Dream Death

Combining elements of both thrash and doom with traditional metal styles and a hoarse, hardcore vocal style, Pittsburgh, PA's Dream Death were among the more unique underground metal acts of the 1980s. Brian Lawrence (vocals/guitar), Terry Weston (guitar), and Mike Smail (drums) formed Dream Death in 1984 and promptly recorded their first demo, entitled "More Graveyard Delving." This, along with regular gigging in local clubs eventually led to a deal with second-division thrash specialists New Renaissance Records, which released the group's debut album, Journey Into Mystery, in 1987. The album gained many positive reviews but little promotional support from New Renaissance, and when Williams defected to local thrash band Eviction, the remaining members of Dream Death drifted apart. Drummer Smail would resurface a few years later on the first album by English doom gods Cathedral.