METALLIAN - Resurrection

Embalmed Existence – 1993 – Nuclear Blast
Mistaken for Dead – 2008 - Massacre

Members

Vocals

Paul Degoyler - Damian Chavez

Guitar

Roadkill, Council Of The Fallen>>JOHN ASTL>>Roadkill, Council Of The Fallen - Charles Haines – Eulogy, Unholy Ghost, Diabolic, Blastmasters, Soulidium>>Jerry Mortellaro>>Diabolic, Blastmasters, Soulidium, Together In Exile, Clenchfist – Acheron, Burning Inside, Tiwanaku>>MICHAEL ESTES>>Tiwanaku

Bass

Roadkill>>David Scott - Council Of The Fallen, Order Of Ennead>>Scott Patrick>> Order Of Ennead, Shadow Society - Damian Chavez

Drum

Hellwitch, Malevolent Creation, Solstice, The Mortuary Society, Wreckage>>Alex Marquez>>Sargon, Demolition Hammer, Dethroned, Divine Empire, Cephalic Carnage, Antagonized, Hypgnostic, Thrash Or Die, Righteous Pigs, Brutality, Pessimist, Enter Self – Impure, Sickness, Manntis, Upon Infliction, Divine Empire, Kult Ov Azazel>>Gus Ríos>>Manntis, Upon Infliction, Divine Empire, Kult Ov Azazel, Malevolent Creation, The Evil Amidst, Gruesome, Murder Suicide, Create A Kill, Liquid Death, Kill Division, Meat Flag, Left To Die, Union Black – Hellwitch, Naphobia, Acheron, Equinox, Kauldron, Unholy Ghost, Serpent Son, Aruspex>>GABRIEL LEWANDOWSKI>>Insatanity, Sectioned, Tiwanaku

History & Biography

Resurrection was born by 3 Roadkill members amidst the Florida death metal band boom of 1990 and adhered to the sound as of April of that year. Demo 1991 was recorded at Morrisound Studio in October. The line-up was singer Paul Degoyler, guitarist Charlie Haines, former Roadkill members guitarist and band leader John Astl, bassist Dave Scott (who would later depart on bad terms) and drummer Steve Pate. Demo 92, with drummer Brett Macadam, was less distributed yet the band garnered a five-album deal with Nuclear Blast Records, which had also signed Brutality and Monstrosity from the area. The band returned to Morrisound and recorded its album, to be entitled Embalmed Existence, in late 1992. The process took one month. The song Eyes Of Blind was a re-working of the song Contortion from the debut demo. In the meantime, the newer demo’s song was used by Nuclear Blast for the Death Is Just The Beginning II compilation. The group played several Florida concerts with Exhorder. Embalmed Existence was issued in April of 1993. Alex Marquez who was one of the first stools-for-hire in metal and was doing the rounds recorded with the band. Scott burns had called him in. Macadam was booted two months before the band entered the studio. Scott Burns produced as he had the demo, Jim Morris mastered and Dan Seagrave illustrated the cover artwork. It was a recipe for success and the album was moderately well-received. It was also distinct for the samples the band included between the tracks. The band had attempted to tell a story using the grooves.

The band ran into trouble when it recorded a new album for Nuclear Blast with music that was markedly different from the debut and the Florida death metal sound. John Astl was worried about the new sound’s reception in advance of the material being heard and was proven to be a prognosticator. The label duly dropped Resurrection. Three proposed tours had not materialized either and the relationship had soured. The band threw in the towel in 1995, but had been inactive since 1994.

Like clockwork every band must be resurrected and Resurrection returned in 2005. Charles Haines had moved to North Carolina and was unavailable. Ritual Slaughter was a 2007 demo. The band was brutal as ever, if not more. Resurrection appeared at Gathering Of The Bestial Legion III opening for Possessed, Malevolent Creation and Acheron. Massacre Records picked the band up and released an album, which featured the demo tracks as well, in 2008. Scott Patrick was on bass. Another former Malevolent Creation drummer/stool-for-hire was on drums. Jerry Mortellaro was on second guitar. Stereotypically, the band’s profile was lowered with an album on Massacre and the reformation went to naught. Nevertheless, Massacre re-issued the debut record. The band played a local show with left In Ashes. Bassist Scott Patrick quit the band in September 2008 in order to dedicate himself to Order Of Ennead. He also claimed to be better off not being in Resurrection. The band was apparently not informed of his departure.

The band’s Mistaken For Dead was out through Massacre Records in the summer of 2008. Bassist Cassidy Kring came and went. John’s brother drummer Kevin Astl (Epitaph/Adrift) too had a cameo appearance as he had been part of the reformation line-up and the pre-dissolution group. The band toured Europe using the Autumn Anguish monicker in 2012. Bassist Manny Martinez and singer Jonathan DeLoe were on the trek filling in. The line-up imploded and by the time a European tour was announced and the 2014 EP Soul Descent - March Of Death (Old School Metal Records) only Astl was left standing. Resurrection toured Europe with Downfall (Italy), Fleshdoll (France) and Cremation (Switzerland) in March 2014. The trek added mishap when the tour bus was engulfed in a mini-fire. Jeff Sumrell (Solace Of Requiem) was the singer lined up for shows as a replacement for Damian Chavez. Kill Again Records rereleased the debut in 2016 and added demo tracks. It was Hammerheart’s turn to re-release the debut album in 2020.

A compilation with demo material called Forever Embalmed went unrealized. This was to have been the band’s second album initially. Dave Scott died in 2014. Michael Estes died in 2020. John Astl died in 2021.

Reviews

RESURRECTION - 4-SONG EP
Tampa’s Resurrection is one of Florida death metal’s less known bands despite issuing an album called Embalmed Existence through Nuclear Blast Records in the mid-'90s. The band is back - is anyone not back? - with a four-song demo while claiming to be in negotiations for a new record deal and a 2008 full-length. The band’s new biography claims that, “Resurrection was officially Resurrected to continue where they left off, delivering a hellish crossfire of blistering, brutal, gut-ripping death metal..." In fact, the band was done in partly because of the odd samples in-between its songs and a silly cover of Kiss the debut album, but more importantly by how it drastically changed its style to a far less brutal style for its recorded and proposed second album for Nuclear Blast. This fact contradicts the new biography. The new album, however, is replete with heaviness, brutality and death metal hallmarks. Unfortunately, and quite surprising for a band of this age, is that the four songs clone Obituary’s signature style without shame. As fun and pleasurable as listening to this material is the derivative nature of the assault is surely detrimental to Resurrection’s future. The vocals of Paul Degolyer literally scream Tardy. Is he positioning himself for something perhaps? The music is well produced, thick and advanced. The patented Obituary riffs are everywhere. The drumming is perhaps the weakest link coming across as one-handed beats rather than rhythmic playing. The solos on the songs are quite welcome however. Should Resurrection be appearing live as promised in 2008 and issuing an album we will be hearing a lot more of this bunch next year. In the meanwhile, head over to resurrectionmetal.com or e-mail the band through johnastl@yahoo.com. - Ali “The Metallian”

Interviews

Resurrection