History & Biography Internal Bleeding was formed in Long Island, New York City in 1990 as a Pyrexia-influenced death metal band. Its founder Chris Pervelis had auditioned earlier for Pyrexia and had proceeded to form his own band. Having put a line-up together - featuring singer Brian Richards and bassist Tom Slobowski - the band issued The One Dollar Demo (a rehearsal recording) in 1991. The band’s first taste of success came with the release of 1992’s Invocation Of Evil, which was further promoted and distributed by Wild Rags Records. This demo was pressed as a 7” by GWB and Gutted labels. Having made a splash in the underground and sold and distributed 5,000 tapes the band released Perpetual Degradation in 1994. This directly became a tape and MCD through Wild Rags Records.
The band had become popular in the underground scene and managed to play at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in 1994. There the band attracted the attention of Pavement Music which later signed the band. The band recorded its debut album a year later at Cove City Recording, which was owned by Billy Joel’s saxophonist, Richie Cannada. The album was co-produced by Pervelis and Miola. Scott Burns later mixed the album. The band reappeared at the Milwaukee Metal Fest and played all over North America with Immolation and Six Feet Under.
The label issued The Extinction Of Benevolence amidst financial difficulty. The band did not get much support for this album, but Driven To Conquer was produced by Broken Hope’s Brian Griffin. Miola, in the meanwhile, had ironically been replaced by Pyrexia Marchais. Jerry Lowe became the band’s singer in 2001. Driven To Conquer was the last album for Pavement and the New Yorkers switched to Olympic Recordings. Shows with Pyrexia took place in 2003. Chris Pervelis would quit to form a band along the lines of Black Sabbath only to soon return though. Reports from the remaining members had Pervelis as faking the existence of any former bands including Autumn Reign. The band had had to cancel shows seemingly unable to put together a complete line-up. The label was slow to act and the album (originally called Hatefuel, Onward To Mecca) was only issued in 2004. Several newer members were now also busy with their hardcore band, Punchyourface. The band’s ”˜slamming’ death metal had taken on a more hardcore sound by now. Onward To Mecca (preceded by the Pure American Fury demo and Alien Breed sampler) was supported in 2005 through shows with the likes of Bodies in The Gears Of The Apparatus and Strong Intention.
In 2014, Unique Leader Records signed New York-based death metal band, Internal Bleeding. After some nine years of inactivity the band had reformed in 2011. The band’s studio album, Imperium, was to released in the autumn of 2014. Brian Hobbie was back and was on guitar. Jason Liff was on bass. KeithDeVito of Pyrexia was singing. By summertime, New York death metal band Internal Bleeding completed tracking its forthcoming new full-length, Imperium. Produced by the band and Joe Cincotta at Full Force Studio (Suffocation, Dehumanized, Mortal Decay) in Ronkonkoma, New York and engineered by Cincotta and Derek Boyer, Imperium was the band's reformation record for Unique Leader. Internal Bleeding drummer, a firefighter, William Tolley died on Thursday, April 20th 2017 after falling from the roof of an apartment building in Queens, New York. Regardless, aside from Pervelis, every other member was new. Bloodletting North America tour featuring Arsis, Decrepit Birth, Internal Bleeding, Pyrexia, Angelmaker and Within Destruction was scheduled for October and November 2018. Internal Bleeding released a new full-length album, called Corrupting Influence, through Unique Leader Records on October 19th. The line-up was entirely revamped once again. Steve Worley joined on vocals in 2019. Deicide, Kataklysm, Begat The Nephilim and Internal Bleeding were touring the USA in 2021. Comatose Music was re-issuing the 2012 demo compilation, Heritage Of Sickness calling it Heritage Of Sickness II and replacing the live tracks with 2019 performances and adding a new cover. Internal Bleeding was booked for Milwaukee Metal Festival 2024.
Reviews INTERNAL BLEEDING - ALIEN BREED (1991 - 2001) - OLYMPIC
I recall slightly liking Internal Bleeding around 1993-94 when I had received a demo from the band and a MCD of the band from Wild Rags. The halting respect was not to last long. The band's use of words like 'groove', 'slam' and 'core' made me reconsider and after hearing the band's debut and noting its below-par sound the relationship was terminated. NY's Internal Bleeding has changed little over the years. As the sole new track Alien Breed confirms, the five piece has deviated little, maintained its style and that alone should accord the band some grudging respect. Don't call me a fan yet, but note my applause for the consistency through thick and thin. The band's heyday is well behind it and most of the fan support has already come and gone; yet fans of the band will get old demo recordings, older photos along with liner notes next to the aforementioned new song and so they might want to check this disc out. - Ali "The Metallian"
INTERNAL BLEEDING - ONWARD TO MECCA - OLYMPIC
Originally entitled Hatefuel, Onward To Mecca it is not difficult to guess why the album's title was changed to something more palatable. Look at the cover photograph and things become even clearer. The album at hand has been delayed almost three years now. In the meanwhile, and with the departure of two key members, fans would be forgiven for wondering how the album would come out like and, more importantly, whether it would come out at all.
Personally speaking, the news that 3/5 of the band has formed a hardcore side-project did little to whet my appetite for this album. The band's past outings had been underwhelming and so the prospect of listening to a bunch of new recruits play NYHC was not something to cherish obviously. Lo and behold, Onward To Mecca is actually quite good. This is certainly a death metal release, and one which is armed with very guttural vocals, thick slabs of guitar, a shattering rhythm section and so forth. At times it bares more than a resemblance to a Pyrexia album.
If one criticism can be levelled at the new Internal Bleeding it is the songs' tendency to meld into one another. Variety is not the band's priority obviously, and frankly listening to nuggets like Bleed By Example, Contamination and Intolerance (three songs that could easily be about George War Bush - see cover photo again) it is not a prerequisite here either. A sticker on the cover of the CD let's it be known that the boys are touring with Six Feet Under this autumn. So there you go. - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews
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