Upon leaving Saint Vitus -- whose unabashed worship of Black Sabbath helped lay the groundwork for the sludge, stoner, and doom metal mini-movements of the '90s -- vocalist/guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinrich re-formed the Obsessed, a band he'd founded in Washington, D.C., in the early '80s prior to joining Saint Vitus. Initially including a rhythm section of bassist Mark Laue and drummer Ed Gulli, the Obsessed had recorded a live EP back in 1984, but didn't make their full-length debut until 1990's The Obsessed, recorded for the small Hellhound label. Personnel shifts ensued (Melvins drummer Dale Crover passed through the ranks at one time or another): bassist Scott Reeder and drummer Greg Rogers joined for the 1991 follow-up Lunar Womb. Reeder subsequently left the band to join Kyuss, and was replaced by Guy Pinhas, just as the Obsessed was landing a major-label deal with Columbia. Although many described it as the group's most focused album, 1994's The Church Within also proved to be their last. Following the breakup, Pinhas and Rogers formed Goatsnake, while Weinrich started up a new outfit first called Shine, then quickly renamed Spirit Caravan. In 1999, Southern issued a collection of outtakes and rarities titled Incarnate, and the following year repackaged The Obsessed together with the original lineup's 1984 EP. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
The band formed originally in the early 1980s, in Potomac, Maryland, led by Wino. 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 departed from the band. The band became a trio and remained that way until the mid eighties when Vance Bockis and Norman Lawson joined the band. During this time they released the Sodden Jackyl EP and had one track ("Concrete Cancer") featured on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre VI.
The band broke up in the late 80s and Wino went west to California to join up with Saint Vitus. Wino recorded three albums, an EP, and a live album with Saint Vitus. Hellhound Records (Vitus's then current label) released The Obsessed, an album of archived Obsessed recordings, which prompted Wino to leave Vitus and reform The Obsessed with a new rhythm section consisting of Scott Reeder and Greg Rogers. The band was quickly signed to Hellhound Records and released soon released Lunar Womb. Scott Reeder later left to join Kyuss, whereupon he was replaced by Guy Pinhas. Columbia Records signed them for their third and final album, The Church Within (1994, see 1994 in music), which received rave reviews. Despite a large amount of promotion on behalf of Columbia Records (including a 25-minute documentary on the history of The Obsessed), the album did not sell as well as expected. After the demise of The Obsessed, Wino went on to form Spirit Caravan, while The Obsessed's rhythm section became the basis for Goatsnake.
