The Accused, an American crossover thrash band from Washington, was formed in 1981 on Whidbey Island by bassist Chibon "Chewy" Batterman, drummer Dana Collins, and guitarist Tommy Niemeyer. The group initially released demo cassettes and their first album Please Pardon Our Noise, It Is the Sound of Freedom in 1983, drawing heavily from hardcore punk. In 1984, vocalist Blaine Cook joined, and the band shifted towards metal influences and creating their "splatter rock" style. The Accused released several EPs and full-length albums, including The Return of Martha Splatterhead in 1986. Their music featured themes of social injustice and their zombie mascot, Martha Splatterhead. The band took a hiatus in 1994 but reformed in 2003, releasing the album Oh, Marta! in 2005. In 2009, they released The Curse of Martha Splatterhead, via Southern Lord Records.
