Angel Corpse

The band was born from the ashes of Pete Helmkamp's former band, Order from Chaos, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and then relocated to Tampa, Florida. It was formed in 1995, made up of Helmkamp, guitarist Gene Palubicki and drummer John Longstreth, and recorded a demo, Goats to Azazael, which led to a contract with the label Osmose Productions. The band's first album, Hammer of Gods, was released in 1996, after which guitarist Bill Taylor was recruited, playing on their second album, Exterminate (1998). Drummer Tony Laureano joined shortly after its release, but Taylor left the band. Its third album, The Inexorable, was released at the end of 1999, after which Taylor was recruited.