Nuclear Death
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona , United States |
| Products | Death metal music |
Nuclear Death was a death metal group originating from Phoenix, Arizona, established in 1986. They stood out as one of the pioneering extreme metal acts featuring a female lead vocalist, Lori Bravo.
Drummer Joel Whitfield characterized their sound as "deathrashardcorextreme music," drawing parallels to bands such as Repulsion and the Scum period of Napalm Death.
History
The band came together on March 23, 1986, with Lori Bravo handling vocals and bass, Phil Hampson on guitar, and Joel Whitfield playing drums while still attending high school. Their musical influences included Venom, Motörhead, The Plasmatics, Witchfinder General, and Discharge. That same year, they released their debut demo Wake Me When I'm Dead, which received favorable feedback. Their follow-up demo in 1987, Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid, secured them a deal with Richard Campos of the California-based label and distributor Wild Rags.
In 1991, Nuclear Death unveiled the provocative album Carrion for Worm, featuring contentious tracks like "The Human Seed" and "Greenflies." This record also showcased guest vocals by Chris Reifert from Autopsy on two songs.
A significant live performance took place on May 23, 1992, in Puerto Rico alongside labelmates Impetigo. Later that year, they released the four-track single For Our Dead, which included a re-recording of the 1987 track "The Third Antichrist".
After Nuclear Death dissolved, Lori Bravo went on to form Raped in 2002. Joel Whitfield became part of Eroticide in 1991. Phil Hampson contributed to Eroticide between 1996 and 1998, then to Whorror from 2000 to 2002, eventually founding Feral Viscera in late 2013. By early 2016, he had reassembled Whorror with original members Donn Sullivan and Mike Wyatt.
Recognition
Their debut album from 1990, Bride of Insect, earned a spot in Decibel magazine's "Hall of Fame" at number 90. The magazine highlighted: Template:Blockquote
Members
- Final lineup
- Lori Bravo – vocals, bass, guitar (1986–2000)
- Former members
- Joel Whitefield – drums (1986–1990)
- Phil Hampson – guitar (1986–1992)
- Steve Cowen – drums, keyboards (1990–1996)
Discography
- 1986 – Wake Me When I'm Dead (demo)
- 1987 – Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid (demo)
- 1987 – A Symphony of Agony (demo)
- 1988 – Vultures Feeding (EP)
- 1988 – Caveat (demo) cassette tape
- 1990 – Bride of Insect LP (Wild Rags)
- 1991 – Carrion for Worm LP (Wild Rags)
- 1992 – For Our Dead EP/cassette tape (Wild Rags)
- 1992 – All Creatures Great and Eaten cassette tape
- 1996 – The Planet Cachexial CD (Cat's Meow Records)
- 2000 – Harmony Drinks of Me CD (Cat's Meow Records)