Nuclear Death were formed on March 23, 1986, by Laura Bravo (vocals, bass), Phil Hampton (guitar), and Joel Whitfield (drums). Their first demo, Wake Me When I'm Dead, was released later that same year, receiving positive reviews from American and overseas zines. They were notable as at the time very few thrash metal artists had female singers. Their second demo, Welcome to the Minds of the Morbid, followed in 1987, on the back of which Nuclear Death signed a contract with Richard Campos from Wild Rags