Pathology are a brutal American death metal band. The group's heavy sound combines gruesome shock imagery with hardcore influences, blastbeats, and distinctive gurgled vocals. Pathology formed in 2006 in San Diego, California at the behest of Dave Astor, founding member and drummer of grindcore act the Locust and death metal group Cattle Decapitation. Astor was joined by vocalists Levi Fuselier and Matti Way, both formerly of legendary California death metal act Disgorge, and guitarist Tim Tiszczenko in the original four-piece line up.nnPathology quickly built up a following in their native San Diego and released their first recording -- a demo CD entitled Surgically Hacked -- within a few months of their formation. The group's first full length album, Incisions of Perverse Debauchery, was released in February of 2008 on Grindhead Records. Following the release of the album, Mason Gregory joined the band as a second guitarist and vocalist, replacing Fuselier. A second full album, Age of Onset, was released in June of the following year on Comatose Records.nn Age of Onset brought Pathology to the attention of large Chicago hardcore/metal label Victory Record, though not before the group parted company with vocalist Matti Way, who was briefly replaced by Pascual Romero. Romero's tenure with the band was short, and he was soon asked to leave in order to accommodate the return of Way along with the addition of bassist Oscar Ramirez. The group's third album, Legacy of the Ancients, was released on Victory Records in July of 2010. The band were involved in a serious van accident while on tour with Nile in late 2010, forcing them to pull out of the remainder of the tour.nnIn 2011, Way once again parted company with the band and was replaced by former I Declare War frontman Jonathan Huber. Tim Tiszczenko also left the band briefly, and was replaced by Kevin Schwartz and Stephen Parker, but soon returned in Parker's stead to form a dual guitar partnership with Schwartz. In September of 2011, the band released their fourth full-length record, Awaken to the Suffering, on Victory Records. ~ Dave Donnelly