Death Records Now

Known as one of the pioneering bands of the death metal genre, Morbid Angel are also the first death metal band to have a significant commercial success, selling over a million albums throughout their career. This is due in part to them also being the first death metal band to get signed to a major record label, Giant Records, in association with Warner Brothers Records.

Morbid Angel was formed in 1983 in Tampa, Florida. The band made their vinyl debut in 1987 on New Renaissance Records. 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 adding guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, incorporating 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, such as 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 Butthead.
The band’s original lyrical themes focused mostly on Satanism, paganism and anti-Christian subject matter, but from their second album, Blessed Are the Sick onward, the lyrics slowly moved toward the ancient Sumerian gods, though much of this is a nod to the Simon Necronomicon, which was influenced by Sumerian mythology as well as the author H. P. Lovecraft as well as a fascination with the Roman Empire, though “anti-christian” 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 has said in an interview that it was at first a coincidence with the first albums

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