Oct 19, 2026 · 58 min · 11 segments
In this episode, we take a deep dive into The Obsessed, the 1990 self-titled debut from the Potomac, Maryland doom band led by Scott “Wino” Weinrich and a foundational document of heavy music in…
The Obsessed formed in 1976 in Potomac, Maryland, as War Horse, led by guitarist and vocalist Scott Wino Weinrich.
In a Washington scene dominated by punk and hardcore, the band played a heavy, Black Sabbath-derived style that set them apart from their peers, even as they shared stages with punk acts and drew on the same DIY infrastructure.
In 1985, the band
recorded a complete album at Ambient Studios in College Park, Maryland, intended for Metal Blade Records.
With Weinrich on vocals and guitar, Mark Liu on bass, and Ed Gulley on drums, the album was shelved and went unreleased.
The Obsessed disbanded in early 1986 when Weinrich relocated to California to front the Los Angeles doom band, St. Vitus.
replacing singer Scott Ragers and recording several albums with them, including Born Too Late.
The shelved material resurfaced at the end of the decade when Weinrich had the tapes mixed in Berlin and the German label Hellhound Records agreed to release them on the condition that he reformed the band.
The self-titled album appeared in 1990, prompting Weinrich to leave St. Vitus and reassemble the Obsessed with a new rhythm section of bassist Scott Reeder and drummer Greg Rogers.
Composed entirely of the band's oldest recordings and opening with Tombstone Highway, the record is known among fans as the Purple Album.
The Obsessed established the template for heavy music in Washington, proving that a metal band could take hold in a punk city and laying the groundwork for the DMV doom lineage that followed.
The Obsessed formed in 1976 in Potomac, Maryland, as War Horse, led by guitarist and vocalist Scott Wino Weinrich.
In a Washington scene dominated by punk and hardcore, the band played a heavy, Black Sabbath-derived style that set them apart from their peers, even as they shared stages with punk acts and drew on the same DIY infrastructure.
In 1985, the band
recorded a complete album at Ambient Studios in College Park, Maryland, intended for Metal Blade Records.
With Weinrich on vocals and guitar, Mark Liu on bass, and Ed Gulley on drums, the album was shelved and went unreleased.
The Obsessed disbanded in early 1986 when Weinrich relocated to California to front the Los Angeles doom band, St. Vitus.
replacing singer Scott Ragers and recording several albums with them, including Born Too Late.
The shelved material resurfaced at the end of the decade when Weinrich had the tapes mixed in Berlin and the German label Hellhound Records agreed to release them on the condition that he reformed the band.
The self-titled album appeared in 1990, prompting Weinrich to leave St. Vitus and reassemble the Obsessed with a new rhythm section of bassist Scott Reeder and drummer Greg Rogers.
Composed entirely of the band's oldest recordings and opening with Tombstone Highway, the record is known among fans as the Purple Album.
The Obsessed established the template for heavy music in Washington, proving that a metal band could take hold in a punk city and laying the groundwork for the DMV doom lineage that followed.
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