Atrophy, originally named Heresy, was formed in 1986 by Chris Lykins, James Gulotta, and Brian Zimmerman.
[1] In 1987, they produced two cassette demos and were subsequently picked up by heavy metal label, Roadrunner Records, which released two albums: Socialized Hate in 1988 and Violent by Nature in 1990.
These albums saw Atrophy tour the U.S. and Europe, or play selected shows, with the likes of Slayer, Exodus, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, Sacred Reich, Dark Angel, Forced Entry, Coroner, D.R.I., Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel and Venom.
Following their 1990 European tour with Sacred Reich and Venom, Lykins left the band to pursue a medical school course, and as a consequence, Atrophy was dropped from Roadrunner.
[6] The band's lineup had changed multiple times, with Zimmerman as the only remaining original member, by the 2024 release of their third album Asylum.