Blasphemous Death metal act MORBID ANGEL, founded in Tampa, Florida during 1984, broke down the barriers between extreme music and commercial success but seemingly blew their chances of entering the big league with a series of remarks attributed to main man David Vincent being allegedly fascist in nature. The world's Rock media erupted in an outcry against these supposed nazi leanings. Nevertheless, despite the controversy and the band's denials, MORBID ANGEL had racked up combined sales of over 1'000'000 albums sold by 1998 and, as a new millennium broke, seemed only to solidify their standing. Importantly, the band has built a catalogue of distinction and remained steadfast as genre leaders.

The formative band unit had come together at high school with Trey Azagthoth (real name George Emmanuel III), Dallas Ward and Mike Browning forging ICE. This act subsequently adopted the title HERETIC before discovering another act laying claim to the title. At this juncture Azagthoth suggested MORBID ANGEL. The band's inaugural gigs found the unit honing their skills with cover versions of songs by ANGEL WITCH, SLAYER and MERCYFUL FATE. Having performed initially as a trio the group then brought in singer Kenny Bamber to record a 1985 two song demo of 'Demon Seed' and 'Welcome To Hell'. Bamber exited and MORBID ANGEL persevered as an instrumental act as an interim measure before Dallas Ward took on the lead vocal duties. In August 1985 a demo billed 'The Beginning' comprised a hotch-potch of tracks featuring vocals from both Bamber and Ward.

However, next in line for the frontman role would be vocalist / guitarist Richard Brunelle. Unfortunately Ward was convicted of a drugs offence and incarcerated. This measure forced the band to re-think and, pulling in John Ortega as second guitarist Brunelle was delegated the vocal role. At one stage MORBID ANGEL, albeit fleetingly, rehearsed with a female singer Evilynn. This proposed band structure did not come up to standard though and before long Mike Browning was to try his hand at the vocal role.

With record company interest rising MORBID ANGEL cut a 1986 four song demo, 'Scream Forth Blasphemies', comprising 'Hellspawn', 'Chapel Of Ghouls', 'Angel Of Disease' and 'Abominations'. This tape soon found its way onto the underground trading market spreading the band's reputation globally. What was to be the band's debut album 'Abominations Of Desolation', recorded in North Carolina in May1986, was shelved due to the band disintigrating in an physical argument over Browning's girlfriend. Upon completion of these recordings Browning opted out and John Ortega departed too, later to found MATRICIDE. Georgia native Sterling Von Scarborough, previously fronting his own act INCUBUS, was drafted early that summer to act as vocalist / bassist.

Scarborough, leaving to forge a new INCUBUS with ex-MORBID ANGEL drummer Mike Browning and TERROR guitarist Gino Marino, was supplanted by ex-TERRORIZER man David Vincent. (a.k.a. David Stuppnig) The bassist, previously having led his own act BURIED IN CEMETERY, had been an acquaintance of the band for some time having financed and produced the 'Abominations Of Desolation' sessions. The newly constituted line-up, comprising Vincent, Azagthoth, lead vocalist Michael Manson and drummer Wayne Hartshell, relocated to North Carolina to cut new demos. Manson did not last the pace and dropped out, leaving Vincent to take on the frontman role for MORBID ANGEL's commercial debut the 1988 'Thy Kingdom Come' 7" single released on Switzerland's Splattermaniac label. With this more solid unit MORBID ANGEL's sales began to accelerate as did their worldwide recognition.

Debut album 'Altars Of Madness', cut at Tampa's fabled Morrisound studios, surfaced through leading extreme Metal imprint Earache Records in May 1989. CD versions added an extra track, 'Lord Of All Fevers And Plagues', plus alternate remixes of album tracks with outtake guitar solos. The world's first dose of MORBID ANGEL was positively poisoning and paralysing. Trey Azagthoth and Richard Brunelle had summoned up a snakes nest of riffs that deliberately defied convention, hammering and sliding outside of accepted meters, this near surreal approach providing a platform for even greater experimentation to come. 'Altars Of Madness', undeniably a classic, did have its faults though. A wistful production unfortunately masked much of the bass presence and David Vincent's vocals and lyrics were ineffectual. On the live front, the group participated in the Earache organised "Grindcrusher" tour of Europe that winter shoulder to shoulder with BOLT THROWER, CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH.

'Blessed Are The Sick' was tendered in July 1991. Self-produced at Morrisound, sonically the album corrected many of its predecessors flaws. Adorned in a disturbing J. Delville painting 'Les Tresors De Satan', 'Blessed Are The Sick', despite being a more deliberate and considered body of work, was soon to be held up as one of the most revered albums in extreme metal history. An an inceptor to the savagery the band opened a delicate slice of ambience, the first hints of more adventurous adventurism to come in later years. Pointedly, although MORBID ANGEL would be targeted as Satanists for entire decade, their second album dropped the anti-Christian rhetoric in favour of loathing towards humanity in general.

In September 1991, just upfront of a lengthy American tour, MORBID ANGEL's planned debut album 'Abominations Of Desolation' finally saw a release through Earache Records. The album had been bootlegged relentlessly upon the band's ascendancy into the upper echelons of the Thrash ranks.

Guitarist Richard Brunelle drifted away in mid 1992. MORBID ANGEL filled his shoes briefly with former INCUBUS man Gino Marino but before long Brunelle was back. However, Brunelle decamped in the Autumn of 1992 to found EON'S DEAD. A trio of David Vincent, Trey Azagthoth and Pete Sandoval crafted the 'Covenant' album, utilising the familiar Morrisound facilities but enlisting METALLICA producer Flemming Rasmussen to handle desk work. The final tapes were mixed down at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen.

June 1993 saw MORBID ANGEL of such a stature that their 'Covenant' album was signed over to the massive Warner Bros corporation in America, where albums would be released on the label's Giant imprint. Backed by a promotional video clip for 'God Of Emptiness' it would prove the band's biggest commercial success to date, shifting over 130,000 copies in the USA alone. The band closed the membership gap with ex-RIPPING CORPSE and EULOGY guitarist Eric Rutan drafted for European dates. However, for support dates to MOTȪRHEAD and BLACK SABBATH in America during commencing in Connecticut on February 8th 1994 Richard Brunelle made a temporary return. Meantime, an EP of remixes by the cult underground Industrial act LAIBACH surfaced, a groundbreaking move for an extreme Metal act at the time. The 'Laibach remixes' EP came delivered in CD format with black artwork sleeve and a silver clad 12" variant. Meantime, ex-member Sterling Von Scarborough, under the pseudonym 'Nocticula', published a demo, restricted to just 66 copies, under the banner LIBER NOCTICULA.

The May 1995 MORBID ANGEL album 'Domination' witnessed the band's grip on their premier league status strengthening. Their first recorded output to include Erik Rutan, the album also drew considerable criticism from longstanding followers due to its diversion into sludge variations. Vinyl variants came clad in differing artwork to their CD counterparts and the record also saw limited edition releases in a metal tin, restricted to just 1000 copies. A planned 'slime' filled green jewel case sleeve was shelved, with claims of leaking toxic substances being blamed, but nevertheless 'Domination' surpassed the 80,000 sales mark in the USA. MORBID ANGEL undertook an enormous touring schedule throughout 1995 and into 1996. Dates began in their home state of Florida for an American tour before extensively covering Europe until February 1996 saw the band back in America prior top a return trip to Europe. These shows yielded the live album 'Entangled In Chaos'.

The band seemingly suffered a double hammer blow in 1997 not only with the departure of Vincent, so often the band's mouthpiece, but also the collapse of their deal with Warner Bros. Records. However, Azagthoth picked up the pieces and renegotiated a revised deal with their former label, Earache Records, and pulled in ex MERCILESS ONSLAUGHT, CEREMONY and INTERSINE man Steve Tucker to plug the gap left by Vincent.

In 1998 Vincent found himself playing bass in the S&M inspired GENITORTURERS, but then he is the husband of frontwoman Geni after all!

Although Rutan appeared as main songwriter and contributor to the 'Formulas Fatal To The Flesh' album MORBID ANGEL pulled in guitarist Richard Burnelle for live work as Rutan decamped to concentrate on his other two acts ALAS, in union with THERION's Martina Hornbacher-Astner, and HATE ETERNAL. The first 5000 copies of the 'Formulas' opus came with a free bonus CD entitled 'Love Of Lava', comprising of all the guitar solos from the main body of work isolated onto one CD. Sales exceeded 45,000 copies in North America.

However, rehearsals for the tour to promote the record did not go well and with Burnelle being dispensed with Rutan got the call for assistance. Following the 'Formulas Fatal To The Flesh' tour Rutan decamped yet again and produced the 'Conquerors Of Armageddon' album for Brazilian Black Metallers KRISIUN in 2000.

Rutan returned to the fold later in 2000 for the 'Gateways To Annihilation' album, a record that kicks off with an intro of a genuine swamp frog chorus. MORBID ANGEL toured Europe that December headlining an almighty Death Metal package that included ENSLAVED, THE CROWN, BEHEMOTH, HYPNOS and DYING FETUS. US sales of 'Gateways To Annihilation' would fall just short of 40,000 copies.

Upfront of the bands 2001 UK dates it was announced that Tucker would be standing down for personal reasons and to concentrate on his Death Metal 'Super' combo CEREMONY centred upon Tucker, CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Pat O'Brien and DISASTRONAUT guitarist Greg Reed. Erstwhile EMPEROR drummer Trym was recruited into CEREMONY during 2002. However, this proposed band unit never materialised.

Drafted in as replacement was HATE ETERNAL's Jared Anderson. American shows had the band supporting PANTERA upfront of their own Winter run of headline dates dubbed the "Extreme Music For Extreme People" tour. Roadmates for this burst of live activity would be DEICIDE, SOILENT GREEN, ZYKLON and EXHUMED.

Rutan would busy himself toward the close of 2001 acting as producer for his erstwhile RIPPING CORPSE colleagues for their sophomore DIM MAK release 'Intercepting Fist'. MORBID ANGEL would join MOTȪRHEAD's summer American 2002 'Hammered' tour as guests. Shortly after, Rutan announced his departure from the band in order to concentrate his efforts on HATE ETERNAL. Meantime ex-guitarist Richard Brunelle resurfaced touting his new act PATHS OF POSSESSION.

A MORBID ANGEL tribute album 'Tyrants From The Abyss' was delivered by Necropolis Records in September of 2002 featuring artists such as ZYKLON, VADER, BEHEMOTH, KRISIUN, ANGELCORPSE, IN AETERNUM, INFERNAL and DIABOLIC.

Although various press reports suggested the band was in discussion with former vocalist David Vincent it would be ex-singer Steve Tucker that stepped back up as MORBID ANGEL frontman for a 2003 studio album 'Heretic'. News of another connected project revealed that erstwhile drummer Mike Browning was demoing with the Florida based LISA THE WOLF with Erik Rutan handling production chores.

'Heretic', released in September, saw issue in a virtual slew of variations including a German only box set with complimentary 18 track bonus disc entitled 'Bonus Levels', a double CD version and a picture disc vinyl outing. US dates paired with SUPERJOINT RITUAL saw the band recruiting Tony Norman of MONSTROSITY to handle second guitar duties. A lengthy round of European shows commencing 20th February in Hardenberg, Holland saw Brazilians KRISIUN in support. A promotional video for 'Enshrined By Grace', directed by Pete Bridgewater, depicted the band "performing in an infernal ring of fire whilst the unenlightened masses stare at a mind-numbing screen".

As 'Heretic' exceeded the 20,000 sales figure in the USA, the group continued touring apace across North America into April of 2004 with support coming from SUFFOCATION, SATYRICON and PREMONITIONS OF WAR. Confusingly, MORBID ANGEL's management issued a statement stating the band had severed ties with longterm label Earache Records in July. Within 24 hours Earache fired back with a press release of their own claiming that in fact the band's option still had a further two weeks to run.

Scheduled South America gigs, due to commence in Monterrey, Mexico on 7th August, would be cancelled as reports emerged that Steve Tucker had suffered "massive anxiety attack and had to be hospitalized". The frontman soon responded, stating that he had contracted a lung infection "due to my excessive travel and the variety of weather and environments that I endure in these travels." David Vincent, retaining his role with the GENITORTURERS, duly rejoined MORBID ANGEL for their rescheduled South American dates.

MORBID ANGEL announced co-headline US dates in union with SOULFLY for February of 2005, followed by a run of European and Scandinavian shows, supported by Danes HATESPHERE, to take them into April. Meantime, ex-MORBID ANGEL man Steve Tucker was announced as being back on the tour circuit, apparently to act as stand-in bassist for NILE's March European festival dates, but this union never transpired.

A scheduled showing at a Portuguese festival in June was put in jeopardy when rhythm guitarist Tony Norman apparently went missing. Although the guitarist eventually turned up alive and well MORBID ANGEL persevered without him, scheduling South American gigs in Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico for September. The band was announced as engaged in the 'X-Mass Fest Part II' European tour, set to begin in early December and involving ENTHRONED, UNLEASHED, PRIMORDIAL and ENSIFERUM. However, these dates would be pulled after UNLEASHED withdrew.

The erstwhile MORBID ANGEL duo of Jared Anderson and Steve Tucker revealed they were collaborating in February 2006 on a new Death Metal venture. MORBID ANGEL announced April US tour dates combined with Canadians DESPISED ICON, Poles BEHEMOTH and Brazilians KRISIUN. August European festival dates saw a welcome return to the 'Domination' line-up as guitarist Erik Rutan rejoined the fold.

Former MORBID ANGEL vocalist Jared Anderson died in his sleep on Saturday, October 14th 2006 at the age of 30.

MORBID ANGEL played its first show with new touring guitarist, ZYKLON's Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren), on 22nd June 2008 at the 'Hellfest' event in Clisson, France.

MORBID ANGEL conducted South American shows in March 2009. Australian dates commenced in Melbourne, Victoria on 1st June.

Garry Sharpe-Young