Years active 1984–present | Origin Arlington County (1984) | |
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Labels PATAC Records, Thrash Corner Records, Hell's Headbangers Members King Fowley, Les Snyder, Shane Fuegel, Mike Smith Albums Luck of the Corpse, Fearless Undead Machines, Supernatural Addiction, Surreal Overdose, As the Weird Travel On |
Deceased is a death/thrash metal band from Virginia that have attained a cult following throughout a lengthy career. In 1990 they were the first band to sign with Relapse Records, and released four albums and a number of EPs before parting ways with the label in 2003. Their sound centers around themes of horror, with lyrics barked and sometimes narrated by vocalist and founder King Fowley.
Contents
- History
- Band members
- Live members
- Former members
- The Evil Side of Religion 1986
- Birth by Radiation 1988
- Nuclear Exorcist 1989
- One Night in the Cemetery 1989
- The Day of Death Live 1990
- Live with the Legions 1992
- Line up
- Demo I 1995 1995
- Demo II 1995 1995
- EPs
- Studio albums
- Live albums
- Compilations
- Songs
- References

History

King Fowley and guitarist Doug Souther started the band in 1984 in Arlington, VA with a goal to “out-thrash Slayer.” They experimented with a number of band names, formations and styles before settling on the Deceased name and first real lineup in 1986 consisting of Fowley on drums and vocals, Mark Adams joining Souther on guitar, and bassist Rob Sterzel. Tragedy struck the group on March 3, 1988 when Sterzel and several friends, including the brother of guitarist Doug Souther, were killed in a hit-and-run accident. Les Snyder became the bassist later that year. Souther quit and was replaced by Mike Smith in 1991. The lineup of King Fowley, Mike Smith, Mark Adams, and Les Snyder lasted over a decade and recorded some of the group's most celebrated works. Changes began to reshape the band in 2003, when Dave "Scarface" Castillo stepped in as drummer, enabling Fowley to be frontman and vocalist. Mark Adams left in 2007 and was replaced by Shane Fuegal. Mike Smith retired from live performances in 2006, but remains a key songwriter and studio guitarist. Les Snyder relocated to Texas in 2009 and usually performs live for shows close to home.

Since leaving Relapse, Deceased have continuously released new material, including full-length LP "As the Weird Travel On" (Thrash Corner Records) in 2005, an independent vinyl-only live album entitled "Blood Orgy in College Park - Stalking the Airwaves" in 2010, and the most recent LP "Surreal Overdose" in 2011 on their own Shrieks From the Hearse label in conjunction with PATAC Records. The November 2012 issue of Decibel contained a flexi-disc of an exclusive new track "The Luck of the Corpse". A split 12" with the band Conceived By Hate, titled "The Figure of Uneasiness", was released in the fall of 2014 on El Salvador's Morbid Skull label, featuring four live-in-the-studio recordings with the current live lineup. A new album entitled "Ghostly White" is in the planning stages for release on Hell's Headbangers Records.
Band members
Live members
Former members
The Evil Side of Religion (1986)
- "After the Bloodshed" - 2:03
- "Eaten by Disease" - 2:02
- "March of the Cadavers" - 2:08
- "Gutwrench" - 2:53
- "Raw Explosives" - 3:22
- "Sick Thrash" - 2:29
- "Mentally Ill" - 4:09
- "The Cemetery's Full" - 4:03
- "Funeral of Gore" - 3:40
Line-up
Other credits
Birth by Radiation (1988)
- "Birth by Radiation" - 4:02
- "Vomiting Blood" - 3:06
- "Virus" - 2:44
- "Hallucinating Mutants" - 2:27
- "Worship the Coffin" - 3:55
- "Immune to Burial" - 3:32
- "Decrepit Coma" - 3:42
- "Deformed Tomorrows" - 5:42
Line-up
Other credits
Nuclear Exorcist (1989)
- "Nuclear Exorcist" - 4:49
- "Shrieks from the Hearse" - 3:35
- "A Trip to the Morgue" - 2:35
- "Below the Tombstone" - 4:04
- "Planet Graveyard" - 4:50
- "Futuristic Doom" - 3:26
- "Haunted Cerebellum" - 3:19
Line-up
Other credits
One Night in the Cemetery (1989)
- "Sick Thrash"
- "Gutwrench"
- "Decrepit Coma"
- "Birth by Radiation"
- "The Cemetery's Full"
- "Below the Tombstone"
- "Futuristic Doom"
- "After the Bloodshed"
- "Vomiting Blood"
- "Eaten by Disease"
- "Nuclear Exorcist"
- "Planet Graveyard"
- "Immune to Burial"
- "Deformed Tomorrows"
Line-up
Other credits
The Day of Death Live (1990)
- "Fading Survival"
- "Decrepit Coma"
- "The Cemetery's Full"
- "Birth by Radiation"
- "Psychedelic Warriors"
- "Futuristic Doom"
- "Haunted Cerebellum"
Line-up
Other credits
Live with the Legions (1992)
- "A Reproduction of Tragedy" (Live December 5, 1992, Maryland)
- "The 13 Frightened Souls/Robotic Village" (Live September 19, 1992, Washington, DC)
- "Psychedelic Warriors" (Live February 10, 1992, Washington, DC)
- "Birth By Radiation/Shrieks From The Hearse" (Live July 6, 1991, Maryland)
- "Island Of The Unknown" (Live April 22, 1992, Washington, DC)
- "Futuristic Doom" (Live March 20, 1992, Florida)
- "Haunted Cerebellum" (Live August 28, 1991, Virginia)
- "Planet Graveyard" (Live May 4, 1991, Illinois)
- "Feasting On Skulls" (Live June 20, 1992, Ohio)
- "Morbid Shape In Black" (Live November 27, 1992, Washington, DC)
Line-up
Demo I 1995 (1995)
- "Die By The Sword" (Slayer cover)
- "Beyond Science"
- "The Silent Creature"
Demo II 1995 (1995)
- "Mysterious Research"
- "From the Ground They Came"
- "Night of the Deceased"
Line-up
EPs
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations
Songs
It's Alive!Behind the Mourner's Veil · 2001
The Silent CreatureFearless Undead Machines · 1997
A Very Familiar StrangerSupernatural Addiction · 2000