RIGOR MORTIS, trading in Horror inspired Punk-Metal, assembled in Arlington, Texas during 1983 by guitarist Mike Scaccia, bassist Casey Orr, drummer Harden Harrison with the later addition of singer Bruce Corbitt, was snapped up by major label Capitol Records hot on the heels of their acquisition of EXODUS in the scramble for Thrash acts in the late eighties. Preceding RIGOR MORTIS, both Orr and Harrison had been members of Thrash Metal act WARLOCK, the drummer also citing ERUPTION credits.

Vocalist Doyle Bright had taken Corbitt's place for the 1989 mini-album 'Freaks'. That same year Scaccia would enrol with Chicago arch Industrialists MINISTRY, a role he made permanent during 1991 as RIGOR MORTIS issued 'Rigor Mortis vs. The World' through Triple X Records. Casey Orr followed briefly in Scaccia's footsteps by acting as temporary fill in for a number of MINISTRY 'Lollapalooza' festivals in 1992. That same year Orr, Scaccia and Dunn cut the 'Leave It To Blohole' album from their Punk project BLOHOLE.

Orr would join the ranks of the outrageous GWAR in 1994, as well as fronting X-COPS, THE BURDEN BROTHERS and Punk act THE HELLIONS. Scaccia subsequently made a return to Texas and forged the LEAGUE OF BLIND WOMEN in league with Rob Buck of 10,000 MANIACS. Meantime, Harrison was to be found with the female fronted PERVIS. He would join SPEEDEALER in 1999.

After a 13 year hiatus RIGOR MORTIS regrouped with a faithful line up comprising vocalist / bassist Casey Orr, Mike Scaccia on guitar and drummer Harden Harrison. The band introduced new vocalist Dave Woodard, a veteran of acts such as THE AGITATORS, REO SPEEDEALER, BILLYCLUB, THE HELLIONS and PORN LAB, into the group's ranks during January of 2003. However, plans for a reunion were put into jeopardy when guitarist Mike Scaccia rejoined Industrialists MINISTRY. Scaccia enrolled into another of Al Jourgensen's projects in March 2004 when he was announced as guitarist for REVOLTING COCKS.

RIGOR MORTIS reunited for their first gigs in over fifteen years the band partnered with two other re-united cult Texan Thrash oufits, GAMMACIDE and ROTTING CORPSE, to play at the Axis Club in Fort Worth on 29th October.

In 2006 Doyle Bright forged modern Metal band TWO PRONGED CROWN, comprising vocalist / guitarist Stacy Andersen, of HALLOWS EVE, METALMOPHOSIS and BIG TWIN DIN, guitarist Chris Abbamonte, of DISTEMPER and ILK, bass player Jimmy Gorman, of DISTEMPER, ILK and THE CHAOS FOUNDATION, progammer Mink, of ILK, and drummer Mike Rollings, from METALMORPHOSIS, BIG TWIN DIN and JARBOE.

Mike Scaccia, following long-term severe pains in his arms, underwent emergency neck surgery on 4th May 2009. Folowing a RIGOR MORTIS performance at the German 'Keep It True' festival Scaccia's left album went totally numb. Results of an MRI scan showed that Scaccia had a cervical herniated disc in his lower neck and that he could easily become paralyzed without immediate surgery.