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.[1] 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.[2][3] Their first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the death metal genre.[4]
British music magazine Terrorizer ranked Altars of Madness first in its list "Top 40 greatest death metal albums". Decibel magazine also rated guitarist Trey Azagthoth as the number one "death metal guitarist ever".[5] The band's songs are complex in arrangement, owing to the considerable technical skills of both Azagthoth as well as drummer Pete Sandoval, the latter of whom also played in the grindcore band Terrorizer. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Morbid Angel is the third best-selling death metal band in the United States (after Cannibal Corpse and Deicide up until 2003 with sales of over 445,000),[6] with their third album Covenant being the best-selling death metal album of the Soundscan era with over 150,000 units sold.[7]
The band's original lyrical themes, when helmed by Vincent (and Azagthoth and Browning respectively) focused mostly on Satanism, occultism and blasphemous subject matter, but from Formulas Fatal to the Flesh onward, via Azagthoth's influence, 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,[8] and fascination with the Roman Empire, and during Steve Tucker's tenure they take on more anti-religious and barbaric themes, namely of the strong overcoming the weak.
^Purcell, Natalie J. (May 5, 2003). Death Metal Music: The Passion and Politics of a Subculture. McFarland. ISBN 9780786484065.
^"20 Years Of Morbid Angel's Covenant". TeamRock. October 22, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^"Covenant Turns 20". Stereogum. June 20, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
^"MORBID ANGEL: 'Domination' Reissued On Limited-Edition Digipak CD With Free Poster". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. August 22, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
^"Decibel Magazine Names the Top 20 Death Metal Guitarists of All Time". MetalSucks. June 26, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
^"Morbid Angel is the Third Best Selling Death Metal Band (Hitting this mark with only 8 Albums)". Blabbermouth. January 12, 2003. Archived from the original on December 2, 2003.
^"The 25 Best Metal Bands of All Time, #16: Morbid Angel". MetalSucks. October 24, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
^"HPLA – Lovecraftian Music". Hplovecraft.com. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
MorbidAngel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member...
MorbidAngel is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. Formed in 1983, the group was originally a trio featuring bassist and vocalist Dallas...
Salvadoran-born American drummer, best known for his work with extreme metal bands MorbidAngel and Terrorizer. His first significant stint as a drummer was for the...
death metal band MorbidAngel. It was released on June 7, 2011, by independent French record label Season of Mist. It is MorbidAngel's first album since...
the output of bands such as Death, Nasty Savage, Deicide, Monstrosity, MorbidAngel, Atheist, Obituary, and others. The producer Scott Burns and the studio...
Nordjevel. He is also the former guitarist for bands MorbidAngel and Zyklon. He joined MorbidAngel in 2008 and departed in 2015. He has worked as a live...
Are the Sick is the second studio album from American death metal band MorbidAngel. Though the album features some fast sections, the overall sound is markedly...
Altars of Madness is the debut studio album by American death metal band MorbidAngel, released on May 12, 1989, by Combat Records/Earache Records. The album...
initial existence, and would disband in 1988 after Sandoval left to join MorbidAngel. They were briefly regrouped by David Vincent to record their highly...
Gateways to Annihilation is the sixth studio album by the death metal band MorbidAngel. This album saw a change in musical style as the speed-laden intensity...
the Flesh is the fifth full-length studio album by death metal band MorbidAngel. The Satanic-themed lyrics of previous albums had been replaced with...
1999. Rutan then returned to MorbidAngel to record Gateways to Annihilation, released in 2000. Rutan left MorbidAngel again to concentrate on Hate Eternal...
likes of Forbidden, Vicious Rumors, Sanctuary, Sepultura, Sacred Reich, MorbidAngel, Atheist, Forced Entry, Dead Horse and former Megadeth guitarist Chris...
Kingdoms Disdained is the ninth studio album by American death metal band MorbidAngel, which was released on December 1, 2017 by Silver Lining Music. It is...
A. Guns Lacuna Coil Lillian Axe Limp Bizkit Lita Ford Michael Wilton MorbidAngel Mötley Crüe Obliveon Oceans of Slumber Onslaught Oranssi Pazuzu Orgy...
Abominations of Desolation is the demo album by American death metal band MorbidAngel. While it was originally recorded in May 1986, the band did not release...
genre's creation. Possessed, Death, Necrophagia, Obituary, Autopsy, and MorbidAngel are often considered pioneers of the genre. In the late 1980s and early...
Florida, in 1987 by the drummer/vocalist Mike Browning (formerly of MorbidAngel). They were known for their science-fiction-themed lyrics and use of...
of the album was followed by world tours with the likes of Pantera, MorbidAngel and Ozzfest. In late 2001, Joe Nunez left Soulfly to join Stripping the...
Lonesome Spurs and the Rockats). Lemmy died in 2015 and as of 2017, former MorbidAngel member David Vincent took Lemmy's place as vocalist and bassist. The...
Puppets (1986) and ...And Justice for All (1988). He also produced the MorbidAngel album Covenant, Blind Guardian's albums Imaginations from the Other Side...
a Bathory tribute band and the latter being a supergroup with former MorbidAngel vocalist David Vincent and drummer Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy. Eriksen...
cites Lombardo as one of his major influences, as do Pete Sandoval (MorbidAngel), Igor Cavalera (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy), Chris Pennie (The Dillinger...
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