american metal

Vital Remains is a blackened death metal band from Rhode Island, USA formed in 1989. Influenced by the likes of Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Sodom and Destruction. Originally comprised of guitarists Paul Flynn and Tony Lazaro, vocalist Jeff Gruslin, bassist Tom Supkow, and drummer Chris Dupont, the group has been through several line-up changes and record labels over the years. A pair of demos (1989's "Reduced to Ashes" and 1990's "Excruciating Pain") led to a contract with French label Thrash Records, who in turn released "The Black Mass" in 1991.

Black Pyramid hails from Western Massachusetts. The band is currently comprised of Darryl Shepard (formerly of Milligram, Blackwolfgoat, Hackman, Roadsaw) on vocals and guitar, Clay Neely (formerly of Artimus Pyledriver) on drums and David Gein (of gein and the graverobbers) on the bass guitar. The band plays a solid mixture of classic metal, stoner doom, and psychedelic rock, with clear influences drawn from Black Sabbath, Sleep, High on Fire and Electric Wizard.