Severance

Formed in Texas circa 1989, death metal band Severance labored in obscurity for most of the '90s. A set of 1991/1992 demos did the rounds in the underground metal scene, but personnel problems soon brought them to a standstill for the next four years. They finally resurfaced with a self-financed album, entitled Salvation Denied, in 1996, but little more was heard from them until the year 2000, when they signed a deal with Spain's Repulse label. Released in early 2001, their second album What Lies Ahead featured a lineup consisting of singer Joe Vasquez, guitarists Ralph Gutierrez and Lupe Duque, bassist Abiel Barrerra, and drummer Jaime Pérez.