About Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, formed in 1991. Various lineup changes throughout the years have left John Gallagher as the sole remaining original member, as well as the band's driving force. According to Gallagher, the band name was chosen while the members were young and was intended to be offensive. To date, Dying Fetus has released nine studio albums.
Dying Fetus was founded in 1991 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, by John Gallagher and Jason Netherton . The band began in earnest when the pair met up with guitarist/vocalist Nick Speleos in 1992. It was decided then that Gallagher would fill in on drums until a proper drummer was found. The writing of this period resulted in the 1993 demo Bathe In Entrails. In late 1993, the band found drummer Rob Belton, as well as guitarist Brian Latta, who replaced the departing Nick Speleos . Together the new four-piece lineup recorded the Infatuation with Malevolence demo in early 1994, later released together with the first demo in 1995 as a compilation on California Indie label Wild Rags Records. Songs included all tracks from both demos as one CD.
In 1996, the band released their first album, Purification through Violence, on short-lived Illinois label Pulverizer Records. The album marked a further refinement of the band's developing sound of death metal riffing, combined with heavy slams, over seven original songs, and one Napalm Death cover, "Scum". Drummer Rob Belton left and the band was joined briefly in 1995 for a year by drummer Casey Buckler, with whom they performed live, yet never recorded with. Casey was asked to leave the band as they agreed he would play drums for a tour they had that year.
Relying on self-promotion, the band toured sporadically for 4 years straight starting in summer 1996 with their first full US tour alongside Kataklysm and Monstrosity, with the first appearance of future drummer Erik Sayenga as drummer replacing Casey Buckler. However, by spring 1997, Erik Sayenga left the band, and during a short Texas tour in May 1997, drummer Kevin Talley was located and subsequently joined full-time by the summer of 1997. At this point, the band caught the attention of German indie label Morbid Records, who signed them early in 1998 for a one-album deal. Almost immediately afterwards, the band released their second album, Killing on Adrenaline.
Morbid Records supplied the band with modest promotion in the death metal underground by releasing the album in Europe . Subsequently, they rose to prominence with notable live performances, such as appearances at Milwaukee metalfest and tours in the US and Canada in 1998 and in Europe . However, guitarist Brian Latta left the band in late 1998, ushering in new guitarist "Sparky" Voyles, and in 1999 the band embarked on their first headlining tour of the US, over three weeks dubbed the "Underground Terrorism" tour. The tour was followed shortly thereafter by the Grotesque Impalement EP, which the band again released on their own Blunt Force Records label imprint.
By 2000, Dying Fetus caught the attention of another underground metal label, the indie company Relapse Records, who subsequently signed the band.
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