Slaughter were formed in Toronto, Canada, in 1984. During their early years, they released several demos and a 7-inch EP, Nocturnal Hell.
In 1987, Diabolic Force released their debut album, Strappado. It was recorded by Dave Hewson (guitars, vocals), Terry Sadler (bass, vocals) and Ron Sumners (drums). Although it found little commercial success, it became highly influential. The album also helped shape the emerging extreme metal scene.
However, Slaughter split up shortly afterward. Dave Hewson formed a new band under the name Strappado.
In December 1994, Bobby Sadzak, Dave Hewson, and Brian Lourie briefly reunited. During that reunion, they recorded a cover of Celtic Frost’s “Dethroned Emperor”. The track later appeared on In Memory of… Celtic Frost. Dwell Records released the tribute compilation CD in 1996.
In 2011, High Roller Records finally released Not Dead Yet. The album had originally remained unreleased since 1992.
In 2026, the band announced their reunion with the classic Hewson / Sadler / Sumners line-up. However, they have not announced any plans yet.
