This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

Death SS (In Death of Steve Sylvester) is an Italian heavy metal band.

Biography [link]

Death SS was formed in 1977 by Steve Sylvester, who was a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis.^[1] The band combined elements of horror, occultism and heavy metal to become a pioneer^{[citation needed]} in horror metal and black metal;^[2] the musical style is called “horror music” by the band.^[3] The original line-up also featured Paul Chain, who would later play doom metal with his solo project, Paul Chain Violet Theatre. Death SS split in 1984 but reformed in 1988 (with Sylvester being the only original member). This new incarnation of the band recorded their first full-length album, ...In Death of Steve Sylvester. There would be many line-up changes in the years to come, with Sylvester once again being the only constant (except a short time in the early 1980s when Paul Chain would front the band on the Evil Metal EP).

The album Panic was partially recorded in the USA, with Neil Kernon as a producer, because the band liked his work for artists like Queensrÿche, Judas Priest, Dokken, Nevermore, David Bowie, Rush and Skrew and had, according to Sylvester, “a particular touch in the dark side of Heavy Metal […] that we were looking for”. The band’s management contacted Kernon, who accepted after listening to the band’s demos of the new songs. The album was released in 2000 by Sylvester’s own label, Lucifer Rising, and Dream Cather.^[1]

Line-ups [link]

First line-up (1977-1984) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals (from 1977 to 1982)
• Sanctis Ghoram - vocals (from 1982 to 1984)
• Paul Chain - guitar
• Claud Galley - guitar
• Danny Hughes - bass
• Tommy Chaste - drums

...In Death of Steve Sylvester (1988) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Christian Wise - guitar
• Kurt Templar - guitar
• Erik Landley - bass
• Boris Hunter - drums

Black Mass (1989) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Kevin Reynolds - guitar
• Kurt Templar - guitar
• Marc Habey - bass
• Boris Hunter - drums

Heavy Demons (1991) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Jason Minelli - guitar
• Al Priest - guitar
• Andy Barrington - bass
• Ross Lukather - drums

Do What Thou Wilt (1997) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Emil Bandera - guitar
• Felix Moon - guitar
• Andrei Karloff - bass
• Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
• Ross Lukather - drums

Panic (2000) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Emil Bandera - guitar
• Kaiser Sose - bass
• Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
• Anton Chaney - drums

Humanomalies (2002) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Emil Bandera - guitar
• Kaiser Sose - bass
• Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
• Anton Chaney - drums

The 7th Seal (2006) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Emil Bandera - guitar
• Glenn Strange - bass
• Oleg Smirnoff - keyboard
• Dave Simeone - drums

Current Line-Up (2008) [link]

• Steve Sylvester - vocals
• Al De Noble - guitar
• Francis Thorn - guitar
• Glenn Strange - bass
• Freddy Delirio - keyboard
• Ross Lukather - drums

Discography [link]

Albums [link]

• ...in Death of Steve Sylvester (Discomagic/Metalmaster 1988)
• Black Mass (Discomagic/Metalmaster 1989)
• Heavy Demons (Contempo/Rosemary's Baby 1991)
• Do What Thou Wilt (Lucifer Rising 1997)
• Panic (Lucifer Rising 2000)
• Humanomalies (Lucifer Rising 2002)
• The Seventh Seal (Lucifer Rising/Black Widow Records 2006)

Live albums [link]

• Cursed Concert (Contempo 1992)
• Il ritorno degli occulti (200 copies, Cursed Coven 1998)
• Live 1990: The Complete Black Mass Show (200 copies, Cursed Coven 2006)
• Live at I-Gods of Metal 2008 (cd/dvd, Live Global/Self 2009)

Singles/EPs [link]

• "Zombie" (band press 1982)
• "The Night of the Witch" (band press 1982)
• "The Profanation" (band press 1983)
• Evil Metal EP (Metal Eye Records 1983)
• "Kings of Evil" (Metalmaster 1989)
• "Vampire" (Metalmaster 1989)
• "In the Darkness" (Metalmaster 1989)
• Where Have You Gone? EP (Contempo 1991)
• Straight to Hell EP (Contempo 1993)
• The Cursed Singles boxset (Avantgarde Music 1995)
• "Baron Samedi" (Lucifer Rising 1998)
• "Scarlet Woman" (Lucifer Rising 1999)
• "Hi-Tech Jesus" (Lucifer Rising 2000)
• Lady of Babylon EP (Lucifer Rising 2000)
• Let The Sabbath Begin 2 CD EP (Lucifer Rising 2001)
• Transylvania (Lucifer Rising 2001)
• "Pain" (Lucifer Rising 2003)
• "Sinful Dove" (Lucifer Rising 2004)
• "Give'Em Hell" (Lucifer Rising 2005)

Compilations [link]

• The Story of Death SS (1977–1984) (Minotauro 1987)
• Horror Music (Lucifer Rising 1996)
• The Horned God of Witches (Lucifer Rising/Black Widow Records 2004)
• Steve Sylvester - Friends of Hell (Cursed Coven 2006)
• All the Colors of the Dark (2011)
• The Story of Death SS (1977–1984) Part Two (2011)

References [link]

1. ^ ^{a b} Yiva Asker: Death SS. In: Jon Kristiansen: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2011, p. 472ff.
2. ^ Emperor. In: Jon Kristiansen: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2011, p. 274.
3. ^ Jean: Death SS.

External links [link]

• Official website
• Cursed Coven, official fan site
• Steve Sylvester’s official website