Crrruuuuuuuusssst. The style that made being filthy
fashionable. Like many offshoots of hardcore, crust came out in the 1980s, with
British bands ANTISECT and AMEBIX being the first bands to really codify the
sound. Before long, crust itself splintered into various sub-sub-genres such as
crusty hardcore (DOOM, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DISRUPT); grinding metallic
“traditional” crust (AXEGRINDER, MISERY, and EFFIGY later on), and many more
mostly not worth mentioning.
One of the many offshoots was a fleeting style in the
early-mid ‘90s that combined the thickness and filth of crust punk mixed with
the harsh and abrasive repetitions of industrial bands like THROBBING GRISTLE, CABARET
VOLTAIRE, SWANS and SKINNY PUPPY. The resulting industrial crust or
"incrustrial" was a hypnotic and unrelenting, cold and distant sound.
It was a natural turn in the evolution of the crust genre and paired two forms
of music that went together like studs and leather.
At the same time, bands on the punk side of heavy music were
experimenting with industrial influences, so too were those on the metal side
in a parallel progression. HEAD OF DAVID
were possibly the first to do this,
and their self-titled LP from 1986 was the blueprint for many. Justin Broadrick
famously left NAPALM DEATH to join HEAD OF DAVID before forming the most
popular industrial metal band going, GODFLESH. PITCHSHIFTER were another in the
fray, releasing their industrial metal debut entitled Industrial on Peaceville offshoot Deaf Records in 1991.
 |
| Justin Broadrick left Napalm Death to join Head of David before forming Godflesh. |
Within crust, it seemed like a spinoff that had the
potential for long lasting prominence within the various sub-genres of crust—except
that it didn't. Just as quickly as it came about, it seemed to fade away. The
reasons are arguable as to why it never really took over. Was the industrial
element too niche? Unlike heavy metal, thrash metal or goth, industrial wasn't
something that had a huge amount of overlapping interest within the punk scene.
Perhaps it was the rise in mainstream popularity of industrial bands like NINE
INCH NAILS, ORGY, and K.F.M.D.M. in the mid-'90s that made the punk scene want
to disassociate from it. Who knows? But it's safe to say that the industrial
crust genre's potential was never fully realized.
But where did it all begin? The crossover between industrial and crust likely begins with Killing Joke. Their apocalyptic post punk appealed to everyone from punks and metalheads to fans of industrial and goth. With surprisingly high record sales for such an unusual band and even appearing on popular English TV shows like Tops of the Pops and The Tube, KILLING JOKE’s influence was massive.
John Peel's influence on English music cannot be overstated.
His radio show reached
millions of listeners, exposing them to a wildly diverse
array of non-mainstream music and led to cross-genre influences among many
musicians. In addition to punks hearing industrial music, electronic and
industrial musicians became aware of crust and grindcore also. THE K.L.F. heard
EXTREME NOISE TERROR on the John Peel show and contacted them to initiate a
collaboration, which led to a new crusty version of THE K.L.F.'s international
hit "3AM Eternal," an infamous performance by the two bands on the
Brit Awards, and an unfortunately never-completed album The Black
Room.
 |
| John Peel's influence on English music cannot be overstated. |
Early anarcho punk bands became interested in industrial
music very early. CRASS, already influenced by early sonic experimenters like
John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, had dabbled in electronic manipulation of
their own on tracks like "It's You" or the almost-industrial
"Birth Control 'n' Rock 'n' Roll." Devastate to Liberate, a 1985 benefit album for the Animal
Liberation Front on which CRASS appeared with many industrial and experimental
bands, was an important record in bridging the gap between punk and industrial.
FLUX OF PINK INDIANS left their early anarcho punk sound behind, shortened
their name to Flux, and teamed up with dub/industrial producer Adrian Sherwood
of TACKHEAD for their dance oriented Uncarved Block album.
Meanwhile, members of THE SINYX and KRONSTADT UPRISING went in a much heavier
industrial metal direction,
forming SONIC VIOLENCE.
 |
| Throbbing Gristle were denounced in the media as "wreckers of civilization." |
Throbbing Gristle
(and its offshoots Coil, Chris & Cosey, and Psychic TV) were denounced in the media
as "wreckers of civilization," which of course helped to bring them
to the attention of anyone who was tired of safe, mainstream
"entertainment." A preteen Justin Broadrick (later of Napalm Death, Head of David, Fall of Because, Godflesh, Jesu, and a million
side projects) was inspired by Throbbing
Gristle, later forming his first band Final
due to their influence. The more directly political Test Dept, who were often involved in anti-capitalist and
anti-fascist social causes (such as supporting the UK miners' strike of 1984–85)
often mixed with English punks who supported similar causes. Australian
transplants S.P.K., one of the first bands to mix industrial percussion with
punk guitars, initially relocated to a London squat in 1980. Another
Australian, Jim Thirlwell, was briefly based in England before moving his many Foetus projects on to New York.
A 1987 Swans show at The Mermaid in Birmingham was legendary in its intensity. Playing through an extremely oversized PA in a relatively small room, the audience (which included members of Napalm Death and other Birmingham bands) experienced the sheer brutality of a slow, bass-heavy percussive assault, with the oppressive sound waves forcing the audience away from the stage as the walls and floor vibrated and allegedly debris rained down from the ceiling. Napalm Death's Swans sound-alike "Evolved As One" (the opening track on From Enslavement to Obliteration) and Godflesh's entire early sound came directly from the Swans.
Influences also came in from continental Europe. The Swiss,
but SWANS related, YOUNG GODS were also influential, combining harsh vocals
with metal guitars and industrial dance beats. France's Treponem Pal, were one of the earliest bands to combine metal
and
industrial, sounding somewhat like a cross between Voivod and Young Gods.
And in America, Ministry's
growing popularity in the late 80s-early 90s was undoubtedly influential, with Ministry adding Discharge/Broken Bones founding member Tezz as guitarist for a
while.
 |
| Treponem Pal were one of the earliest bands to combine metal & industrial. They still exist today. |
A final note within the genre is that the pockets of bands
playing this style came from cities that were also known for having influential
industrial scenes. Industrial metal greats Head
of David and Godflesh came
out of the Birmingham scene which spawned Filthkick.
New York City’s Swans had made
their mark on the underground scene felt prior to Nausea. And San Francisco’s industrial scene was well known
for Chrome, Subterranean Records,
Nervous Gender, and others long
before Depressor came along.
Whether that’s coincidental, incidental or intentional is something others can
speculate on, but cultural exposure can be a hell of a subconscious influence.
With all that said, here’s a closer look at the bands that
played the genre and some of its critical releases...
This article was contributed to by the following powdered
wigs: Brian DeMoa, Jake Kelly, Luc en France, Romain TSN, and Negative Insight
staffers Max Furst and Erik SN.
DEVIATED INSTINCT
"You couldn't give those records away!" exclaimed
one longtime U.K. head who was around to know while discussing Deviated Instinct. The band may have
had detractors in their day, but history and modern tastes have been kind to
them, as they're viewed as one of the integral bands of the crust genre.
Formed in 1984 in the eastern English city of Norwich, they
first released the Tip of the
Iceberg
demo in 1986 (recorded in late 1985), which, with its great art, was the
proverbial tip of the iceberg. Showing signs of what was to come with an
already filthy and raw sound, it also showed off guitarist/vocalist Rob
"Mid" Middleton's excellent art that would help give Deviated Instinct such an instantly
recognizable image.
Along with Mid, the band was mainly comprised of Julian
"Leggo" Kilsby on vocals (until Mid took over when Leggo left in
1988) and Steven "Snapa" Harvey on bass, in addition to a constantly
changing drum stool.
A second demo, Terminal
Filth Stenchcore, from 1987 helped to really establish the band and spread
their name. While Terminal Filth Stenchcore was recorded in October of 1986, it was
quickly followed up by the seminal Welcome
to the Orgy 7" recorded in January of 1987. It contained four songs,
three of which were re-recorded demo tracks. The artwork on this EP was a
brilliant stark and macabre pen and ink drawling that would define Mid's style
throughout the era. The music itself is thick, filthy cruuuust with a thin
buzzsaw guitar sound. There’s no other way to put it, as it’s the sound that
largely came to define the entire genre. The EP also hinted at the most subtle
traces of an industrial influence that would develop more later on.
Welcome to the Orgy
wasn't just Deviated Instinct’s
vinyl coming out party to the world; it also marked the first vinyl release by
a band on Peaceville Records (who'd previously done a compilation 7"
only). Formed by ex-Instigators
and Civilized Society? member
Hammy, Peaceville would quickly rise to prominence within the crust and metal
genres. However, as Peaceville moved toward metal and abandoned traditional
punk ethics for a more business-oriented approach (including signing a major
label distribution deal with Music For Nations), a great amount of derision was
caused within the ranks of those with hardline DIY values. This would best be
displayed by DOOM’s Fuck Peaceville
double LP, which was re-recordings of all their Peaceville era material.
While DEVIATED INSTINCT remained on Peaceville, the label
ran a "Deviated Album Giveaway" for 20 autographed albums to be won
in promotion of their second album, 1990's Guttural
Breath. Such promotions were popular in metal, but were far out of place
within a scene dedicated to alternative values and anti-rock star/icon beliefs.
It was especially relevant for a band whose first album (from 1988) had been
entitled Rock 'n' Roll Conformity in
a display of their stance on being anti-corporate rock and anti-music industry
practices.
While the band did agree to participate in the giveaway, it
was not without reservation. Mid recalls, "This was something Peaceville
talked us into, we always felt really awkward and foolish about anything to do
with autographs. I mean why would anyone want their records spoiled by
scribbles by a bunch of blithering idiots?? Anyway, in the end we just
scribbled all
manner of nonsensical and random guff all around the lyric side
of the insert."
As the band's sound evolved, they continued to incorporate
other elements. This is best seen on their 1990 EP, Nailed, which was released by fellow crusters PROPHECY OF DOOM’s
own label, Prophecy Records. While the production is tighter and sharper than
their preceding material, the stench and filth of their earlier deeds still
reeks through. Sometimes reminiscent of weirder-mid-period CELTIC FROST fused
with the blossoming industrial ex-punks contemporary of the time. A subtle
groove and bounce slips in under the crusty grinding riffage, hinting at the
future to come. This is most noticeable on the track "Void", a true
marriage of the old and the new.
At this point, DEVIATED INSTINCT disbanded into several
other groups, all of which were heavily industrial influenced. Mid went on to
form SPINE WRENCH; Snapa was one of the founding members of Optimum Wound Profile; and Leggo, who’d
left in 1988, was playing in Filthkick.
There’s no denying the influence and role that Deviated Instinct played on the short-lived genre of
industrial crust. (Negative Insight)
SPINE WRENCH
Spine Wrench
was formed in 1992 by former Deviated
Instinct guitarist and vocalist, Rob “Mid” Middleton. The initial
incarnation of the band also featured Jarrod on bass as well as former DEVIATED
INSTINCT drummer, Charlie. Charlie played in Deviated
Instinct for only a brief period, most notably present on Deviated Instinct’s final release,
1990’s industrial-tinged, Nailed
12”. Upon Deviated Instinct’s
dissolution in the following year, Spine
Wrench was born.
Spine Wrench
seamlessly resumed the progression of Mid’s artistic vision at the time.
Picking up right where DEVIATED INSTINCT left off on that final EP, this band
offered a darker, heavier and more mature sound. The music and overarching
style were still firmly rooted in crust, a genre DEVIATED INSTINCT had helped
pioneer, but there were other elements being incorporated as well. The songs
were driving and more bleak, the artwork stark and minimal. Above all Spine Wrench was a darker and more
nihilistic musical offering than DEVIATED INSTINCT. The entire package fit in
perfectly with the heavy underground of 1992.
As opposed to the guttural approach that was prevalent
around 1992, the vocals are raw, primal, and aggressive. Eerie guitar melodies
float over the brooding rhythm, reminding the listener of other crust-graduate
contemporaries of the era such as Zygote
or Neurosis. Spine Wrench even manage to insert some
groove elements without sounding contrived or nu-metal.
After the release of this split CD, Charlie parted ways with
the band, leaving just Mid and Jarrod to soldier on in a genre where the drum
machine was not just socially acceptable, it was en vogue. (Funny side note:
Upon his departure of the Spine Wrench,
Charlie went on to spend the next decade playing in a ska-punk band called The Steptones.) Given that utilizing
drum sequencers was right in the wheelhouse of the sound Spine Wrench
was gravitating towards,
it is safe to assume there was little grief on their end with this change.
However, in losing a human drummer, Spine
Wrench fell back into the mass of other bands at the time that aspired
to capture the power and force of Godflesh. While still a solid offering, the
subsequent release, the “Tapping The Vein”/“Barbed” EP, sees Spine Wrench immediately lose some of
that originality that made their initial offering shine as bright as it did.
As the years went on, Spine
Wrench would continue to release four more EPs. Their sound would evolve
slightly on each release, but never quite managing to fully set themselves
apart from the other groups attempting this niche genre. The band began to find
themselves again around 1994 on the “Heeldrag”/“Green As A Dying Whore” EP,
inserting a bouncy industrial hook to their sound.
By 1995, Spine Wrench
was now a solo project, featuring only Mid handling all aspects of the music.
The final release was a split EP with the Japanese industrial metal band, Def.Master. Spine Wrench’s contribution
to this record was the six minute track, “Cut”. While still wearing the obvious
influences on its sleeve, this track rises higher than most the output prior to
it as it harkens back to their earlier sound. Sounding desperate and lost, it
is the band’s last gasp of rotten air on this toxic planet. Spine Wrench ultimately called it quits
in 1996.
While Spine Wrench
may not have reinvented the wheel, but the uniqueness of their vision is there
if one looks for it. Mid always did know how to create some killer album
artwork and his visual output with Spine
Wrench was no exception. Each release with apt packaging, fitting the
grim industrial vibes of songs within.
In the early 2000s, Mid would reunite with Snapa from Deviated Instinct/Optimum Wound Profile
to form Bait. Playing a form of
discordant crust, they released only two EPs and a full-length before folding
and reforming Deviated Instinct
together. (Negative Insight)
FILTHKICK
The band was formed by vocalist Julian “Leggo” Kilsby after
he’d left his previous band, Deviated
Instinct, and relocated to Birmingham. The initial lineup featured Leggo
on vocals, Mark Bailey (Extreme Noise
Terror, Excrement Of War, Wankys) on guitar, Jim Whiteley (Napalm Death, Ripcord, etc.) on bass
and Ben Mochrie (Cathedral) on
drums. This line up is the one that released the split LP with EXTREME NOISE TERROR as well as a
session recorded for John Peel’s BBC radio show. It’s a solid dirty, raw,
crusty hardcore record. Shortly after the album release, Ben left the band and
played on Cathedral’s In Memorium demo from 1990. Stick from Doom and Extreme Noise Terror was brought in to replace him.
By the end of 1989, Filthkick
dissolved in typical combustible punk fashion after rising
tensions in the band
came to a head. After the dissolution of Filthkick,
Leggo recorded two crusty dirge tracks with Acrasy
in August of 1990 in the vein of Deviated
Instinct. However, he reformed Filthkick
shortly after with new lineups. The first of these featured himself on vocals,
Steve Hunt on guitar, Pete Nash (who’d left Doom
and Extreme Noise Terror by this
point), and Daz on drums. Daz was soon replaced by Clive Meldrum (of Police Bastard the band, not the EP) on
drums. This lineup released a split 7” with Japan’s Rise From The Dead on MCR Company in 1992 and also recorded a
second Peel session. Again, the sound on this release was a crusty form of
hardcore.
While Leggo’s new version of Filthkick was going on, the three remaining members of the
initial version of the band, Mark Bailey, Jim Whiteley and Stick, were asked to
record covers of classic punk songs to contribute to the Punk’s Not Dread LP compilation in 1991. These were recorded under
the name Filthkick (Legless), a
not so subtle shot at their former bandmate. The comp tracks were the only
thing this version of the band did.
In the final version of Leggo’s Filthkick, Steve Hunt exited the band, and Pete Nash slid
over to guitar while Neil Griffiths was brought in on bass. Leggo and Clive
remained on vocals and drums, respectively. A number of gigs were performed and
a demo for an album was recorded called Roadchrist
for Desperate Attempt in the US. The album was abandoned by the label; however,
Desperate Attempt did use three songs for the release of the single Hand
Crushed Heart. This release saw the band taking an industrial-tinged direction
with a mid-paced metal sound and a vocal style similar to Head of David. The music itself buzzes
with an industrial hum, and while less pronounced than others covered in the
article, the influence is still very much there.
Objectively speaking, this is one of the weaker industrial
crust releases covered in this article, but it is certainly deserving of
inclusion. Filthkick are another
band from the Deviated Instinct
tree along with Spine Wrench and Optimum Wound Profile. Are the other
songs from the aborted Roadchrist LP
out there? Will they ever be released? Who knows? (Negative Insight)
OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE
Formed in 1991, Ipswich, England band Optimum Wound Profile initially began
as something of a continuation of Deviated
Instinct. After longtime vocalist
Julian "Leggo" Kilsby left Deviated
Instinct for Filthkick,
guitarist Rob "Mid" Middleton took over vocals and the band moved
towards a slower, more doom-oriented approach, with hints of industrial influences
on their next record Guttural Breath. Following Guttural Breath up with the Nailed
EP, Deviated Instinct continued
in the style of the previous record, as well as showing more obvious electronic
influences by including a Tubeway Army
cover.
With Deviated
Instinct seemingly having run its course, Mid, bassist "Steven
"Snapa" Harvey and drummer Charlie formed a new band with Extreme Noise Terror vocalist Phil
Vane. The new band, Bait, did not come to fruition though,
but two new bands came out of it. Mid
and Charlie formed the industrial-influenced crust/metal band Spine Wrench, while Snapa and Phil
formed their own band.
Phil and Snapa were joined by guitarist Rocki Peck (from the
Extreme Noise Terror-related Raw Noise), vocalist Simon Finbow,
bassist Ian Barnard, and drummer Dom Cattermole. The band took the name Optimum Wound Profile from a heading in
the second chapter of JG Ballard's experimental novel Atrocity Exhibition.
After recording two demos, OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE signed with
Roadrunner Records, which had taken an interest in industrial-influenced music,
signing Fear Factory and Skin Chamber, and had begun a business
relationship with Gary Levermore's Third Mind Records, which released records
by Front Line Assembly, Controlled
Bleeding, In the Nursery, Will, and Intermix
as part of their deal with Roadrunner.
After a tour, lineup changes occurred with Snapa and Niall
leaving. They were replaced by Jason
Whittaker of Whiteslug, with all
beats now programmed and no live drums.
Jason immediately made his presence felt, with at least three songs on OPTIMUM
WOUND PROFILE's next release "Silver or Lead" being new versions of Whiteslug songs.
With new producer Colin Richardson, an experienced metal
producer who had worked with Carcass,
Hellbastard, Bolt Thrower, Fudge Tunnel, Napalm Death, and Fear Factory, among many others, O.W.P. took a noticeable turn towards metal. An
intense record of nearly unrelenting extremity, "Silver or Lead"
combines non-stop crust/metal heaviness with pummeling electronic beats and
harsh samples. The record only lets up
on the acoustic, but very dark, "Modus Operandi" and a quiet, eerie
untitled fifteen minute electronic outro.
Mid from Spine Wrench
provided the record's memorable artwork in his unique, dark style.
Silver or Lead
was released in 1993, and although arguably OPTIMUM WOUND
PROFILE's best
record, it apparently did not meet Roadrunner's expectations and they were
dropped by the label, which began to divest itself of all industrial-influenced
bands other than Fear Factory.
OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE signed with German label We Bite to
begin work on a new record, but Phil departed to rejoin Extreme Noise Terror.
In 1995, OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE released their third album Asphyxia. Far less metal than the previous record, Asphyxia is slightly more "accessible,"
but only by comparison to their previous work.
Simon's shouted vocals and the overall heaviness of the record keep the
record from being too overtly accessible, but with more melodic parts, greater
dynamics, some quiet songs, and far less crust and metal influences, Asphyxia sounds very different than the
more metallic Silver or Lead.
After "Asphyxia," OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE began work
on a fourth album, "Cult of Saints 1425," which never got beyond the
demo stage as OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE broke up in 1996.
In 2007, Polish record label Metal Mind reissued Lowest Common Denominator and Silver or Lead, and O.W.P. reformed with
Simon, Rocki, and Jason, plus new members
Barnie Mills on bass and Malcolm Peck
on drums, with the intention of finishing Cult
of Saints 1425. However, the
recording was never completed.
 |
| Optimum Wound Profile vocalist Phil Vane (RIP), also of Extreme Noise Terror. |
Although Rocki and Phil Vane reunited to work together again
in Death Dealers in 2010, any
hope of the early lineup of OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE ever reuniting ended with the
untimely death of Phil in 2011 from a stroke at only 43 years old.
Rocki and Simon reunited with original OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE
drummer Dom to form These Are End Times,
and Jason and Rocki started independent label Antigen Records. Original member Snapa was part of the Deviated Instinct reunion, and with
bandmate Mid, formed a new version of Bait
in 2003. Although different musically
than the original Bait would have
been, things came full circle with the revival of the band name, returning all
the way to the roots of OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE and Spine Wrench. (Brian
DeMoa)
SAW THROAT
The mention of the band Sore
Throat in polite conversations can usually provoke two opposite
reactions: the band's obnoxious sonic extremity and provocative sense of humour
either makes you giggle like a schoolkid or sneer offendedly. And fair enough
after all, since, as innovative as the idea of a 99 songs piss-taking
noisecrust LP may have been in 1989, it still was a pretty immature—if funny—endeavour.
However, Sore Throat are rarely
remembered for the greatness of their Inde$troy
LP that was released in 1989 on Bristol's crucial UK hardcore label Manic Ears
Records. At that time, the lineup consisted of Rich Militia on vocals, Bri and
Jon (from Doom) on the guitar and
the bass respectively and of Hammy (founder of Peaceville Records and drummer
for The Instigators) on the
drums. Inde$troy was so much of a
departure from Sore Throat's
typical bursts of thrashy noise that they decided to release the album under
the name Saw Throat.
By 1989, the so-called UK hardcore scene—one that
encompassed many different sounds—was already losing momentum, and bands,
when they were not disintegrating, began to look elsewhere for inspiration.
With its long atmospheric ambient parts and its crushing industrial moments, Inde$troy can be seen as one of the
most remarkable and unique crust LPs of the '80s wave, although it paradoxically
took the band to give up—momentarily—on their initial programme (basically
pissing as many people off with fast unrehearsed chaotic hardcore noises and
sometimes insulting lyrics) to achieve it.
Inde$troy is a
concept album of Dantean proportions. Made up of just one track, its writing
was inspired by bands like Melvins,
Saint Vitus and Swans, and
I would argue that it is probably the closest we'll ever get to a crust opera
(a terrifying description, maybe, but that somehow fits the work). The track is
divided into different parts, like songs or movements that are seamlessly tied
together with layers of keyboards, spoken parts, various shouts of pain,
feedbacks, additional sound effects and even an actual chainsaw! As a result,
Inde$troy generates its
own vibe and ambience, a very peculiar atmosphere which confers a real
narrative quality to a work which essentially tells an end-of-the-world story.
The very dark, oppressive guitar riffs combined with the punishingly heavy,
almost sludge-like pace (as opposed to Sore
Throat's usual thundering speed), the aggressively gruff vocals enhanced
by an unusually clear deliveries from Rich Militia (the insane screams on the
opening of the first "song" were actually performed by Paul from Pleasant Valley Children) and the
additions of thick layers of keyboards and industrial elements give the album
an apocalyptic quality. The soundtrack of the impending collapse, indeed.
The interplay between form and content matters a lot here
since Inde$troy contains none of the
usual Sore Throat banter and
sense of humour (on the contrary, they even apologize to Heresy and Active Minds in the credits) and focuses lyrically on ecology
and how capitalism, in this case the marriage between the industry and human
greed, destroys the planet. The lyrics' tone is angry and pessimistic and you
could argue that the addition of brutal, machine-like sonorities and the
inclusion of long keyboard parts reinforce the very gloomy and funebral aura of
the work and the idea that steel is literally piercing through the Earth. It
took the band three weeks to write and record Inde$troy, which was an impressive amount of time for a drunken
band like Sore Throat (for comparison,
Unhindered by Talent was recorded in
just two days). It was produced and engineered at Lions Studios in Leeds
between February and April of 1989 by Andy from Gold, Frankincense + Disk-Drive
(he also provided the crucial keyboard effects) who used digital technology for
the final mix on a sixteen tracks mixing desk. The production of Inde$troy is therefore impressive given
the context and the übercrust sound of Sore
Throat's previous – and subsequent – records. The nightmarish and
demented-looking post-apocalyptic artwork, drawn by Steve Hutton (who went on
to be an illustrator for children's books), is equally stunning and aptly
illustrates the LP's music and words.
This heavy and slow grinding indus-infused crust masterpiece
was first reissued on CD in 2004 by Rome's SOA Records and on vinyl (but with a
strange blue colour for the cover) in 2007 through a collaboration between
German labels Skuld Releases and Epistrophy, so you've got no excuse really. (Romain/Terminal Sound Nuisance)
SONIC VIOLENCE
Fans of anarcho punk will know the Sinyx from their cult favorite Black Death EP (self-releases
in 1981). However, as the hope and optimism for a better future during anarcho
punk years dimmed bleaker and darker and the Thatcher Regime carried on, so too
did the music. Former Sinyx
member Dave "Auntie" Godbald was one of the people whose musical
trajectory coincided with the political blight so many others felt. Auntie
states in an interview with Fabryka, "The
Sinyx had gradually become less political and more philosophical in
outlook, matched to a darker, heavier musical style. However, I wanted to
move/progress on further than I thought was appropriate with The Sinyx, so I shaved off my Mohican
and formed Sonic Violence."
According to Auntie, the idea for the sound and image for Sonic Violence was to be a more vicious
version of Killing Joke. An
initial lineup was formed in 1986, but never worked out and folded by the end
of '87. A new lineup consisting of two bassists for the purpose of having one
“with as much bass tone as possible to shake the floor/intestines and the other
with light strings and razor sharp treble to assault the ear drums and add an
edge to my guitar” convened in 1988.
This second lineup initially consisted of former Kronstadt Uprising vocalist Spencer
Blake on vocals, his brother Murray Blake on bass (also of Kronstadt Uprising, though not at the
same time), fellow former SINYX member Andy Whiting also on bass, Auntie on
guitar and Elmer Barrett on drums. Unfortunately Spencer didn’t work out, so
Murray and Auntie ended up sharing vocal duties. This solidified lineup would
remain intact until 1991.
Proving their staunch DIY ethos remained unchanged, Sonic Violence self-released their 1989
debut EP, Sacrifice To Strength, on
their Sound Violation Promotions imprint. With a thick, all-encompassing cement
mixer churn to their sound, the band were one of the forefronts of this new
heavy industrial style.
Auntie recalls, "After Jagd we had the choice of leaving Peaceville or signing a new four
album contract. I wanted to leave, the others didn't and that all contributed
to my departure from SONIC VIOLENCE. I felt that Peaceville were stitching us
up and wanted to see what other options were available to us—possibly Earache
or one of the European labels, but a label less death metal orientated."
At this point, Bill joined on sampler, and the band moved further
to an industrial influence and away from their punk roots. Founding member
Auntie also exited the band. The band settled on an ensemble of just drums,
percussion, sampler and bass. They embarked on a
poorly promoted tour in
support of their second album entitled Transfixtion
(Peaceville/Dreamtime, 1992) and then went their separate ways with Peaceville.
The band soldiered on through 1994, self-releasing a
12" called The Blastecyst Mixes
12" and a split 7" with U.K. industrial rockers HEADBUTT (both coming
out in 1993). As mentioned, this period of the band had relieved itself from
any real discernible punk influence, instead opting for a more straight forward
industrial style. Material was completed for a third album, but it never came
to fruition.
Attempts to reunite the band did happen. Auntie and the rest
of the members, except for drummer Elmer, from the Jagd album reunited for some rehearsals, but nothing more came of
it. Auntie states "I now have John (ex-SINYX) as a replacement bassist and
a possible drummer, so hope to be rehearsing again this summer. Material will
feature the faster guitar based material and some new or previously unrecorded
stuff." (Negative Insight staff)
MORTIFIED
The least documented or known band in this article, Mortified formed in 1988 in Honiton,
England (located about halfway between Exeter and Bristol) and released their Drivel demo in 1991. As Luc over at
Kängnäve wrote, "Their music itself is hard to describe: slow, dirgy,
heavy and dissonant—there's elements of doom metal, crust, industrial, noise
rock, an early Godflesh/PitchShifter
vibe maybe, a little Amebix,
although this isn't a remotely accurate description."
A second demo also from 1991 was entitled Grog (The Next Mourning). This demo led
to an an intended LP (also to be called Grog)
on Sludge Records from France. The actual vinyl for this release was fully
pressed (edition of 250 copies), but LP jackets were never made and the full LP
never came out. (I’ve been told that if you write about the operations of
Sludge Records you may be threatened with legal action, so that's all that we
will write here.) It's a shame the release never came out because this is
extremely strong material. Slow, grinding thick crust/doom metal with a slight
industrial influence compared to other material. The song "Sad" is
especially strong with haunting chanted vocals that alternate between male and
female vocals sung over a metallic, hypnotic dirge. Truly terrifying music that
sounds like it was recorded by Pagans in the moors of ancient Britain like only
the English can do. The band themselves describe it as having a “huge
oscillating bass sound, metronomic doomy drum patterns, discord guitars and postmodern-esque
eerie female vocals. Urban-industrial blended with '70s doom rock.”
Mortified also
regularly played gigs, including a slot opening for Hellbastard in 1992. A final recording session called Stress was recorded in 1995 before the
band dissolved in '96 with unfulfilled potential. They would have fit in very
well with Peaceville/Deaf Records, Rise Above or Earache, and it’s a shame that
nothing came out. It's both puzzling and a shame that a band that existed for
nearly 10 years would have such little physical representation. (Negative Insight staff)
NAUSEA
Hailing from New York City, Nausea are far and away the best known band featured in this
article. Their 1990 LP, heavily influenced by British hardcore bands like Antisect, sold thousands and was a
staple in any punk record collection during the 1990s. As many British punk
bands dabbled with reggae influences, so too did Nausea with an extended, trance inducing reggae break on the
song “Sacrifice” from said LP.
In the late ’80s-early ‘90s, NYC was seemingly a perfect
breeding ground for a cross pollination between the industrial and
crust/anarcho punk scenes. With bands like Nausea
and Jesus Chrust not only sharing
stages and participating in activist groups with, but sometimes even living
together in Lower East Side squats with industrial bands like Missing Foundation and Black Rain, some crossover was
inevitable. Although, for a variety of reasons, it didn't happen as much as it
could have, there were some interesting musical hybrids.
While “Lie Cycle” appears on the final Nausea release, it also foreshadowed
what was to come from Nausea
vocalist Al Long. Shortly after Nausea’s
ending, he formed Sin, a group
heavily influenced and in line with the industrial metal of Godflesh. While lasting briefly and
releasing only a split CD with another band covered in this article, Spine Wrench, Sin took the industrial sound established on “Lie Cycle” and
continued to expand on it. For fans of this style, it may be worth seeking out.
However, nothing can top the industrial churn heard on “Lie Cycle”. (Negative Insight staff/Brian DeMoa)
DEPRESSOR
Depressor has
existed in various incarnations since 1992 as the brainchild of Chris Oxford, a
onetime Metallica guitar tech and
an obsessive fan of heavy metal obscurities. Oxford's musical vision began as a
solo project inspired by the likes of Amebix
and Godflesh while retaining
enough of its own eccentric personality—familiar, but hardly derivative. Depressor issued several demo
recordings between 1995 and 1997; Fuck Yoga
Records reissued two of them as the
Filth/Grace LP in 2014. Most punks
turn up their noses at the very words “drum machine,” but these demos stand up
to anything else emanating from the San Francisco underground at the time. Depressor also recorded an LP in 1995
that went unreleased for over twenty years until Fuck Yoga came to the rescue
yet again. This session captures Depressor
at its best, delivering a haunting hybrid of industrialized metallic riffs and
ice-cold programmed beats. Six songs that are positively nightmarish in a way
that most crust bands fail at attempting. One can only wonder of the places the
Bay Area’s punk/crust/grind scene might have gone had a label such as Prank
Records or Life is Abuse released this in the mid '90s. Perhaps folks might
have mentioned Depressor in the
same breath as His Hero is Gone
or Dystopia… who knows?
Chris expanded Depressor
to include a full lineup in 1998; the band made its live debut at Mission
Records in 2001. Adding a live drummer compromised Depressor's industrial influence in favor of a more
straightforward apocalyptic crust sound that eventually verged on black metal
territory. Although the full band was great—2004's Book of the Dead double EP with Death
Angel's Andy Galeon on drums is particularly crushing—I still wondered
about what could have been had they retained that industrial edge of the early
recordings. Regardless, the Fuck Yoga reissues now exist to finally realize
Chris Oxford’s euphonic effort in its intended medium—if I can think of anyone
who deserves such a reward for their hard work, it is certainly him. Why it
took someone from Macedonia to recognize what Bay Area labels never did is
beyond me. (Jake Kelly)
PITCHSHIFTER: Discussed in the introduction of the article. Industrial metal band that released many records with their 1991 LP Industrial on Deaf Records being the best.
Execrate: Supposedly there’s a demo from the mid-1980s. The band featured one future member of Deviated Instinct and another who was in the original version of Pitchshifter. The demo is said to be very Amebix influenced. (Not much to do with industrial.)
Skin Limit Show: Released a 7″ EP and album in the mid-’90s. The album (Wound Freeze) sounds like early Pitchshifter mixed with Optimum Wound Profile. Also contains a former PITCHSHIFTER member plus members of UKHC bands Meatfly and Hard to Swallow, among others.
Hybernoid: Industrial metal band from England that existed from the early through mid-1990s. They had three albums and three EPs.
Sin: Post Nausea project for Al Long with a heavy Godflesh influence that also featured Javier Villegas of Born Against. Discussed in the Nausea section of this article. They released a split CD with Spine Wrench in 1992.
Feed: From Sweden with former members of Dom Där, Slaktmask, Tolshock, and Warcollapse. Pretty ’90s commercial sounding despite the lineup.
Counterblast: When G-Anx ended, two members formed Counterblast. Raging Swedish crust with Neurosis and other influences.
Contropotere: Long running 1980s-1990s Italian anarchist band. Their final album, Cyborg 100%, from 1994, has an industrial influence among other styles.
Mone¥i$god: Japanese band existing in the 2000s with the former vocalist of Asbestos. They’ve released two albums thus far.
OTHER BANDS
The following bands could loosely be considered as having a
sound that incorporates punk/crust and industrial, although for various reasons
they didn’t fit within the parameters of this article quite enough for
inclusion.PITCHSHIFTER: Discussed in the introduction of the article. Industrial metal band that released many records with their 1991 LP Industrial on Deaf Records being the best.
Execrate: Supposedly there’s a demo from the mid-1980s. The band featured one future member of Deviated Instinct and another who was in the original version of Pitchshifter. The demo is said to be very Amebix influenced. (Not much to do with industrial.)
Skin Limit Show: Released a 7″ EP and album in the mid-’90s. The album (Wound Freeze) sounds like early Pitchshifter mixed with Optimum Wound Profile. Also contains a former PITCHSHIFTER member plus members of UKHC bands Meatfly and Hard to Swallow, among others.
Hybernoid: Industrial metal band from England that existed from the early through mid-1990s. They had three albums and three EPs.
Sin: Post Nausea project for Al Long with a heavy Godflesh influence that also featured Javier Villegas of Born Against. Discussed in the Nausea section of this article. They released a split CD with Spine Wrench in 1992.
Feed: From Sweden with former members of Dom Där, Slaktmask, Tolshock, and Warcollapse. Pretty ’90s commercial sounding despite the lineup.
Counterblast: When G-Anx ended, two members formed Counterblast. Raging Swedish crust with Neurosis and other influences.
Contropotere: Long running 1980s-1990s Italian anarchist band. Their final album, Cyborg 100%, from 1994, has an industrial influence among other styles.
Mone¥i$god: Japanese band existing in the 2000s with the former vocalist of Asbestos. They’ve released two albums thus far.
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