Death SS

Biography

Death SS (later intended as a contraction of In Death of Steve Sylvester) is an Italian heavy metal band formed in 1977. They have been described as "horror metal".

History

Death SS was formed in 1977 in Pesaro by Steve Sylvester (born Stefano Silvestri), a future member of Ordo Templi Orientis, and Paul Chain (Paolo Catena), who later embraced an experimental form of doom metal with his solo project, Paul Chain Violet Theatre. Sylvester left the band in 1982, and Chain replaced him with Sanctis Ghoram (featured on the Evil Metal EP) before ending the project in 1984 to start a solo career. Sylvester reformed the band in 1988 as the only original member. This incarnation of the band recorded their first full-length album, ...in Death of Steve Sylvester. There were many line-up changes in the ensuing years, with Sylvester the only constant.
The album Panic×Panic12 January 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Paraphernalia2:102Let the Sabbath Begin4:283Hi-Tech Jesus4:304Lady of Babylon5:075The Equinox of the Gods6:326Ishtar5:307The Cannibal Queen3:498Rabies Is a Killer4:009Tallow Doll5:3010Hermaphrodite3:4811Panic5:4312Auto Sacramental1:07 was partially recorded in the US, with producer Neil Kernon, because the band liked his work with 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 on Sylvester's label, Lucifer Rising, and Dream Catcher.

Musical style and influence

Death SS combines elements of horror, occultism and metal to a style termed "horror metal" by AllMusic, and is also considered an influence on black metal. The band itself calls its music "horror music". Death SS is one of the sources of inspiration for the Swedish metal band Ghost.

Members

Current members

Steve Sylvester – lead vocals (1977–1982, 1988–2008, 2012–present)
Freddy Delirio – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals (1994–1996, 2005–2008, 2012–present)
Unam Talbot – drums (2022-present)
Demeter – bass (2022-present)
Ghiulz Borroni – guitars (2022-present)
Former members

Albums

...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)
Resurrection (Lucifer Rising 2013)
Rock 'n' Roll Armageddon (Lucifer Rising 2018)
X (Lucifer Rising 2021)
The Entity (Lucifer Rising 2025)

Live albums

The 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)
Beyond Resurrection (Lucifer Rising Records 2017)

Singles/EPs

The Horned God of the Witches (Demo EP 1981)
Evil Metal EP (Metal Eye Records 1983)
"Kings of Evil×Kings of EvilSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Kings of Evil2Murder Angels" (Metalmaster 1989)
"Vampire×VampireSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Vampire2Come to the Sabbath" (Metalmaster 1989)
"In the Darkness×In the DarknessSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1In the Darkness2The Mandrake Root" (Metalmaster 1989)
Where Have You Gone? EP (Contempo 1991)
Straight to Hell EP (Contempo 1993)
The Cursed Singles boxset (Avantgarde Music 1995)
"Baron Samedi×Baron SamediEPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Baron Samedi (single version)2Book of Law3Magick" (Lucifer Rising 1998)
"Scarlet Woman×Scarlet WomanEPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Scarlet Woman2At Nightime3Scarlet Woman (live)4Baron Samedi (live)" (Lucifer Rising 1999)
"Hi-Tech Jesus×Hi-Tech JesusSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Hi-Tech Jesus4:312Hi-Tech Jesus (Digital Redemption remix)5:013The Devilish Meetings (exclusive release)2:594Hi-Tech Jesus (Virtual Messiah ultra mix)5:185Jack the Ripper (exclusive release)3:54" (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×Sinful DoveSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Sinful Dove2Criminal World" (Lucifer Rising 2004)
"Give 'Em Hell" (Lucifer Rising 2005)
"Der Golem" (2013)
The Darkest Night EP (Lucifer Rising 2013)
"Ogre's Lullaby" (2013)
"Profanation×ProfanationSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Profanation2Spiritualist Seance" (2013)
"The Night of the Witch" (2013)
Eaters (2013)
"Dyonisus" (2014)
"The Crimson Shrine" (2016)
The 7th Seal Ep (2020)

Compilations

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)
The Story of Death SS. 1977–1984 – Part Two (2008)
All the Colors of the Dark (2011)
Horror Music – Vol.2 – Singles, Outtakes & Rare Tracks – 1997-2007 (2014)
Rarities, Live & Outtakes – An Exclusive for the Cursed Coven (2019)
The Story of Death SS – Early Demos & Live Recordings 1977-1984 / The Horned God of the Witches (2019)
The Evil Singles – 1982 / 1997 (2020)
Special Eleventh (2022)
Horror Music Vol. 3 – B-Sides & Outtakes 2012-2022 (2023)