THE OBSESSED

As taken from Wikipedia & the Southern Lord webpages
The band formed originally in the late 1970s, in Potomac, Maryland led by Wino on guitar with Vance Brockis singing. Later on the group moved into a band house in Rockville, Maryland where some of their most creative and hardest music was written. Before this move however original guitar player John Reese went his separate way, as did Brockis. During this time the band won the infamous Battle of the Bands at Baltimores Marble Bar by actually beating up one of the competing bands. During this time they had 1 track ("Concrete Cancer") featured on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre Vol VI.
Wino, along with bassist Mark Laue and drummer Ed Gulli, released the now rare ‘Sodden Jackyl’ EP before Wino jumped ship to front SAINT VITUS. With Wino on board SAINT VITUS released a series of classic Doom albums such as ‘Born Too Late’ “V” (soon to be re-issued on Southern Lord) and ‘Mournful Cries’, finally bowing out with the ‘Live’ album. German Doom label Hellhound issued a collection of archive tracks in 1990 (S/T, or bka the “purple album”) prompting a reformation of the band with Wino now being joined by ACID CLOWN bass player Danny Hood and ex-POISON 13, SCRATCH ACID and ACID CLOWN drummer Greg Rogers. Sadly Hood would later die in a motorbike accident. Hood was replaced by ACROSS THE RIVER and (later) Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder, and this trio recorded 1992’s ‘Lunar Womb’ for Hellhound Records
Such was the impact of the ‘Lunar Womb’ album THE OBSESSED were now a recognized influence on the scene and the band were signed by the major label conglomerate: Columbia. Reeder decamped to KYUSS and his place was taken by former BEAVER, and B.A.L.L. man Guy Pinhas for the 1994 ‘The Church Within’ album. Promotion was accelerated for this release with support dates to WHITE ZOMBIE, an appearance at the ‘Dynamo Open Air’ festival in Holland and even video airings on MTV.
Wino was also invited to join the BULLRING BRUMMIES act that included BLACK SABBATH’s bassist Geezer Butler and JUDAS PRIEST’s vocalist Rob Halford contributing a track to the ‘Nativity In Black’ BLACK SABBATH tribute album. With Columbia dropping the band, THE OBSESSED struck out into indie territory once again, issuing the ‘Altamont Nation’ EP through Bongload Custom Records. Included in the grooves would be a rendition of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD’s ‘Inside Looking Out’. However, somewhat inevitably the band folded once again in 1995.
Wino created SHINE, an act that soon evolved into SPIRIT CARAVAN. Other post-Obsessed activities for Wino include working with PLACE OF SKULLS (on the With Vision album), guesting on a Clutch album (Pure Rock Fury) , PROBOT (hand selected by Dave Grohl), and his new outfit: The Hidden Hand. Obsessed alumni Pinhas and Rogers forged GOATSNAKE with guitarist Greg Anderson (sunn0))), and Southern Lord). Pinhas left this act (his temporary replacement being Scott Reeder!) to join ACID KING.
Originally release in 1999 'Incarnate' is a mammoth collection of early demos and rare material. Including the unreleased 'Yen Sleep' and cover versions of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's 'Inside Looking Out' and LYNYRD SKYNRD's 'On The Hunt', the latter track featuring Dale Crover of THE MELVINS on drums. This now re-issued version contains 5 bonus tracks (4 being from the very last demos the band recorded), and the video of “Streetside”.