Living Sacrifice

Lore & Background

Living Sacrifice formed in 1989 by Darren 'D.J.' Johnson (bass, vocals), Bruce Fitzhugh (guitar), and Lance Garvin (drums); Jason Truby later joined on guitar. Their debut show was on December 1, 1989, in front of a hall of nurses. A three-song demo, Not Yielding to Ungodly (1990), led to a signing with R.E.X. Records. Their self-titled debut album (1991) was recorded at Catamount Recording Studio in Iowa with producer Kurt Bachman and drew comparisons to thrash metal groups like Slayer. The second album, Nonexistent (1992), saw a switch to down-tuned death metal and death growls; the band was disappointed with the producer, who had no prior metal experience. The third album, Inhabit (1994), is considered by some the heaviest of their albums. After R.E.X. went bankrupt, Living Sacrifice signed to Solid State Records.

Reader's Guide

Living Sacrifice is significant as one of the earliest Christian death metal bands, influencing later acts such as As I Lay Dying, Demon Hunter, and Underøath. Their shift from thrash and death metal to groove metal and metalcore on Reborn (1997) broadened their audience and is considered their most influential record. The band disbanded in 2003 due to other projects, but reformed in 2008 and continued releasing albums, including The Infinite Order (2010) and Ghost Thief (2013). Their legacy includes a best-of compilation, In Memoriam (2005), and a documentary, 30 Years of Sacrifice, delayed by COVID-19. The band's style has been described as Christian metal, death metal, thrash metal, groove metal, and metalcore.

Did You Know?

• Living Sacrifice's name is derived from Romans 12:1.
• The band's third album, Inhabit (1994), is considered by some the heaviest of all Living Sacrifice albums.
• Reborn (1997) is considered the most influential of all Living Sacrifice records and earned them a larger non-Christian fanbase.