d**h Ss - lyrics

Ever since their inception in the late 1970's, Italy's d**h SS (i.e. d**h of Steve Sylvester") have been synonymous with the sub-genre known as horror metal -- a concept they helped pioneer and have since explored to greater lengths than arguably any other band on this, or any other world. Simply put, if the work of B-movie directing legend Roger Corman has a direct parallel in music, then d**h SS is it. br /br /br /br /Founded by the enigmatic Sylvester (a.k.a. The Vampire"), reputedly as far back as 1977, d**h SS toiled in total obscurity until 1981, when their evocatively-titled Horned God of the Witches demo began doing the rounds within the heavy metal tape-trading underworld. At this time also comprising guitarists Paul 'd**h' Chain (a.k.a. Paolo Catena) and Claud 'Zombie' Galley, ba**ist Danny 'Mummy' Hughes and drummer Thomas 'Werewolf' Chaste (all of them naturally costumed according to their nicknames), the group eventually started landing tracks in compilation albums, and then self-released a number of E.P.s bearing colorful titles like Zombie/Terror, The Night of the Witch/Black Mummy and Profanation/Spiritualistic Seance. Marked by minimal recording fidelity but rich in sound effects and other theatrical accoutrements (all of them also crucial elements of the band's concerts, of course), these were later compiled into 1987's The Story of d**h SS 1977-1984, which wiped the slate clean and permitted the now completely revamped line-up of Sylvester, guitarists Christian Wise and Kurt Templar, ba**ist Erik Landley and drummer Boris Hunter, to inaugurate their international career proper with the following year's In d**h of Steve Sylvester. Since then, d**h SS has recorded regularly, persevering in the underground and never losing sight of their horror metal vision, no matter how many musicians have sifted through their ranks. Needless to say, this is all due to Sylvester's single-minded devotion to his subject matter, a devotion which has earned this Mediterranean King Diamond a demi-legend all his own. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide show less