Fatalist

Fatalist is a Denver death metal group associated with old school death metal, metal, hardcore and post-black metal tags. The band begins as an idea for an all-Swedish death metal cover act called Stockholm Syndrome, but after some members do not commit, the project pauses. In spring 2006, Wes Caley, known for work with Uphill Battle and Exhumed, decides to turn it into an original-song band rooted in the style of Entombed, Nihilist, Grave, Dismember and Unleashed. He contacts Neil Burkdoll, who also works in Dirty Dead and Stump, after hearing Burkdoll’s POOR project, which matches that direction. When Burkdoll is preparing to move to California, the two decide to form Fatalist.

The line-up later expands to include Tyler Castro and Art Hayes, formerly of Butchery, on drums and bass. In late summer 2007 the band records a seven-song demo called Loss. It then starts looking for shows in California. In 2008 Fatalist signs to Ibex Moon Records. The debut album, In the Depths of Inhumanity, appears in 2009 on that label. After that release, Wes Caley leaves and later returns to Exhumed full time.

Fatalist continues with guitarist Matt Drexler and lead vocalist Mike Pinkerton joining the group. That line-up records a cover of Death’s Beyond the Unholy Grave for the soundtrack of The After Party Massacre. After a three-year hiatus, Neil and Wes begin work on a second album. The band signs to Germany’s FDA Rekotz, and The Bitter End follows in 2016.