Deceased (band)

King Fowley and guitarist Doug Souther started the band in 1984 in Arlington, VA with a goal to “out-thrash Slayer.”[1] 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.[2] 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".[3] 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.

Current members

• Kingsley Fowley – Vocals (1984–present),Drums (1986–2002, 2008–2012, 2018, Bass (1984–1986)
• Amos Rifkin - Drums (2018–present)
• Mike Smith – Guitar (1990–present)
• Shane Fuegel – Guitar (2007–present)
• Les Snyder – Bass (1988–present)

Former members

• Mark Adams – Guitar (1984–2007)
• Doug Souther – Guitar (1984–1990)
• Rob Sterzel – Bass (1986–1988; died 1988)
• Marcel DeSantos – Drums (1984–1986)
• David Castillo – Drums (2003–2008, 2012–2018; “deceased” 2018)

• Official homepage
• Deceased Interview at Diabolical Conquest Webzine
• Deceased at Allmusic