[2] Living Death was formed in 1981 in Velbert, North Rhine-Westphalia,[1] by Reiner and Dieter Kelch, and Frank Fricke, starting out as a simple heavy metal band.

In 1984, Living Death released their debut album Vengeance of Hell, which, despite poor production quality, sold well in all independent charts.

Living Death then went on tour in support of Warlock; after which they fired drummer Harald Lutze and replaced him with Andreas Overhoff.

After the release of their fourth studio album Worlds Neuroses in 1989,[4][5] band members Toto, Fred and Atomic Steif left the band (and recorded one EP as Sacred Chao, taking the name from a song on Worlds Neuroses).

The remaining Living Death members then recruited vocalist Gerald Thelen and drummer Frank Ullrich as replacements.