Powerviolence
Encyclopedia
Powerviolence is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk
. The style is closely related to thrashcore
and grindcore
.
. Its nascent form was pioneered in the late 1980s in the music of hardcore punk band Infest
, who mixed youth crew
hardcore elements with noisier, sludgier qualities of Lärm
and Siege
. The microgenre solidified into its most commonly recognized form in the early 1990s, with the sounds of bands such as Man Is the Bastard, Crossed Out
, Neanderthal, No Comment
, and Capitalist Casualties
. Powerviolence groups took inspiration from Siege
and Deep Wound
, Cryptic Slaughter
, Septic Death
, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
, Negative FX
and early Corrosion of Conformity
. These precursors to powerviolence are grouped together as "thrash" or thrashcore
.
Spazz
vocalist and bassist
Chris Dodge's record label Slap-a-Ham Records
was a fixture during the rapid rise and decline of powerviolence, releasing influential records by the likes of Neanderthal, No Comment, Crossed Out, Infest, and Spazz. The label's Fiesta Grande was an annual powerviolence festival held at 924 Gilman
from 1993 to 2000. Spazz drummer Max Ward's label 625 Thrashcore
has started its own festival, Super Sabado Gigante, in a similar vein. While powerviolence is closely related to thrashcore (often referred to simply as "thrash"), the style is distinct from the thrash metal
groups active in the same place, at the same time.
, Suffering Luna
, No Le$$, and Gasp took influence from progressive rock
, jazz fusion
, and noise
.
Powerviolence groups tend to be very raw and underproduced, both sonically and in their packaging. Some groups (Man Is the Bastard
and Dropdead
) took influence from anarcho-punk
and crust punk
, emphasizing animal rights
and anti-militarism. Groups such as Despise You and Suffering Luna
wrote lyrics about misanthropy, drugs, and inner-city issues. Groups such as Spazz or Charles Bronson
, on the other hand, wrote lyrics mocking points of interest for hardcore and metal fans, or even used inside jokes for lyrics, referencing specific people many of their listeners would not know.
Other groups associated with powerviolence included Assück
, His Hero Is Gone
, Cattlepress
, Black Army Jacket
, Hellnation
, Charles Bronson
, and Rorschach
. The doom metal
group Burning Witch
also released on Slap-A-Ham and played shows with powerviolence groups.
. The Locust
became acclaimed in both the grindcore and noise rock
scenes. Mark McCoy
of Charles Bronson
went on to form Das Oath
, a popular thrashcore
group. Members of Man Is the Bastard
formed Bastard Noise
. Rorschach
became a prominent influence for the metalcore
scene.
A handful of bands from the powerviolence scene of the 1990s have continued to record and perform decades later, including Capitalist Casualties
, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Suffering Luna
, and Stapled Shut.
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
. The style is closely related to thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
and grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
.
History
The term was coined by Matt Domino in 1989. The term was first mentioned in the song "Hispanic Small Man Power (H.S.M.P.)" by genre pioneer Man Is the BastardMan Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
. Its nascent form was pioneered in the late 1980s in the music of hardcore punk band Infest
Infest (band)
Infest was an influential American hardcore band, formed in September 1986 by Joe Denunzio, Matt Domino, Dave Ring and Chris Clift. They disbanded in 1996.Infest, while not coining the term "powerviolence", were pioneers of the style...
, who mixed youth crew
Youth crew
Youth crew is a music subgenre of hardcore punk attributed to the band Youth of Today who were primarily active during the early to mid-1980s particularly during the New York hardcore scene of 1988...
hardcore elements with noisier, sludgier qualities of Lärm
Lärm
Lärm were a Dutch straight edge thrashcore band formed in 1981, first playing under the name of Total Chaoz. Lärm pioneered what would later be called power violence, along with bands Heresy and Siege...
and Siege
Siege (band)
Siege was an American punk/Thrashcore band from Weymouth, Massachusetts. They were active in the 1980s Boston hardcore scene from 1983 to 1985, and reunited briefly in the early 1990s....
. The microgenre solidified into its most commonly recognized form in the early 1990s, with the sounds of bands such as Man Is the Bastard, Crossed Out
Crossed Out
Crossed Out was a power violence band from Encinitas, California, operative from early 1990 until late 1993.-History:Crossed Out played sixteen shows and released a demo, 7", split 7" with Man Is the Bastard, split 5" with Dropdead, and two songs for the Son of Blleeaauurrggh compilation...
, Neanderthal, No Comment
No Comment (band)
No Comment were an American powerviolence band from North Hollywood, California, active from 1987 to 1993.-History:Along with other powerviolence bands such as Crossed Out, Capitalist Casualties and Man Is The Bastard, No Comment were influential in what was known to become the "West Coast...
, and Capitalist Casualties
Capitalist Casualties
-Discography:*Nuclear National Park demo *The Art of Ballistics EP *Disassembly Line LP *Raised Ignorant EP *split EP with The Dread *split EP with Discordance Axis *split EP with Millions of Dead Cops...
. Powerviolence groups took inspiration from Siege
Siege (band)
Siege was an American punk/Thrashcore band from Weymouth, Massachusetts. They were active in the 1980s Boston hardcore scene from 1983 to 1985, and reunited briefly in the early 1990s....
and Deep Wound
Deep Wound
Deep Wound was a hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Westfield, MA. They released one self-titled 7" and contributed two songs to the compilation LP, Bands That Could Be God, both of which are sought after by fans and record collectors alike.-Overview:...
, Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter was a Santa Monica, California-based crossover thrash band.-Biography:Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans , Scott Peterson and Adam Scott , who met through their mutual participation in the American Youth Soccer League . Soon they were joined by Bill Crooks , a...
, Septic Death
Septic Death
Septic Death was a hardcore punk band fronted by artist Brian "Pushead" Schroeder on vocals. Septic Death's music became a major influence on bands like Integrity, Citizens Arrest, Infest, and many other bands tied to the hardcore punk, thrashcore, crust punk etc. scenes...
, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
, Negative FX
Negative FX
Negative FX was a hardcore straight edge band from Boston formed in 1981. Though the band lasted only a short time, playing only a total of five shows , the band was well-known for their involvement in the local straight edge scene of the early '80s...
and early Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
. These precursors to powerviolence are grouped together as "thrash" or thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
.
Spazz
Spazz (band)
Spazz was an influential American powerviolence band active between 1992 and 2000. The trio released numerous records within this time, many of which are now highly collectible due to their relative rarity...
vocalist and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Chris Dodge's record label Slap-a-Ham Records
Slap-a-Ham Records
Slap A Ham Records was a hardcore punk, thrash metal and grindcore label from San Francisco, California owned and operated by Chris Dodge of Spazz, Despise You, Lack Of Interest and several other bands.-Discography:Published albums include:...
was a fixture during the rapid rise and decline of powerviolence, releasing influential records by the likes of Neanderthal, No Comment, Crossed Out, Infest, and Spazz. The label's Fiesta Grande was an annual powerviolence festival held at 924 Gilman
924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
from 1993 to 2000. Spazz drummer Max Ward's label 625 Thrashcore
625 Thrashcore
625 Thrashcore is a small American record label started by Max Ward of long-standing powerviolence band Spazz. They put out records of different genres, including hardcore, grindcore, thrashcore, powerviolence and others, mainly from the US and Japan....
has started its own festival, Super Sabado Gigante, in a similar vein. While powerviolence is closely related to thrashcore (often referred to simply as "thrash"), the style is distinct from the thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
groups active in the same place, at the same time.
Style
While originally the term powerviolence included stylistically diverse bands, powerviolence generally refers to bands who musically focus on speed, brevity, bizarre timing breakdowns, and constant tempo changes. Powerviolence songs are often very short; it is not uncommon for some to last less than 30 seconds. Some groups, particularly Man Is the BastardMan Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
, Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna is a hardcore punk band based in Los Angeles, California. They are notable for their early contributions to the punk sub-genre known as powerviolence and their split releases with Dystopia and Gasp. The band has existed since the early 1990s. Their music is a blend of crust and...
, No Le$$, and Gasp took influence from progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, and noise
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
.
Powerviolence groups tend to be very raw and underproduced, both sonically and in their packaging. Some groups (Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
and Dropdead
Dropdead
Dropdead is a hardcore punk band based in Providence, Rhode Island. Dropdead has been active in the punk scene since 1991. Dropdead tends to address subjects such as animal rights, pacifism, and anti-authoritarianism. The band members are supporters of the ALF.Their name is derived from the demo of...
) took influence from anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
and crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
, emphasizing animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and anti-militarism. Groups such as Despise You and Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna is a hardcore punk band based in Los Angeles, California. They are notable for their early contributions to the punk sub-genre known as powerviolence and their split releases with Dystopia and Gasp. The band has existed since the early 1990s. Their music is a blend of crust and...
wrote lyrics about misanthropy, drugs, and inner-city issues. Groups such as Spazz or Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
, on the other hand, wrote lyrics mocking points of interest for hardcore and metal fans, or even used inside jokes for lyrics, referencing specific people many of their listeners would not know.
Other groups associated with powerviolence included Assück
Assück
Assück was an anti-capitalist and anarchist grindcore and deathgrind band from Saint Petersburg Florida, active from 1987 to 1998. The band proved influential, with their album Anticapital voted number 4 in the Terrorizer list of their top 20 US grindcore albums, who described it as a "low-calibre...
, His Hero Is Gone
His Hero is Gone
His Hero Is Gone was an influential crust punk and sludge metal band from Memphis, Tennessee. Formed in 1995 from members of Copout, Man With Gun Lives Here, and FaceDown, they disbanded in 1999, playing their last show in Memphis. They toured the U.S. extensively several times, as well as Europe...
, Cattlepress
Cattlepress
Cattlepress was an American metal band from Brooklyn, New York. They began life billed as Sin, founded by erstwhile personnel from Nausea and Born Against. As Sin the band cut a split album with Spine Wrench before folding. However, the core of the band soon re-emerged as Cattlepress. A 1993 demo...
, Black Army Jacket
Black Army Jacket
Black Army Jacket was an American grindcore / power violence band. They released one full length album and many 7" EPs, splits and compilation appearances...
, Hellnation
Hellnation
Hellnation was a grindcore–thrashcore band from Kentucky. They formed in 1988. Their sound has been variously described as thrashcore, power violence or grindcore. Hellnation have completed numerous tours of the United States, Japan, Brazil and Europe...
, Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (band)
Charles Bronson was a prolific powerviolence band from DeKalb, Illinois, existing from 1994 to 1997. Although they were often associated with the straight edge scene, only two of the members actually abstained from drug and alcohol use.-Musical style:...
, and Rorschach
Rorschach (band)
Rorschach is a New Jersey-based band that existed from 1989 to 1993 and reformed in 2009. The group often blended hardcore punk and dissonant elements of metal providing the inspiration to a number of hardcore and post hardcore bands thereafter....
. The doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
group Burning Witch
Burning Witch
Burning Witch was an American doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, active between 1995 and 1998.-History:Burning Witch formed on Capitol Hill, Seattle in early 1995. After the breakup of the doom/death band Thorr's Hammer in 1995, Stephen O'Malley, Greg Anderson and Jamie Sykes formed Burning...
also released on Slap-A-Ham and played shows with powerviolence groups.
Legacy
Powerviolence groups had a strong influence on later grindcore acts, such as Agoraphobic NosebleedAgoraphobic Nosebleed
Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a grindcore band formed in 1994 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Its line-up has changed often during the years, leaving the only permanent member Scott Hull , also a guitarist in Pig Destroyer...
. The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
became acclaimed in both the grindcore and noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
scenes. Mark McCoy
Mark McCoy
Mark McCoy is a vocalist for several punk rock, black metal, powerviolence and experimental bands, some of which include Charles Bronson, Das Oath, Holy Molar, and most recently Failures. He also recorded a spoken-word comedy Split 7" with Mark Telfian of Limp Wrist...
of Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (band)
Charles Bronson was a prolific powerviolence band from DeKalb, Illinois, existing from 1994 to 1997. Although they were often associated with the straight edge scene, only two of the members actually abstained from drug and alcohol use.-Musical style:...
went on to form Das Oath
Das Oath
Das Oath was a thrashcore band from New York, originating from The Netherlands. They formed in 1999. After two rehearsals the band recorded their 7" eight song debut in Rotterdam. It was not until a year later when Das Oath started to play shows. With only one 7" released the band hit the road and...
, a popular thrashcore
Thrashcore
Thrashcore is a fast tempo subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s. Thrashcore is essentially sped-up hardcore punk, with bands often using blast beats. Songs can be very brief, and thrashcore is in many ways a less dissonant, less metallic forerunner of grindcore...
group. Members of Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard
Man Is the Bastard were a pioneering hardcore punk band who contributed the name, and perhaps also the ethos, to the punk subgenre known as power violence...
formed Bastard Noise
Bastard Noise
-History:The Bastard Noise was founded in 1991 by Henry Barnes, W. T. Nelson and Eric Wood, initially as a side project of powerviolence band Man Is The Bastard.-Project personnel and past contributors:...
. Rorschach
Rorschach (band)
Rorschach is a New Jersey-based band that existed from 1989 to 1993 and reformed in 2009. The group often blended hardcore punk and dissonant elements of metal providing the inspiration to a number of hardcore and post hardcore bands thereafter....
became a prominent influence for the metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
scene.
A handful of bands from the powerviolence scene of the 1990s have continued to record and perform decades later, including Capitalist Casualties
Capitalist Casualties
-Discography:*Nuclear National Park demo *The Art of Ballistics EP *Disassembly Line LP *Raised Ignorant EP *split EP with The Dread *split EP with Discordance Axis *split EP with Millions of Dead Cops...
, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna
Suffering Luna is a hardcore punk band based in Los Angeles, California. They are notable for their early contributions to the punk sub-genre known as powerviolence and their split releases with Dystopia and Gasp. The band has existed since the early 1990s. Their music is a blend of crust and...
, and Stapled Shut.