Hellwitch

Although Hellwitch's cryptically named debut album, Syzygial Miscreancy, was released in 1990, their story begins way back in 1984, when vocalist/guitarist Patrick Ranieri and friend Harry Tyler (drums) recorded the one-song Nosferatu demo in the living room of the former's apartment in Gainesville, FL. Many more demos followed and were circulated in underground tape-trading circles in the intervening years, each of them displaying the gradual development of Hellwitch's increasingly technical thrash/death metal as performed by ever-changing lineups. At the time of the aforementioned LP's release, Hellwitch was based in Fort Lauderdale and featured Ranieri, drummer Joe Schnessel, and bassist Tommy Mouser; but second guitarist J. Pierce and new bassist Jesse Trevino had joined in time for 1991's Terraasymmetry EP, which, like its predecessor, was produced by death metal specialist Scott Burns. Neither shifted enough units to perpetuate Hellwitch's career, however, and, after a few more demos, Ranieri called it quits, only resurrecting the group for occasional one-off gigs until 2005 when a new EP entitled The Epitome of Disgrace unexpectedly saw the light of day.