Widely recognized as one of the first-ever Christian thrash bands, the Crucified were also among the earlier bands of any inclination to seamlessly combine speed metal and hardcore. After recording an unreleased ten song demo in 1985 under the name K.G.B., the group continued on as The Crucified until 1993, in the process releasing several more demos and two studio albums of spare, snap-tight thrash metal with attitude-filled, shouted hardcore punk-style vocals. Often touring with secular bands such as Pantera and widely respected in the hardcore underground, the Fresno, California-based quartet helped pave the way for nearly every heavy Christian group that followed, including P.O.D. and Demon Hunter. In 2009, the Crucified announced that the group was reuniting to perform at the Cornerstone festival.