FLESHCRAWL was founded in the spring of 1987 in Illertissen, Germany, by Stefan Hanus and Bastian Herzog. Initially performing under the name Morgöth, the band took a decidedly more extreme musical direction in 1990 and briefly adopted the name Suffocation. However, with the emergence of the American band already using that name and the imminent release of their first vinyl record, another name change became necessary. Thus, FLESHCRAWL was born.