I'm a huge fan of Death SS. I love their early material but I also like their later material too. They were a very versitile band, playing many different styles. I don't know too many people who listen to them and personally I think their music and influence are really underrated. Anyone else agree?

Also does anyone know where I can find their cds or vinyls? I can't seem to find them anywhere and their official site is in Italian so I can't understand it.

I haven't listened to them yet, but I have them filed away under "Must Hear". I'm just waiting to be gripped by the proper inspiration, then I will delve into the entire discography.

As for purchases, I may direct you to this wonderful website:

http://metalpricewatch.com/list3.php?fr ... rch=Search

I like their earlier material. A really dark atmosphere, heavy as fuck riffs and a real attitude is what their earlier stuff had. Not too keen on the later industrialized stuff though.

They also look stupid as fuck.

I prefer their demo stuff. The atmosphere is completely unique and few bands come even close to that. The debut album kind of lacks that atmosphere, but the amount of great riffs makes up for it. My favorite Death SS full-length is Black Mass, though, which has a magical atmosphere and awesome riffs. In a way it's closer to their demo stuff than the first album was.

Heavy Demons is a fun album, but not in the same league with the earlier stuff. I should probably pick up "Do What Thou Wilt" too at some point. The later stuff is terrible and not worth checking out.

I agree about the early stuff. It's so atmospheric and heavy and ahead of its time. I hated their industrial stuff when I first heard but after a while I got into some of it though it's nowhere near as great as their early stuff.

The costumes in the early days were cheesy but added to the atmosphere, their newer costumes are just terrible.

I love everything Death SS did until they turned into a bizarre Gwar/Marilyn Manson hybrid. 'In Death of Steve Sylvester' is incredible.

That's my personal favourite, with Black Mass not far behind. That album is just crushing.

I love this band until the late masterpiece Do What Thou Wilt. Black Mass is a masterpiece for the first part of their career, Do What Thou Wilt is a materpiece for the second part of their story.

For vynils and so on, check out the Jolly Roger Records (is in Italy) site and you can find even the 7" but they are quite expensive due to their rarity!

I wish I could find some of this band's material for purchase. I looked on ebay and found maybe two of their earlier albums, if Do What Thou Wilt is pre-Industrial Death SS.

I suggest hearing something by Paul Chain solo too.

Paul Chain is amazing and he writes such weird but good music. Some of his later albums are easier to find than Death SS.

I like these obscure older acts, and I am very intrigued about Death SS. I looked for some of their material and all I was able to find was:

Panic
Seventh Seal
Story of Death SS (best of)
Heavy Demons
Do What Thou Wilt

The Story of Death SS is a great place to start, it's all of their older stuff. Heavy Demons is good, the other releases are industrial.

Do What Thou Wilt is not completely industrial. It was the first example of different influences in Death SS sound and the atmosphere is far gloomier than the one on Panic that is the very first industrial example....

Death SS with Paul Chain is the best. Therefore, I prefer the compilation "The Story of Death SS"...but the debut LP is cool as well, though it has some needless traccks. Still, "Vampire" and "Werewolf" are damn fine songs.

Not too into the later stuff. The keyboard-heavy gothic-tinged material sounds like crud to me. I think Paul Chain was right to jump ship when he did. Still ... "Chains of deaath!"

This is a band that I must check out. I have heard of them from a few different people.

Yeah, you must. Along with Bulldozer, Necrodeath and Mortuary Drape they represented the occult soul of Italy in that period...there were great bands at the time in my country, not like now...

you left out the most occult band from Italy: Black Hole!
anyway, only the Paul Chain Death SS material is mandatory, the later stuff is techno shit

Obviously!

My favourite release by them is compilation Horror Music. The band on their early material has a unique sound and cannot be mistaken for any other. They play thrashy Heavy Metal with a very dark atmosphere, at times reminiscent of Black Metal. The band is frequently overlooked.

for the first period, the primordial form of doom metal was really important for them. They were original also for the way they dressed and for the lyrics...

I think the tradition of occult rock and metal in Italy is really interesting, and it's clear that stuff like Jacula/Antonius Rex, Goblin, and maybe even Il Balletto di Bronzo and Biglietto Per L'inferno for example had a huge influence on the Italian metal scene of hte 80s and early 90s. You can even hear it in the keyboard-heavy and mystical Evol, a band that I'm finally starting to warm up to.

EVOL is an important band in the occult field in Italy. The style was unique at the time in my country: black metal with atmospheric parts and medieval influences...I like them a lot!

So, out of these, I should just purchase Do What Thou Wilt, Story of Death SS and Heavy Demons?

It depends on what you want from Death SS...

If you want old school style, check out everything up to Heavy Demons that was already a bit more accessible and melodic, but if you want more industrial touches, check out from Do What Thou Wilt till recent times...

Mike the singer of Dimentianon is probably the world's biggest Evol fan. He even got the Evol singer to do some guest vocals on Dimentianon's "Hossanas Novus Ordo Seclurum" release.

Yea, I want OLD Death SS... Before the Industrial crap lol.