The godfathers and forefathers of the brooding doom rock genre with more than forty crosses on their necks, currently experiencing a resurrection.
THE OBSESSED was founded in the late 70's in Potomac, Maryland by legendary guitarist Scott "Wino" Wenrich (Saint Vitus/Spirit Caravan). The band was born in the realm of musicians/artists such as Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa, The Dictators and The Stooges. The earliest lineup consisted of Wino, Mark Laue (bass), John Reese (guitars) and Dave Flood (drums). In 1983, Wino took over lead vocals and the band became a three-piece to record the Sodden Jackal EP.
The band broke up in the late 1980s after Wino moved to California to join Saint Vitus. At that time, the German label Hellhound Records and the booking agency signed to Saint Vitus released THE OBSESSED, originally recorded in 1985, which prompted Wino to reform THE OBSESSED. After several line-up changes, the band signed to Columbia Records in 1994 and released their third and final album, The Church Within. Despite highly positive reviews, THE OBSESSED broke up again after the album's release and Wino formed Spirit Caravan (Then Shine) and other projects.
In March 2016, Wino announced the return of THE OBSESSED full-time. The band also became a four-piece for the first time that year.
In 2017 THE OBSESSED released "Sacred", their first studio album in over twenty years. Now they're back with their rockiest album yet, "Gilded Sorrow", due out February 16, 2024. Featuring a four-piece lineup with Jason Taylor (guitar), it's more aggressive, more straightforward than ever.
