Sacrilege

Sacrilege, the British thrash metal group, remain notable chiefly for placing Lynda Simpson in the vocalist role, a striking rarity inside the aggressively masculine sphere of the style. Completing the lineup were guitarist Damien Thompson, bassist Tony May, and drummer Andrew Baker; the quartet first appeared on record with Behind the Realms of Madness in 1985. Two further albums arrived in quick succession—Within the Prophecy in 1987 and the peculiarly titled Turn Back Trilobite in 1989—each built around extended thrash pieces that attracted scant attention beyond underground metal listeners. The band dissolved quietly in the early 1990s, yet its opening pair of releases resurfaced together on a single disc in 1996.