Death SS
Encyclopedia
Death SS is an Italian heavy metal
band.
to become a pioneer in horror metal and gothic metal
, as well as doom metal
and black metal
. Death SS were one of the first. The original line-up also featured Paul Chain, who would later become a doom metal
pioneer with his solo project, Paul Chain Violet Theatre. The band split in 1984 but reformed in 1988 (with Sylvester being the only original member). This new incarnation of Death SS recorded their first full-length album, ...In Death of Steve Sylvester. There would be many line-up changes in the years to come, with Sylvester once again being the only constant (except a short time in the early 80s when Paul Chain would front the band on the Evil Metal EP).
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band.
Biography
Death SS was formed in 1977 by Steve Sylvester. The band combined elements of horror and heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
to become a pioneer in horror metal and gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
, as well as doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
and black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
. Death SS were one of the first. The original line-up also featured Paul Chain, who would later become a doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
pioneer with his solo project, Paul Chain Violet Theatre. The band split in 1984 but reformed in 1988 (with Sylvester being the only original member). This new incarnation of Death SS recorded their first full-length album, ...In Death of Steve Sylvester. There would be many line-up changes in the years to come, with Sylvester once again being the only constant (except a short time in the early 80s when Paul Chain would front the band on the Evil Metal EP).
First line-up (1977-1984)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals (from 1977 to 1982)
- Sanctis Ghoram - vocals (from 1982 to 1984)
- Paul Chain - guitar
- Claud Galley - guitar
- Danny Hughes - bass
- Tommy Chaste - drums
...In Death of Steve Sylvester (1988)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Christian Wise - guitar
- Kurt Templar - guitar
- Erik Landley - bass
- Boris Hunter - drums
Black Mass (1989)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Kevin Reynolds - guitar
- Kurt Templar - guitar
- Marc Habey - bass
- Boris Hunter - drums
Heavy Demons (1991)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Jason Minelli - guitar
- Al Priest - guitar
- Andy Barrington - bass
- Ross Lukather - drums
Do What Thou Wilt (1997)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Emil Bandera - guitar
- Felix Moon - guitar
- Andrei Karloff - bass
- Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
- Ross Lukather - drums
Panic (2000)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Emil Bandera - guitar
- Kaiser Sose - bass
- Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
- Anton Chaney - drums
Humanomalies (2002)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Emil Bandera - guitar
- Kaiser Sose - bass
- Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
- Anton Chaney - drums
The 7th Seal (2006)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Emil Bandera - guitar
- Glenn Strange - bass
- Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
- Dave Simeone - drums
Current Line-Up (2008)
- Steve Sylvester - vocals
- Al De Noble - guitar
- Francis Thorn - guitar
- Glenn Strange - bass
- Freddy Delirio - keyboard
- Ross Lukather - drums
Albums
- ...in Death of Steve Sylvester (Discomagic/Metalmaster 1988)
- Black Mass (Discomagic/Metalmaster 1989)
- Heavy Demons (Contempo/Rosemary's Baby 1991)
- Do What Thou Wilt (Lucifer Rising 1997)
- Panic (Lucifer Rising 2000)
- Humanomalies (Lucifer Rising 2002)
- The Seventh Seal (Lucifer Rising/Black Widow RecordsBlack Widow RecordsBlack Widow Records is an Italian record label founded Genoa in 1990 and taking its name from the British progressive rock act Black Widow. It was originally a rarities shop focusing on collectable records and reissues...
2006)
Live albums
- Cursed Concert (Contempo 1992)
- Il ritorno degli occulti (200 copies, Cursed Coven 1998)
- Live 1990: The Complete Black Mass Show (200 copies, Cursed Coven 2006)
- Live at I-Gods of Metal 2008 (cd/dvd, Live Global/Self 2009)
Singles/EPs
- "Zombie" (band press 1982)
- "The Night of the Witch" (band press 1982)
- "The Profanation" (band press 1983)
- Evil Metal EP (Metal Eye Records 1983)
- "Kings of Evil" (Metalmaster 1989)
- "Vampire" (Metalmaster 1989)
- "In the Darkness" (Metalmaster 1989)
- Where Have You Gone? EP (Contempo 1991)
- Straight to Hell EP (Contempo 1993)
- The Cursed Singles boxset (Avantgarde MusicAvantgarde MusicAvantgarde Music is an Italian record label, formed as a continuation of Obscure Plasma Records, focusing on black and doom metal artists. The label has a sub-label called Wounded Love Records, which has released albums by Dolorian and Taake....
1995) - "Baron Samedi" (Lucifer Rising 1998)
- "Scarlet Woman" (Lucifer Rising 1999)
- "Hi-Tech Jesus" (Lucifer Rising 2000)
- Lady of Babylon EP (Lucifer Rising 2000)
- Let The Sabbath Begin 2 CD EP (Lucifer Rising 2001)
- Transylvania (Lucifer Rising 2001)
- "Pain" (Lucifer Rising 2003)
- "Sinful Dove" (Lucifer Rising 2004)
- "Give'Em Hell" (Lucifer Rising 2005)
Compilations
- The Story of Death SS (1977–1984) (Minotauro 1987)
- Horror Music (Lucifer Rising 1996)
- The Horned God of Witches (Lucifer Rising/Black Widow RecordsBlack Widow RecordsBlack Widow Records is an Italian record label founded Genoa in 1990 and taking its name from the British progressive rock act Black Widow. It was originally a rarities shop focusing on collectable records and reissues...
2004) - Steve Sylvester - Friends of Hell (Cursed Coven 2006)