1984
Walt Trachsler, guitar tech for Darrell Abbott and roadie for Pantera, spends over a year looking for musicians who know what Exciter and early Slayer are. He finds
John Perez through a card at an Arlington music store — Perez had been searching for the same thing and was about to give up.
1985
Rotting Corpse forms in the Dallas–Arlington–Ft. Worth metroplex: Trachsler, Perez, and fellow Pantera roadie
Jim “Moe” Mulqueen, with Dave Gryder on drums after meeting Mulqueen at Savvy’s. First show December 6th at Rascals in Arlington. Most of the set is covers.
1986
First demo cut at Pantego Sound Studio in the spring, engineered by Jerry Abbott — Darrell and Vinnie Paul’s father. Trachsler plays guitar and bass, Perez the leads, Mulqueen sings. Tapes go out to fanzines worldwide and keep selling out.
Randy “Gribb” Cook joins on bass, then moves to drums.
1987
Steve Murphy joins on bass from Eldritch Rite. That spring the founding lineup comes apart: Perez leaves to found doom pioneers Solitude Aeturnus, Cook heads back to Michigan, Mulqueen departs. Louie Carrisalez comes in on drums and Roger Gallardo of Hellpreacher on second guitar. Trachsler takes over vocals and the new three-piece cuts
F*ck It, It’s Only Thrash with Vinnie Paul engineering. Short Texas run with Dark Angel.
1988
Murphy returns, Luke Brewer takes over lead guitar, Cook comes back on drums. The third demo is recorded at Pantego with Vinnie Paul — studio time paid for by trading him an old boat, which later sinks. About four hours in the room; it’s never mixed and only two songs survive.
1989
On the way to Corpus Christi, four of them crammed into the cab of a box van in freezing rain, Cook names the era: the Circus of Fools. It sticks.
1990
January 13th–14th: the fourth demo, Neck Breaking Fury, recorded at Elephant Track Studios in San Antonio with Dave Gryder back on drums and Scott Shelby of Gammacide on leads. Devastation’s Rodney Dunsmore plans a 500-copy vinyl press that never happens. Trachsler steps in as touring guitarist for Death on the European leg of the Spiritual Healing tour. The original run ends with a Valentine’s Day show in San Antonio — a three-piece, with Dunsmore up singing “War on Drugs.”
Jul 2004
Trachsler comes to Murphy’s wedding and stays long enough to play the next day. It was meant as one last trip down memory lane. It restarts the band instead.
2005
All four demos remastered by Allen Crider and released as The Demos on the band’s own F**k It Records — hand-numbered, signed, and sold out. The Memorial Day Massacre tour runs Corpus Christi, Houston, Arlington and Austin in May; Perez comes up for a song and Mulqueen sings at the Arlington homecoming. Blabbermouth names them October Artist of the Month. Twentieth-anniversary show at Division One, Arlington, on December 3rd.
2006
A KNON benefit at the Granada — the band’s first Dallas show since spring 1987 — plus dates with the reformed Rigor Mortis and Gammacide, and an appearance on San Antonio’s Robb’s MetalWorks.
2008
Documentary Circus of Fools released, limited to 100 copies. Trachsler also joins the reunion of fellow Texas thrashers Devastation on guitar.
2010s
Intermittently active, playing reunion and benefit shows alongside fellow Metroplex thrashers Rigor Mortis and Gammacide.
2021
Trachsler, Murphy and Cook get back together. That lineup is still the band.
2024
Return appearance on Robb’s MetalWorks. Scott Shelby takes the lead guitar chair, thirty-four years after playing on the last demo.
Sep 2025
Show at The Rail, Fort Worth, with Watchtower, Accuser, Odious & Of Deities and Dust.
Oct 2025
Thrash in Pain or Die Insane released via vicRecords — sixteen remastered tracks spanning all four demos. The first proper record in forty years.
Dec 2025
Show at The Continental Club, Austin, with The Fixations & Sad Wings.
2026
Cameron Fisher of Trenchsweeper takes over lead guitar. New album reviewed by Twilight Magazin and Musikreviews.de.
Sep 2026
Two Austin nights — The Hole in the Wall on the 5th, marking forty years since the 1986 show, and Brushy Street Commons on the 6th with Gammacide, Morta & Fairuza Balk.
