In 1986 a band from South Bay, California started up under the name Sacrifice. In the very beginning of the band, the line-up was Doug Thieme, Glenn Rogers and Brian Khairullah. Brian left for Deliverance, so they added Roger Dale Martin (ex-Emerald). Then Glenn Rogers left for Deliverance (and later Steel Vengeance & Hirax), so they got Larry Farkas (ex-Deliverance, ex-Holy Soldier) to join instead. Mike Betts (ex-Neon Cross) was also playing with them at the time, and they were working with a few different singers. One of them was a female vocalist named Shannon., who was also working as a manager try out, but that didn't work out. Mike Betts left to rejoin Neon Cross, so Glenn Mancaruso was added as a temporary replacement. In 1987 the band met with Bob Beeman, who suggested Roger Martinez (ex-Prophet) as their singer. They already knew him, as he was Pastor of Sanctuary Hollywood. The bands first gig was together with Barren Cross, Malacia and Neon Cross, but they changed their name to Vengeance only a week prior to the concert, due to another band with the same name. In 1988 the band recorded their first self titled demo, which lead to their first album, entitled 'Human Sacrifice', being released the year after. But after the initial pressing of their first CD came out, another band called Vengeance (the Dutch band w/Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) I believe) gave them trouble, as they already owned the right to record under this name. So the Californians changed their name to Vengeance Rising, and re-released the debut album with the new logo. The band quickly became pioneers in the Christian metal movement, as they were, at the time, one of the more extreme acts in that scene, playing relentless thrash metal. They also became a name in the secular circuits, as they managed to cross over into that market as well.

Roger Dale Martin, Glenn Mancaruso, Larry Farkas, Roger Martinez, Doug Thieme

HUMAN SACRIFICE (1988, 1989) INTENSE/MEDUSA

Human Sacrifice Burn Mulligan Stew Receive Him I Love Hating Evil Fatal Delay White Throne Salvation From The Dead Ascension - instrumental He Is God Fill This Place With Blood Beheaded

Line-up: Roger Martinez - Vocals Larry Farkas - Guitar Doug Thieme - Guitar Roger Martin - Bass Glen Mancaruso - Drums

Originally released under the Vengeance moniker, the band had to change their name to Vengeance Rising due to copyright laws. Only 1000 CD's were ever printed without 'Rising' added. The music on this album is awesome! This is raw and relentless thrash metal. Vengeance Rising managed to create a style of their own. It might be because none of the members were really into this kind of music. Most of them were metalheads alright, but I don't think they were too familiar with the thrash metal movement, especially not the European scene, prior to joining Vengeance. Still they managed to record one of the best albums in the genre. From note one, to the last, this is a platter that never gets dull. The production is a bit muddy, but it never takes away anything from the music. And despite Roger's death-like thrash vocals, the words he sings are still very easy to hear. Their obvious Christian lifestyle, and lyrical approach, set them apart in the crowd. Their image and approach managed to create some controversy in the secular market, and maybe even more so in the Christian market. Bob Beeman's crucified hand, together with the blood-dripping lyrics (still all very Bible-based), were more than many conservative Christians could take. I might be biased when it comes to this album, as it is probably one of the single most influential albums in my life, but I will also claim that 'Human Sacrifice' have managed to stand the test of time. This is one of the very few Christian metal albums I managed to get my unsaved friends to listen to, and open them up for my beliefs. And not only did they like what they heard, they also went out and bought it themselves! So to say that this is a thrash metal masterpiece would not be an exaggeration.

I bought the first pressing of this album as a new release, but then on cassette only. After I got internet, one of the first items I hunted down was this CD. I managed to snag both one with and one without the 'Rising'. Then I accidentally traded away the original pressing! Oh well, it's the music that counts. I also met up with Glenn Rogers in January, 2009. I had him sign my copy of this album. Although he doesn't play a note on the actual album, he co-wrote several of the songs on the album.

Killer tracks: All of them.

ONCE DEAD (1990) INTENSE

Warfare Can't Get Out Cut Into Pieces Frontal Lobotomy Herod's Violent Death The Whipping Post Arise Space Truck'in (Deep Purple cover) Out Of The Will The Wrath To Come Into The Abyss Among The Dead Interruption - outro

Line-up: Roger Martinez - Vocals, Rhythm guitars on 12 Larry Farkas - Lead guitar & miscellaneous noises Doug Thieme - Feedback Roger Martin - "Basssssss" Glen Mancaruso - Traps

'Once Dead' was the bands second release, and it pretty much picks up where 'Human Sacrifice' left off. The production is fuller, and the band is not as fast all the time, but this is still thrash metal at its very best. From the violin-bow played guitar into to "Warfare", to the last shrieked/yelped lines of "Among The Dead", this is yet another fine moment in the bands history. I just would have wished they would have dropped the Deep Purple cover. Is it fun, yes, but is it any good, no. Again, the lyrics are full on Bible-based, and again some Christians accused Vengeance Rising for using scaring tactics. The Norwegian Christian youth magazine, Treff, actually had an article where some preacher claimed that 'Once Dead' was as bad lyrically as Iron Maiden's 'No Prayer For The Dying'!! (Man, why does it always seem that Christians biggest enemies are other Christians?) Wal-Mart also refused to carry this disc, because of the cover art. To me though, this is yet another essential part of my Christian metalhead upbringing, and I have no hesitations to recommend this album to any lover of heavy and/or thrash metal.

Killer tracks. All, except "Space Truckin'"

After the 'Once Dead' tour the band discovered that they had gathered quite a debt. Everyone but Martinez chose to leave, and went on to form Die Happy. Martinez opted to continue, thus taking over not only all the merchandise and equipment the band owned, but also all of the depts. He rounded up a new lineup, consisting of Chris Hyde (ex-Deliverance) and guitarist Derek Sean, and record another album for Intense Records, as the band had already missed their deadline for a new CD. 2 more albums, plus a compilation CD, were released, and while they did well, they never sold enough to erase the huge debt he was left with, according to Martinez

DESTRUCTION COMES (1991) INTENSE

Back when 'Destruction Comes' came out, I was not as hung up line-up etc., so I didn't even notice at first that this was almost  an entirely new band. I just know I liked the music. Roger and his new pals released a  heavier effort with this album, even slowing the pace down a bit here and there, and delivering some death metal elements. Ex-Deliverance drummer, Chris Hyde, gets a joke tune named after him ("Hyde Under Pressure"). The original release of this album came with a sticker on the jewel case, that covered up the torn body of the body-builder, making the man look unharmed. But getting a used copy that has this sticker still intact have so far seemed impossible. This release have not managed to hold the test of time as good as its 2 predecessors. The songs sound too much like each other, and has little variation. It still has its choice cuts, like "You Can't Stop It" and my favorite, "Thanatos" to name a few. This is not to say that this is a bad album, I actually still like it. It just cannot touch 'Human Sacrifice' or 'Once Dead'.

I was pretty late in getting a CD-player. So when 'Destruction Comes' was released, I bought the cassette version (I already had the first 2 albums on cassette and vinyl). And, as usual, I played the crap out of that tape. Then my brother loaned it, to play it for some unsaved kids living at a troubled youth center where he was working at the time. The tape ended up stolen, so I can only hope it managed to minister to someone at that center.

Trivia: Some songs were written to be included on this album, before most of the members left and formed Die Happy. 2 of them were performed on the 'Once Dead'-tour, namely "The Wailing" and "The Contract". "The Wailing" ended up on the first Die Happy album, but then renamed "Cage". The band also did a photo shoot in front of the Jim Jones temple, which of course later appeared in drawing on the actual cover for 'Destruction Comes'.

Killer tracks: You Can't Stop It, The Rising, Before The Time, Countless Corpses, Thanatos, You Will Bow, Raegoul

RELEASED UPON THE EARTH (1992) INTENSE

'Released Upon The Earth' was to be the last album by Vengeance Rising. Roger took the band even further into the death metal style. The core is still thrash, but his vocals are much more in the growling vein. He did get some help from some old acquaintances, as George Ochoa (Recon, Deliverance, Mortification) plays rhythm guitar (under the pseudonym Simon Dawg), and a bunch of other profiles do some backing vocals. Unfortunately, this album is not at all as good as any of the 3 other albums Vengeance Rising released. The album delivers more songs that are mediocre, and less songs that I enjoy to this very day. The whole deal just gets repetitive, and without any real variation. Roger is a much better vocalist then he ever was an instrumentalist, and here non of it really works. The first track on the album pretty much spells it out. A pretty sad ending to one of my all time favorite bands.

One of the worst days in my life was being a youngster entering a record store in Oslo and finding this release on CD. First of all, I didn't even know it was out (living in Norway, and never getting to read the Christian metal magazines, it was impossible to keep up with all the new releases coming out in the US), and secondly, I didn't have any money!! Man, my brain was frying as I had to leave that store without getting to buy this CD. So it wasn't until several years later, when I got the internet, that I was able to track this album down for my collection. Now I own a copy signed by Johnny Vasquez, thanks to Nordic Mission.

Killer tracks: Instruments Of Death, Bishop Of Souls, You Will Be Hated

ANTHOLOGY (1993) INTENSE

Warfare Before The Time Human Sacrifice You Will Be Hated Into The Abyss You Can't Stop It White Throne Can't Get Out Bishop Of Souls Out Of The Will Countless Corpses Mulligan's Stew Instruments Of Death

'Anthology' is just what the title tells you, a compilation of the bands best tracks (in other words, an attempt to cash in on a now defunct band). Not much is working for this release though, as it contains nothing new, the songs are not in chronological order, and can therefore seem a bit messy, and besides including all the lyrics, there is nothing good about the inserts. Of course it dos deliver some of the bands best songs on one CD, but I think I would have picked quite a different track list if I was doing the choosing. I know die hard Vengeance lovers who never even bothered to get this item.

Feeling betrayed by his friends and former band mates, and screwed over by the Christian music industry, Roger started to struggle with his faith. Ultimately he turned from Christianity, and started to profess being a Satanist/atheist. He also turned on the friends he had surrounded himself with, and pretty much cursed them all out, even going as far as making death threats on people he claimed 'stabbed him in the back', including his friend Steve Rowe of Mortification, a band Roger helped get their first record contract. There was also talk of a re-formed Vengeance Rising, with a new lineup and a decidedly Satanic image. He built a website that renounced his previous output and posted articles about Christian leaders that were aimed at making them look foolish, but only proved to make Roger look ridiculous. Roger claimed to release a CD called 'Realms of Blasphemy' on Halloween of 2000, but this recording never actually happened and/or never surfaced. Shannon Frye (ex-Tortured Conscience, Avenger of Blood) was shortly a member of this new line-up. He claims that Roger was impossible to work with, and could not hold on to members long enough to even record a demo. When the tragic terrorist hijackings of 9/11/2001 happened, Martinez offered a free album from his site for military personal only to encourage the holy war against Christians he constantly talked about. The supposed title was 'Smoke Those Motherf**kers' [EP], but as was the case with 'Realms Of Blasphemy', no one have ever seen or heard it either.

Over the years the various Vengeance Rising members have been involved in various projects. Larry Farkas along with with vocalist David Reece (ex-Accept, Bangalore Choir) formed a band called Sircle of Silence that release a couple of CDs. In 2002, Glenn Mancaruso and Larry Farkas, together with ex-Deliverance/Recon/Mortification guitarist George Ochoa formed a modern rock band called S.A.L.T. In August of 2004 the original Vengeance lineup of Roger Dale Martin, Glenn Mancaruso, Larry Farkas and Doug Thieme, along with Ultimatum vocalist Scott Waters performed their first show in Anaheim, CA under the name of Once Dead, performing songs from both of the first two Vengeance albums as well as debuting a new song. The event was filmed, and released on DVD.

Vengeance Rising also appear on:  

V/A - 'Metal Mission - The Sampler'

V/A - 'Hot Metal Summer III'

V/A - 'An Intense History Of Christian Metal'

Roger Martinez guest appearances:  

Sacred Warrior - 'Master's Command'

Recon - 'Behind Enemy Lines'

Mortification - 'Mortification' (also as producer) & 'Scrolls Of The Megilloth'

Deliverance - 'What A Joke?'

Larry Farkas guest appearances:  

Sacred Warrior - 'Master's Command'

Tony Velasquez guest appearances:

Whitecross - 'High Gear'

Related artists:

Die Happy, Deliverance, Recon, Mortification, Once Dead, Emerald, Hirax, Holy Soldier, Avenger Of Blood