CAMPO DE EXTERMINIO by HOLOCAUSTO, or the demos by NECROFAGO had death metal.
SEASONS OF THE DEAD by NECROPHAGIA from 1987 is again a very early death metal release.

Krokus, reading your post is giving me flashbacks to the days when my brother would have tons of death metal fanzines laying around the house ("Black Hole" from Brazil, "Blackthorne" from Denmark, "Satanic Death" and "F.E.T.U." from Japan, etc.), cuz I remember seeing all of those band names (and many more) in those zines.

Fat Freddy wrote:

krokus wrote:

MASSACRE from the USA releases CHAMBER OF AGES back in 88, a realy good demo.
Also the early SEPULTURA releases like BESTIAL DEVASTATION and MORBID VISIONS had death metal sounds with thrash.
The MASSACRA(france) demos were close to death metal enough.
Also I.N.R.I and ROTTING by SARCOFAGO had enough old death metal in their songs too. Same with CAMPO DE EXTERMINIO by HOLOCAUSTO, or the demos by NECROFAGO had death metal.
SEASONS OF THE DEAD by NECROPHAGIA from 1987 is again a very early death metal release.

Krokus, reading your post is giving me flashbacks to the days when my brother would have tons of death metal fanzines laying around the house ("Black Hole" from Brazil, "Blackthorne" from Denmark, "Satanic Death" and "F.E.T.U." from Japan, etc.), cuz I remember seeing all of those band names (and many more) in those zines.

I am happy that my post gave you those great memories back brother. Very nice. Your brother was a real die hard metal maniac. Is he still????
Thanksssssssssssssssss.

krokus wrote:

I am happy that my post gave you those great memories back brother. Very nice. Your brother was a real die hard metal maniac. Is he still????
Thanksssssssssssssssss.

Oh yea, he's still way into it. Not so much into the newer bands but he still collects old school death/thrash metal on vinyl, demos on CD, etc, etc. He's like me, metal for life!

Fat Freddy wrote:

krokus wrote:

I am happy that my post gave you those great memories back brother. Very nice. Your brother was a real die hard metal maniac. Is he still????
Thanksssssssssssssssss.

Oh yea, he's still way into it. Not so much into the newer bands but he still collects old school death/thrash metal on vinyl, demos on CD, etc, etc. He's like me, metal for life!

I am very happy to here that. Many times people from the 80s are not into it anymore, at least many of them. I am happy to read that he is still a die hard maniac and thats just increible great. METAL FOR LIFE BROTHER, I AGREE