Vital Remains, an American death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island, was formed in 1988 by guitarist Paul Flynn. The initial lineup included Mike Flynn on vocals and Tom Supkow on bass. In the early years, Vital Remains released two demos before securing a contract with French label Thrash Records for their single "The Black Mass" in 1991. The band's debut album, Let Us Pray, was released in 1992 under Deaf Records. Following the release of Forever Underground in 1997 and Dawn Of The Apocalypse in 2000, Vital Remains signed with Osmose Records. In 2003, Glen Benton joined as a session vocalist for Dechristianize, which received critical acclaim.
