..as told by founder Larry Sapp and Jeff Acres. Compiled in June 2001.
BRUTALITY was formed in September 1986 by Larry Sapp. The original lineup was Sapp on guitar and vocals, Jeff Acres on bass and Donnie Yanson on drums. The band goes through several name changes in the first few months, including ABOMINATION and DARKNESS, before Acres thinks of the name BRUTALITY. An early memory of his time is playing at someone's house under the name ABOMINATION. The band DEAD also played this party in which walls were punched in and shit was smashed, a fun show, but the 2 bands got in trouble for that one. Songs written at this time are "Abomination", "Return Of The Dead", "My First Night" & "Nuclear Assault."
Spring of 1987 sees Yanson leaving the band, Jim Coker steps in from July to September, but doesn't stay and Yanson makes an attempt to retun to the drummer's seat for a month or so. In october, Kenny "Foz" Karg takes over as the permanent drummer. Bill Benson tries out as the second guitarist - it doesn't work. In November, the song "Now Mosh" is completed and in December, the instrumental "Brutality" is also finished. On December 31, a new years party is played on Marsh Road in north Tampa (with Benson) and is attended by members of NASTY SAVAGE, AGENT STEEL and others. "NOW MARSH" (inside joke).
The first day of 1988 and the birth of Sapp's son, Darrel. The song "Frozen Amputee" is finished in March. The band prepared to record a homemade cassette, self-titled demo-BRUTALITY. The demo is finished once, but done on very poor quality tape and the master broke. In April, Tim Mitchell joins just in time to be on the re-recording of the first demo. The songs on this demo are: "Brutality", "Now Mosh", "World War III", and "Return Of The Dead." This lineup lasts until around September when Karg and Mitchell leave the band. Karg goes on to form local metal band, THE GUFF.
In February of 1989, Don Gates joins as the new skins hitter, the song "Ignitics" is completed in March. Before Ben Williams joins as lead guitarist in April, Steve Pantley tries out. The song "Demensin Demented" is finished in May, and Gates is out in June.
Once again Sapp and Acres are without a drummer so they head over to the house of DEAD. This time Coker agrees to be a permanent member. A show is played at "The Pirates Den" in New Port Ritchie, FL. In July, the band begin working on what will be the "Dimension Demented" demo.
Some recordings are made and a show at "The Volley Club" in Tampa is scheduled. Williams decides to not show up for a show - this is how he quit the band. It is later revealed that he has become a part of Ken Karg's THE GUFF. The show went on... and a second show, a week or 2 later at The Sunset Club with NASTY SAVAGE, was videotaped.
During September, as the bulk of the "Dimension Demented" demo was being recorded, 2 songs were finished, "Narcoticous Addictious" & "Agoraphobia." Bill Benson returns only to be gone a month later, and Jim Harris is tried out as the second guitarist - it doesn't work. As the decade draws to a close, the demo is completed with Sapp doing all the guitars, and Travis Ogletree of SKELETAL EARTH does background vocals on the song "World War III." Songs on this demo are: "Dimension Demented," "Hell On Earth," "Lust For Sex," "Ignitics," "My First Night," "Narcoticous Addictious," "Frozen Amputee" & "World War III." It was produced by Larry Sapp and enginerred by Josh Young at Outback Studios.
Don Gates joins in December '89 as 2nd guitarist, and in early 1990, A new song was also completed, "Psycological Preminition." Shortly after the release of the D.D. demo, Jim Coker works a deal with Markus of Gore records and the first BRUTALITY vinyl 7" records are pressed, containing 3 songs from the demo. In April, the song "The Satanic Bible" is completed and would later be known as the ASTAROTH song, "Scriptures."
Also in April, the song "Necromantic Infection" is completed. BRUTALITY continued to play shows and write new material. In September, "Broken Dreams" was completed (this song was to later be used by ASTAROTH). In december, "Hideous Mutations" & "Mausoleum Of Infringing Evil" are completed and the title "Necromantic Infection" is changed to "The Body Before Me" and a little musical re-structuring of this song is also done. These are the 3 songs that will make up the "Metamorphosis" demo.
In January 1991, the band starts a rough draft 4-track version of the new demo and finishes it just before going to Morrisound Studios in March. Produced by Larry Sapp and engeneered by Jim Morris, "Metamorphosis" is completed in just a few weeks, but the demo is not released until May on Wild Rags records. It quickly outsells anything preceeding it.
During the summer of '91, BRUTALITY plays many shows around Florida including shows with HELLWITCH, MALEVOLENT CREATION, and OBITUARY. Another song, "Drowning In Blood," is completed in August, "Cryptorium" is finished in September and "Undead Matrimony" in October. On November 1st, the band played a show at Jannis Landing with DEICIDE.
A few days later, Sapp was out of BRUTALITY due to musical differences. Sapp forms new band ASTAROTH.
After parting ways with Sapp, the band aquired Jay Fernandez to play guitar and recorded a 3 song demo for lables only. Offers came in from Shark Records and Nuclear Blast records; Nuclear Blast was the obvious choice. They released 2 of the 3 songs from the demo on a 7 inch, SADISTIC and SPAWNED ILLUSION. They enlisted lead vocalist Scott Reigel just before recording their first LP, SCREAMS OF ANGUISH. The album was recorded in the winter of 1992, and released in the summer of 1993. Soon after the album was recorded, Fernandez was replaced with Brian Hipp. The band then went on tour to support the album in the beginning of 1994 in Europe with HYPOCRISY and also played shows in the states. They then recored their 2nd LP, WHEN THE SKY TURNS BLACK, in late 1994 for 1995 release. BRUTALITY then went on tour in europe with BOLT THROWER and CEMETARY for a month and a half. After the tour, Don Gates left the band for personal reasons and Hipp was fired. Replaced with Dana Walsh and Danny Gay, they then played the Milwaukee Metal Fest and Internationl Metal Fest in Tennessee. Danny Gay then left the band to be replaced by Pete Sykes. The band then recorded what would be their last album, IN MOURNING, in late 1995 for release in 1996. They played many shows in support of the album. BRUTALITY split up in late 1997/early 1998, but they are talking about a reformation and possibly doing a new album in the near future if things can work themselves out..