Formed in 1987, under the name Sadist, the only consistent band members were Niclas “Pepa” Andersson and Micke Backelin, known as Sin. In the earliest incarnation of the band, Sin played bass and Pepa, vocals and guitar. Unable to find suitable musicians to complete the lineup at that time, Pepa and Sin turned their attention to other projects without having released any recordings as Sadist. 1992 saw the formation of Lord Belial, a band in which both Pepa and Sin were involved. Although the band was popular and highly regarded, for Pepa, Lord Belial did not fulfill the extremity of his vision, and he soon reactivated his earlier project under the new name Vassago. With Vassago, Pepa and Sin pursued a sound that was uncompromising and relentless, devoid of the softer, more melodic elements present in Lord Belial’s music. To achieve this, Sin shifted to vocal duties, and they recruited two new members, Aggressor and Hellfire, to play drums and bass. With this lineup, Vassago recorded and released the “Nattflykt” demo on the band’s own Total War Productions label. Still, the recording fell short of Pepa’s intentions, and Vassago lay dormant for nearly a year until a new drummer could be located. In 1996, the band released the “Hail War” LP, a split release between Vassago and Antichrist (Ger) that brought the band greater recognition. Unfortunately, Pepa’s and Sin’s responsibilities in Lord Belial hindered further progress for Vassago, and the band’s lineup dissolved. After meeting an obscure drummer, upon whom they bestowed the name Sadistic Sodomizer, the flame of Vassago was reignited. The precise and unremitting fury of Sadistic Sodomizer’s blast beats suited the band well, fully enabling Pepa to capture the intensity he sought to achieve with Vassago. The band secured a deal with the renowned Swedish label No Fashion Records, with which Lord Belial already had a long-standing relationship, and Vassago entered the Los Angered studio in December of 1998 to record the “Knights From Hell” album.
Released in 1999, “Knights From Hell” was Vassago’s first full-length release, but it would also be the band’s last before folding for good.