Severance was a short-lived but impactful thrash/death metal band hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, a city more widely known for its sludge and doom metal titans. Formed in 1990, Severance specialized in a raw, aggressive, and technically adept style of Death Metal that helped define the burgeoning extreme music underground of the Gulf Coast.
The 1991 Embryonic Tombs Demo The band's legacy is most strongly tied to their seminal 1991 demo, Embryonic Tombs. This five-track release served as a brutal snapshot of their sound, featuring intricate riffing, furious drumming, and guttural vocals that perfectly encapsulated the early 90s sound of the genre.
Tracks like "Painting Murder" and the title track "Embryonic Tombs" showcased the band's balance between crushing heaviness and technical precision, earning them a dedicated following in the tape-trading circuits and cementing their status as a crucial, early pillar of the New Orleans extreme metal sound.
The band ultimately split in 1992, with members like C.J. Pierce (Bass/Guitars), Jason Pilgrim (Vocals), and Rene Perez (Guitars) continuing their musical pursuits in other notable groups, including Drowning Pool and Flesh Parade. Severance remains a cult-favorite cornerstone of Louisiana's death metal history.
