PURGATORY officially started in the beginning of 1993 as the continuation of the two bands MUSICAL MASSACRE and PROCESSION. The founding members Uwe (bass) and René (guit./ voc.) came from MUSICAL MASSACRE and PROCESSION contributed Lutz (drums) for the new band. At that time PURGATORY was only a project with insignificant attention, but when MUSICAL MASSACRE and PROCESSION split up, PURGATORY became serious.
In October 1993 PURGATORY recorded their first demo tape, which was a live recording called "Live...Perversion". A half year later the band released their first single: The debut 7" Ep "Psychopathia Sexualis", which was released by PERVERTED TASTE RECORDS in March 1994.
In August 1994 Sick from DARK DECADE became the new vocalist. The following 7" Ep was recorded with him. It was called "Sadistic Spell" where PURGATORY refined their style and improved their sound and was also released by PERVERTED TASTE REC.
Their first CD "Damage Done By Worms" was finally released in October 1996. The next climax was the first tour with VADER, which was bigger than the others, but short time later Uwe left the band. Usche, who played guitar in the already mentioned death metal band DARK DECADE, was recruited to be the new bassist.
In the beginning of 1997 PURGATORY released a split Ep with the band SEIRIM. Their second full time CD "Bestial" followed shortly after that, which was promoted on tour with IMPENDING DOOM and COERCION and later with VADER.
1999 there was another change on the bass: Torsten came from APROSOPY and adapted at once in the preparations for the impending CD which was recorded in May 2000. This trendless, brutal and fast album was unleashed in September 2000. It was called "Blessed With Flames Of Hate" and was also a PERVERTED TASTE REC. release. A lot of gigs and tours followed with SEIRIM, AMON AMARTH, VADER, PENTACLE, CENTURIAN and a lot more.
During the studiosessions for the "Blessed With Flames Of Hate" CD PURGATORY also recorded two coverversions of AUTOPSY and TERRORIZER for a split Ep with the german band CHARON. Due to a lot of organisational problems the release of the scheduled 10" split Ep with the death metal band POLYMORPH was delayed until 2003 and was finally released by G.U.C. (German Underground Crossection).
Since December 2002 Torsten is no longer a member of PURGATORY and Andy, who came from WARSPITE, took over his part on the bass.
After more than 10 years of cooperation with PERVERTED TASTE REC. PURGATORY changed the label and made a deal with ANIMATE Records in May 2004.
With the new label in the back PURGATORY released the fourth album "Luciferianism" in August 2004 which was also released as LP by MIRIQUIDI PRODUCTIONS.
In April 2005 singer Sick decided to walk separate ways and left the band after more than 10 years of collaboration, but PURGATORY quickly found a substitute for Sick in Mirko Dreier (ex-SEIRIM).
In January 2006, PURGATORY went on a European tour together with CENTINEX (SWE) and HYPNÖS (CZ).
Another memorable point in the history of PURGATORY was the gig in Malta in April 2006.
Line-up change in February 2007: Bass player Andy left the band for personal reasons and was quickly replaced by Peter!
The release date of the 5th album "Cultus Luciferi - The Splendour Of Chaos" was May 30th 2008. The CD was again released on ANIMATE RECORDS. This time the LP - version was released by WAR ANTHEM RECORDS.
PURGATORY played a lot of live shows in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Spain, England, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland with ASPHYX, VADER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, PROTECTOR, COERCION, NAPALM DEATH, ENTOMBED, GOREROTTED, EDGE OF SANITY, PANDEMIA, KRABATHOR, HYPNOS, KRISIUN, AVULSED, HARMONY DIES, SINISTER, CENTINEX, EXMORTEM, VIU DRAKH, NILE, BEHEADED...etc. and PURGATORY works at any time hard to intense their way of "pure Death fuckin´ Metal" and they have never followed any trends!