American doom metal veterans THE OBSESSED have entered Waterford Digital Studio in Pasadena, Maryland with producer Frank Marchand to begin recording their new full-length album, “Live Fast – Love Hard – Die Free”, tentatively due in 2027.

The band says: “We’re exited as fukk to lay this on y’all , YAHOOO!!!”

Last July, THE OBSESSED parted ways with drummer Brian Costantino and replaced him with Bob Pantella — the powerhouse percussionist known for his crushing work with MONSTER MAGNET and THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX.

THE OBSESSED returned in 2024 after a seven-year absence with its acclaimed latest album, “Gilded Sorrow”, on independent Californian label Ripple Music. Lauded as a “must-listen for fans of the genre and a compelling entry point for newer voyagers into the world of doom” by Metal Hammer and “the best the band has ever sounded” by Ghost Cult magazine, “Gilded Sorrow” was described in a press release as “a defiantly abrasive, crushing and straightforward album that has already left an indelible mark on the heavy music landscape.”

Weinrich is a living legend. In a way, he is the American version of Lemmy and shares many traits with the late, much-beloved metal icon. He’s always been a rebel, loner and an outsider in an outsider scene, pursuing his music without regard for popularity or acceptance. In the process, he came to be considered one of the early pioneers of American doom. All of this began when he founded THE OBSESSED back in the 1970s, then pursued through his many other outfits such as SAINT VITUS and SPIRIT CARAVAN. As a key part of the 1980s Washington/Maryland music scene, his music earned the respect of metal, punk and crossover fans alike while often being dubbed doom metal. Looking back, it was just gritty, street-wise American metal with a cynical bent and psychedelic flair, and this is what made him the unique and timeless heavy music icon he is today.

THE OBSESSED was formed in the late 1970s in Potomac, Maryland by Weinrich. The band spawned in the realm of musicians/artists such as BLACK SABBATH, Frank Zappa, THE DICTATORS and THE STOOGES. The earliest lineup consisted of Wino, bassist Mark Laue, guitarist John Reese and drummer Dave Flood. In 1983, Wino took over vocal duties and the band became a three-piece to record the “Sodden Jackal” EP. The band broke up in the late 80s after Wino moved to California to join SAINT VITUS. At that time, a German label, Hellhound Records, and the booking agency that had signed SAINT VITUS, released “The Obsessed”, originally recorded in 1985, prompting Wino to reform THE OBSESSED. After multiple lineup changes, the band signed to Columbia Records in 1994 to release their third album, “The Church Within”. Despite highly acclaimed reviews, they would break up following the release, seeing Wino forming SPIRIT CARAVAN (then SHINE) and other projects.