Dear Deceased formed in San Jose, CA, in 1990. Their heavy, rhythmic sound and complex arrangements took form out of the ashes bands whose members were influenced by everything from West Coast crossover thrash to post-punk, glam rock, industrial, grunge, British heavy metal and especially, Black Sabbath.

The material flowed from the quartet, but they lacked a frontman. So the band continued to play instrumentally until one pivotal show when the audience got a surprise. Nobody in the crowd knew Dear Deceased had invited a vocalist to join them onstage to have a go at singing live. Emerging from the audience, clutching the mic, the unknown singer belted out a song. His soaring vocals meshed perfectly with the band’s angular riffs and pummeling rhythm section. They now had their vocalist.

With the lineup complete, Dear Deceased immediately booked a recording session at House of Faith, the Bay Area studio known for punk and metal run by the masterful Bart Thurber. Initially distributed as cassettes, these recordings soon became coveted cult items among fans. Before long, the band was selling out shows with their intense, live performances. Dear Deceased’s remarkable sound soon caught the attention of record labels. Yet despite the interest, the band dissolved before a label deal could materialize. Lacking the widespread distribution of the pre-streaming era, the music faded into relative obscurity.

Fast forward to years later, when Thurber came across the master tape in his archives. This find led to a revival of Dear Deceased’s music, with Ripple Music stepping in to give the songs a proper release. A new rendition of the band’s art, has been re-drawn by long-time friend Rob Klem in keeping with the band’s original vision and includes an insert with archival photos by Brandy Bennet Jordan.

“Dear Deceased” is the seventh chapter of Californian music label Ripple Music’s “Beneath The Desert Floor” series, which unearths long-lost treasures from the golden days of stoner and desert rock, such as releases from Fireball Ministry, The Awesome Machine, Glitter Wizard, Witch White Canyon, Rollerball and the Sabians.