#Proto-fastcore

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

PEAK AMERICAN HARDCORE PUNK -- SOME OF THE FASTEST MUSIC OF ITS TIME, AND FOR ALL TIME.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on previously unseen pics of speed-obsessed/proto-fastcore thrashers, DEEP WOUND, performing live at Bangs Community Center, Amherst, MA, USA. 📸: Lisa Putignano (absolutely no love for bassist Scott Helland, though! Where's the bass player?!).

Westfield, Massachusetts hardcore punk.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3323874383914070487.

[desertedvault]

Just hearing this for the first time. This was recorded before Deep Wound or Siege’s stuff, fucking crazy.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

HAIL NERDS FOR PROTO-GRINDCORE -- PROTO-FASTCORE -- PROTO-BLASTCORE.

NOTE: This one goes out to the person that just reblogged one of my DEEP WOUND posts. Finally, a person of unrivaled culture.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on American guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lou Barlow (b. 1966), formerly of hardcore punk band DEEP WOUND, seen here in his DxWx daze reading an issue of "Maximum Rocknroll," c. 1983, plus a portrait of Lou from his high school graduating year of 1984, and the year of DxWx's demise, meaning his alternative/ indie years were just about to begin.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3179373519543474110 (Picuki 2x).

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

NOTHING LESS THAN A FOUNDING FATHER OF GRIND SURROUNDED BY HIS UNHOLY SPAWN.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on indie rock guitarist/vocalist for DINOSAUR JR. -- former hardcore punk drummer for DEEP WOUND -- J Mascis, surrounded by members of UK goregrind/ death metal band CARCASS:

L to R: Dan Wilding (drummer), Bill Steer (guitarist, ex-NAPALM DEATH), & Jeff Walker (bassist/vocalist, ex-DISATTACK, ELECTRO HIPPIES).

EXTRA INFO: Front & back to an original pressing of DEEP WOUND's self-titled 7” EP released by Radiobeat Records in 1983, which the late, great John Peel was apparently a fan of. Now, that's news to me.

Sources: www.picuki.com/media/2312521534312280530 (Picuki 2x).

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

AEROSMITH TEES & BC RICH GUITARS IN THE HARDCORE SCENE -- IN REAGAN'S AMERICA.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a completely mysterious live shot of American hardcore/proto-grindcore band SIEGE, with guitarist Kurt Habelt playing a really heavy metal-centric electric guitar (see SLAYER), location, venue, & year unknown, but more than likely the mid '80s.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/2567226259972192839.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

THE RETURN! -- RETURN OF THE "TUMBLR COVER PHOTO" SERIES!

PIC(S) INFO: Part 1 of 2 -- Spotlight on the first set in my ongoing series of Tumblr Cover Photos for the year 2024, and I've finally made up my mind that I will be continuing them, just not as fervently as I was last year. This set includes:

Rob Williams, blasting away as drummer for Weymouth, MA, hardcore punk/proto-blastcore band, SIEGE.

Variant head/helmet for Gentle Giant's 2011 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive "STAR WARS" Imperial Snowtrooper mini bust, after the legendary Ralph McQuarrie's unused concept art

The Lizard, Spidey supervillain, by Todd McFarlane, from "Amazing Spider-Man" Vol. 1 #313 (March 1989).

Japanese 2015 re-release movie poster for cult hip-hop/independent movie "Wild Style" (1983).

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, as photographed by Karl Ferris for the U.S. release of 1967's "Are You Experienced."

Promotional image for Moribundi (action figure), from Clive Barker's "Tortured Souls" Series 2 by McFarlane Toys.

Partial poster art for the 1978 American sexploitation film "Hot Lunch."

Logo for Swedish hardcore/D-beat band TOTALITÄR

Sources: CVLT Nation, Vintage Posters (shop), McFarlane Toys, IMDb, Pinterest, X, Rebel Scum (blogspot), various, etc...

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"THE NEOS HAD A STATED DESIRE TO BE THE FASTEST BAND AROUND, AND THIS RELEASE DOCUMENTS THEIR SUCCESS..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on the "Hassibah Get the Martian Brain Squeeze" 14-song 7" EP by Victoria, British Columbia proto-fastcore/ hardcore punk band, NEOS, self-released under the band's own label, Alandhiscar Records in 1982. Only 500 copies of the original Canadian pressing were ever made.

7 INCH OVERVIEW: "Little known but classic hardcore record from the Victoria, British Columbia hardcore punk scene of the early '80s. The NEOS had a stated desire to be the fastest band around, and this release documents their success in this quest. The stream of conciousness raving is on the bands label Alandhiscar Records (shortened to AL records on the sleeve) and was released in 1982. The music is fast, manic, weird, beautiful. The lyric sheets (there are 3 of them) include instructions on how to play guitar, explanation of the Martian Brain Squeeze, diatribes, and even the printed music and drum parts to all of their songs."

-- MUSEUM OF CANADIAN MUSIC (MOCM)

MRR REVIEW: "An amazing, original, manic, tight, intelligent (and I could go on and on) release. And I thought their first EP was great. This one puts that one to shame. There may not be too many of these, as they’re financing it themselves, so buy as soon as you see it. Oh yeah, it’s got fourteen songs."

-- MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL (80s hardcore/punk fanzine)

REVIEWER: Tim Yohannan✝

LABEL: Alandhiscar

ISSUE: MRR #4 • January/February 1983

Sources: www.maximumrocknroll.com/band/the-neos, https://citizenfreak.com/titles/293463-neos-hassibah-gets-the-martian-brain-squeeze, & Picuki.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

SF HARDCORE/ANARCHO/D-BEAT HEADLINING IN THE WESTERN MASS HARDCORE SCENE.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a gig/show flyer design for CRUCIFIX (headlining act!), with SSD, DYS, DEEP WOUND, OUTPATIENTS, BRAIN INJURED UNIT (B.I.U.), and ALL WHITE JURY (supporting), performing live at the Greenfield Grange (community center), Greenfield, Western Massachusetts, USA, on May 14, 1983.

"Quite up line up we played with here. Double duty with DEEP WOUND, too! Thanks to @hardcorearchaeologist for unearthing this flyer. There were several different flyers for this show."

-- SCOTT HELLAND (ex DEEP WOUND/ OUTPATIENTS bass player)

Source: www.pixnoy.com/post/6854496031564222226626.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

Source: www.pixnoy.com/post/6822186225453467275056.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES HISTORY FROM THE SPAWNING GROUNDS OF PROTO-FASTCORE.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on Mario A Kasapi, a.k.a., "Abnormal," manic punk drummer for blitzspeed thrash and/or "proto-fastcore" band, NEOS, photographed at Hole In The Wall Studio, Victoria, B.C., where the band recorded their now classic "Hassibah Get the Martian Brain Squeeze" EP in the fall of 1982. 📸: Pete Ells.

Source: www.pixnoy.com/post/6751585873665029122569.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

PLAY FAST OR DON'T, PUNKS -- CLASS OF '83.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on American hardcore punk/proto-blastcore band DEEP WOUND, banging out the hits at Bangs Community Center, Amherst, MA, USA, c. 1983. 📸: Lisa Putignano.

Source: www.pixnoy.com/post/6757333573434943235027.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"...GLENN AND I WERE LISTENING TO GANGGREEN... WHO WERE REALLY FAST, SO THAT KIND OF FILTERED INTO THE "EARTH A.D." RECORD..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on the consequential influence of a particular Boston hardcore punk band on the final studio album by the original MISFITS, and a crucial building block in the birth of extreme music was spewed forth from the very depths of green hell as a result.

EERIE VON: "...I mean, the hardcore thing was just playing as fast as you could and that’s what we did [in ROSEMARY'S BABIES]. No, THE MISFITS were more like sort of in the middle before the "Earth A.D." record came out. Because at the time when Robo joined the band, Glenn and I were listening to GANG GREEN from Boston who were really fast, so that kind of filtered into the "Earth A.D." record and they just played faster and faster. And that was fine, I mean records come out the way they come out."

-- NO ECHO, "Eerie Von (Samhain, Danzig, Rosemary’s Babies), interview by Anthony Allen Bengal, published 9-23-2019

Sources: https://rettman.substack.com/p/from-the-archives-of-the-straight, discogs, & Dark Horse Comics, www.noecho.net/interviews/eerie-von-samhain-danzig.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

LET'S FACE IT, THESE GUYS WERE JUST PLAYING AMERICAN-STYLE HARDCORE AT TWICE THE SPEED.

PIC(S) INFO: Mega spotlight on the motherlode of UKHC photo-dumps -- recently unearthed live shots of UK hardcore punk band, HERESY, venue and location undisclosed/unknown, c. 1987. 📸: undisclosed/unknown.

Damn, someone should totally get credited for these snaps because they are @$!*#&% amazing beyond all words!! A total of 10 recently unearthed snaps in total! Trapped in a scene, indeed. Play fast or don't!! Stay BRUTAL!!

Source:nwww.picuki.com/media/3414310554304912074.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

A SMORGASBORD OF WEST MASS HARDCORE GRAPHIC DESIGN -- WELCOME TO 1984.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on three different show/gig flyers for the same February 18, 1984 gig -- the bill included SIEGE, CANCEROUS GROWTH, OUTPATIENTS, THE FREEZE (also features THE F.U.'s and GREY MATTER in two of these), performing live at Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA.

Resolution at 1440x1800 (3x) -- All three show flyers from the private collection of @digitalbath1921, uploaded in 2021.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/2511904458884932701 (Picuki 3x).

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

REINTERPRETING A WEST MASS HARDCORE CLASSIC -- WHICH ONE WORE IT BETTER?

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on a little '80s hardcore reinterpretation -- reinventing the flyer design for SIEGE (headlining, apparently), with band's DEEP WOUND, DA STUPIDS, D.Y.S., and LAST RIGHTS (a rare appearance by these guys), performing live at the Greenfield Grange (community center), Greenfield, MA, on Friday November 4. 1983. Reinterpreted artwork by @armaguest, c. 2022.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/2851023315323678299.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL REISSUED RECORDS OF THE ENTIRE '80s UNDERGROUND.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on the 12 inch LP of "Drop Dead," the then long-awaited 20th anniversary compilation album by pioneering American hardcore/proto-grindcore band, SIEGE, originally released as the "Drop Dead" cassette in 1984, and was reissued by Deep Six Records in 2004.

Rest in Noise, "Screamin'" Kevin Mahoney (1965-2011), original SIEGE vocalist (and one-time saxophonist!) -- another legend lost.

Source: www.picuki.com/media/3340215550767621742.