Jeff Parsons

Jeff Parsons
Background information
Birth Name	Jeff Parsons
Died	August 2022
Genres	Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Instrument(s)	Bass, Guitar
Years active	1983 - ?
Labels	Hellhound Records
Associated acts	Wretched, Unorthodox

Jeff Parsons was a bassist and guitarist based out of Maryland. Active from the early 1980s up until roughly 2009, he was best known for his tenures with the Maryland doom metal bands Unorthodox and Wretched.

History

Prior to joining Unorthodox and forming Wretched, Parsons performed with the thrash metal band Fatal Sin from 1983 - 1986. The band would change their name to Indestroy in 1986 and release an album and an extended play before disbanding in 1990. Parsons would join Unorthodox in 1990 with Dale Flood and Ron Kalimon. The band would perform shows in the same local areas and record a demo that same year which would gain the attention of one Hellhound Records. As a link to their past moniker with a few songs re-recorded under the new name along with a host of new songs, Unorthodox's debut album Asylum would be released in 1992. While exact dates aren't known the band did tour Europe and especially Germany the next year in support of the album. The band would also play a festival in Wilmers Park, Maryland known as Relapse Fest alongside the likes of Internal Void, Macabre and Anal Cunt.

In 1992, Parsons would leave the group to concentrate on his other band Wretched. He would found the project with Dave Sherman, Gus Basilika and Johnny Kotsioukis.

Largely playing the Maryland and DC area in their initial tenure the band managed to sign to Hellhound Records. With the noted doom label the band managed to release three studio albums in three years: Life Out There in 1993, Psychosomatic Medicine in 1994 and Center of the Universe in 1995. From that point the band's activity and existence is somewhat of a mystery. Gary Isom would join the band at some point in 1996 but leave the group to form Spirit Caravan with Dave Sherman while the latter also founded Earthride the next year.

Parsons would rejoin Unorthodox in 2000 and remain with the band until 2003. Wretched would reform sometime around 2004 with Parsons as the sole original member. Louis Strachan (Iron Man), Jon Blank (Rezin) and eventually Rob Brannigan would round out the remaining lineup. However, Basilika would return to the group to record three songs with this lineup, with plans to record a new album.

On 2 May 2009 while on tour with Wino in Europe, Jon Blank died of an accidental drug overdose. Out of respect for Blank, Parsons chose to end the band. The band did host one more show at a private event on 19 July 2009 with Sherman on vocals. Wretched's final recordings in Black Ambience were released in September 2009 as a memorial to Blank.

Parsons would pass away in August of 2022.

Bands

• Fatal Sin - Bass (1983 - 1986)
• Indestroy - Bass (1986 - 1990)
• Unorthodox - Bass, Guitar (1990 - 1993, 2000 - 2003)
• Wretched - Guitar (1992 - 1996, 2004 - 2009)

Discography

With Wretched

• Life Out There (Album) (1993, Hellhound Records)
• Psychosomatic Medicine (Album) (1994, Hellhound Records)
• Center of the Universe (Album) (1995, Hellhound Records)
• Black Ambience (EP) (2009, PsycheDOOMelic Records)

Other Releases

• Fatal Sin - Demo 1985 (Demo) (1985, Self-Released)
• Fatal Sin - Demo 1986 (Demo) (1986, Self-Released)
• Indestroy - Indestroy (Demo) (1986, Self-Released)
• Indestroy - Indestroy (Studio Album) (1987, New Renaissance)
• Indestroy - Senseless Theories (EP) (1989, Restless Records)
• Unorthodox - Asylum (Studio Album) (1992, Hellhound Records)