This page is dedicated to the Living Sacrifice years in which D.J was in the band. The years that they were signed to R.E.X music. The era where they did Thrash and Death Metal. This page is run by Austin and Jason with help from DJ. (photos,info,ect.).It was started when Austin contacted DJ and asked if he would help with a page dedicated to the R.E.X years of LS. The reason we have this page up is because, the other myspace profiles that are of Living Sacrifice, mostly have the Metalcore stuff they did after D.J had left the band. This page is still fairly new though.
So if anyone has some LS photos, flyers, or tatts pics. that they want to share that would be cool.
Now for the history of this band.Living Sacrifice started in the fall of 1989, with founder Darren Johnson (D.J), and Bruce Fitzhugh, and Lance Garvin. Then in high school, Jason Truby was added to complete Living Sacrifice. This all started in Little Rock Arkansas.
All four of the members were heavily into thrash metal. Bands that had influenced them were bands like, Believer, the crucified, Deliverance, and Bloodgood. Other bands that were secular that influenced them were acts like, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Testament. You can really see that in the first album. The band members wanted something really heavy, so they decided to start up a band of their own.
"We were kinda strange back then," said Bruce Fitzhugh, "metal kids who didn't drink or do drugs, like so many of our peers who were partying metalheads. Our Church leaders, and our peers didn't know what to think of our love for metal music, our love for God, or the way we chose to look."
D.J used to be subscribed to Heavens Metal magazine. He would order demos from there and most of it sucked. Once in a while he would get something that was good.
He got the demo from Believer , and each band member was so kind as to leave their personal adress and home telaphone number. For D.J to have Kurt from Believer's home phone number, was priceless!!! He ended up calling him and having a few conversations with him. Kurt suggested a demo, and Living Sacrifice recorded "...not yielding to the ungodly." Soon Living Sacrifice was signed to R.E.X Records.
In 1991 they went to record their first full length album which was self titled. At the time the band members were about 18 years old. They had cut classes in may to record, and Kurt from Believer was there producing them.
The album turned out well. It was considered a Christian Thrash metal Classic. When listening to the album, the first band to come to mind, are Slayer, Testament, and Metallica. In other words, Living Sacrifices debut album smokes!!!
1992 Coming of the succcess of their debut album, which included 56 weeks in the top ten metal albums on the PURE ROCK REPORT, three top ten CCM metal singles, a very impressive cornstone'92 showing and a twenty-city tour,
Living Sacrifice returned to the studio to record NONEXISTENT. This time the experience was less rushed,they had two weeks and not just 6 days like the first album, to record.The recording was done with an engineer who had never worked with heavy bands before.(Though he had done Amy Grants Chirstmas album. lol) The sound of the Florida death metal scene had a profound effect on these songs. The songs were heavier and faster, with blast-beats and all. There were heavy melodic parts as well. There were also many parts with acoustic guitar, that took a break from the brutallity. The vocals on this album were not the typical Chris Barnes styled growls.
No, D.J made it more unique, and did slurred growly shouts, and another thing different from the last album is the downtuned guitars. After the album was recorded and released, the tour came.
The band also during this time released a remix album with Scott Albert
(now CELLDWELLER frontman Clayton Scot) of Circle of Dust. This was the brainchild of after show talks with Scott on the "ANOREXIA SPITIRUAL" tour. The album has three remixes with LIVING SACRIFICE songs and one previously unreleased song from the band called " DESOLATE. "
1993-1994
On Christmas day Living Sacrifice drove their van with all their equipment to a tiny town outside of Hershey PA. In spring of 1994 INHABIT was released. This third recording for REX Records turned out to be the heaviest and most technical record to date. The album was more downtuned death metal D.J tried a new style of vocals, which were deep, clear and forcful. The album had more blast-beats, and of course beautiful yet haunting acoustic guitars. This album was different from non-existent. The only similarity was that very very dark atmosphere to the sound. Unfortunatly the only touring that Living Sacrifice did for Inhabit was only a couple weeks with Death Metal's great Maleavolent Creation.
1995
REX Records were in financial difficulty and Living Sacrifice took the opportunity to leave the label with all of their masters for all three records. This would prove a smart move later on.
Unfortunatly, the founding member D.J did not want to continue with the band. No one ever said why he left the band. He was just done with music for a time. After he left, they all cut their hair, and went into metalcore. Many fans were bummed, but then they got new fans with this change into metalcore, and Bruce stepping up to the vocal post.
The question is, would Living Sacrifice still have gone metalcore if D.J never left? "Living Sacrifice's first song released was entiled "PROGRESSIVE CHASNGE, " D.J says. " That seems fitting, because the band always progressed. How the band progressed from the demo to In Memoriam was a blessed path." But, we will never know. Luckily the first 3 albums were re-issued by solidstate records in 1999. It would suck if the first 3 albums were extinct from the earth. Thank God we have it to listen to forever. Unfortunatly eights years later the band broke up. The band did a good job throughout the 14 years.
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Hi there LIVING SACRIFICE first of all we'd like to say thanks for being our myspace pal. We wanted to make sure you knew the reason incase we suddenly vanish off of your friends list. The movement we've started for indie artists has grown significantly and consumes all of our time these days. We seldom sign into our myspace account and this is making several people believe that we are ignoring them. We are not ignoring anyone, we wanted everyone to know that. What we're doing has become so busy we just don't have the time for myspace any longer, so in all honesty we are probably going to just close our myspace account.
Many people wanted to use us in the future so if you were one of those people make sure you bookmark the link below so that in the event that we do close our myspace account you won't lose contact with us. I wish you the best of luck in your music career. Thanks again for being our myspace pal.
We have also built a pretty big music community which you are welcome to join if you want to meet new artists like yourself!
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
We thought you would be blessed to read a Bible-based research article on Where is God When Tragedy Strikes?
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However, if you type in TruthOrTradition. com into your address bar and then add /tragedy on the end, you can go straight to the article without getting the off-site warning.
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, and each band member was so kind as to leave their personal adress and home telaphone number. For D.J to have Kurt from Believer's home phone number, was priceless!!! He ended up calling him and having a few conversations with him. Kurt suggested a demo, 
and Living Sacrifice recorded "...not yielding to the ungodly." Soon Living Sacrifice was signed to R.E.X Records.
The album turned out well. It was considered a Christian Thrash metal Classic. When listening to the album, the first band to come to mind, are Slayer, Testament, and Metallica. In other words, Living Sacrifices debut album smokes!!!
Unfortunatly the only touring that Living Sacrifice did for Inhabit was only a couple weeks with Death Metal's great Maleavolent Creation.
