Living Sacrifice

Living Sacrifice's long and impressive history stretches back over a decade. The Arkansas-based metal band has evolved from their early death metal-inspired rumblings into a crushing, staccato-driven, heavily percussive metallic behemoth that pummels listeners with intense riffage and a decidedly personal, though nevertheless, often evangelical lyrical viewpoint. Founding members Bruce Fitzhugh (guitars/vocals) and Lance Garvin (drums) have survived from the band's original incarnation, refocusing their vision at every turn into something even tastier with each step in their evolution. Living Sacrifice formed in 1990, releasing their self-titled debut through the Christian-oriented R.E.X. Music the following year. They were originally fronted by vocalist/bassist DJ, who also went on to sing on 1992's Non-Existent and 1994's Inhabit. All three albums were heavily influenced by the members' favorite bands: groups like thrash metal titans Metallica, Slayer, and Testament; and then-newer death metal acts such as Obituary and Malevolent Creation.