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  • Of A Mesh

    Location: New York
    Active: 1983-1988

    Gothic rock band from New York that played often through the mid 1980s throughout the area along with bands like Chop Shop, Scarecrow, Brain Eaters, The Children’s Zoo, The Ochrana, Fahrenheit 451, and The Naked and the Dead. Formed around the nucleus of Alan Dollgener on vocals and Samara Lubelski’s violin, the rhythm and guitars changed semi-frequently over their duration. Of A Mesh is a reference to the 1943 silent film ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ by Maya Deren. They released only two 12” EPs, several cassette demos, and an appearance on the Sorority Sampler compilation, but after 5 years the band called it quits in 1988. The various members moved on to other musical projects in indie rock, alternative and experimental music, and Lubelski performs to this day as of 2025. Alan Dollgener passed away in 1995, a victim of the AIDS pandemic. In 2012, Of A Mesh along with several of the above mentioned New York bands,  were featured on the Dark New York vinyl compilation.

    Related: Chop Shop, Scarecrow, Brain Eaters, The Children’s Zoo, The Ochrana, Fahrenheit 451, The Naked and the Dead, Sorority Sampler, Dark New York, New York, 1983

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/479725-Of-A-Mesh

    Live performance video at CBGBs Black Ball, September 25, 1986 filmed by Greg Fasolino

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  • Anorexic Dread

    Location: London, Southend 
    Active: 1983-1985

    Formed in London, 1983, Anorexic Dread played often in Southend. Their sound was a monstrous tremor that added some meat to the sinewy link between punk, gothic, psychobilly and that rare enzyme known as Batcave. Their first gig took place at The Zero 6 on Monday July 18th, 1983. They performed with Alien Sex Fiend at Crocs and on January 20th 1985, supporting Killing Joke at the Queens Hotel and played a show at the original Batcave. The original line up was Phil Black on Vocals (ex-Time in Motion), Andi Schurer (ex-Convicted etc) on Guitar, Pat Moriarty credited as Magoo on Keyboards and Donald Frame (ex-Occult) on Drums. Leonard Finch aka Perry Archangelo Bamonte joined for a while until departing to roadie for and eventually play guitar with The Cure, replaced by Andy Fisher (Kronstadt Uprising). 

    Anorexic Dread released one 12″ single, ‘Tracey’s Burning’/‘Tick Tock’ in 1984 on Criminal Damage (Ausgang, Twisted Nerve, Geschlecht Akt, Stunt Kites, Look Back in Anger). Other songs in their repertoire ‘She’s Beautiful and She’s Mine’, ‘Dragnet’, and ‘Limelight’. Not long after a 1985 demo with songs including ‘Dark Night in London’ Anorexic Dread came to an end, but appear on compilations such as Young Limbs Rise Again and a DJ favorite on deathrock dancefloors has kept their legacy alive.

    Related: Alien Sex Fiend, Killing Joke, Batcave, Time in Motion, Convicted, Occult, The Cure, Kronstadt Uprising, Ausgang, Twisted Nerve, Geschlecht Akt, Stunt Kites, Look Back in Anger, Criminal Damage, Andi Schurer, Phil Black, Pat Moriarty, Magoo, Donald Frame, Leonard Finch, Perry Archangelo Bamonte, Andy Fisher, London, Southend, 1983

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/704236-Anorexic-Dread

  • Archcriminals

    Location: England
    Active: 1985-1986

    English postpunk band that released only a few demos and one 12” on Mortarhate Records (a partner of Jungle Records, primarily known for the band Conflict but also released Flowers In The Dustbin, Icons of Filth, Anima Mundi) in 1986. They disbanded until recently with a new EP in 2024.

    Related: Conflict, Flowers In The Dustbin, Mortarhate Records, Jungle Records, 1986, England

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/564204-Arch-Criminals

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  • Actifed

    Location: London, England
    Active: 1981-1984 (+)

    Short-lived punk band from London that had a darker sound akin to UK Decay, Killing Joke, Ritual. At the start vocals were carried out by Weasel, though Phrazer from Crisis also auditioned. They performed regularly throughout London, accompanying bands like Killing Joke, The Dark, Uk Subs, Danse Society, pre-Ausgang The Solicitors, Sex Gang Children, Ritual, In Excelsis, Bone Orchard, and Brigandage to name a few.

    They released two singles, though a live recording with Erazerhead at 100 Club for its 2nd anniversary was released in July 1982. Weasel was replaced by David Rogers who took on vocals as well as guitar. They obtained a cover feature on Sounds magazine, before releasing either of their initial records (both produced by Tony James of Generation X) put out by Jungle. They allegedly beat a lawsuit by the company who released the Actifed cough syrup. After a long time of inactivity, the band reformed and put out their only full albums, ‘Chains No More’ (2009), ‘Rhythms Of Mass Destruction’ (2011).

    Related: UK Decay, Killing Joke, Ritual, Crisis, The Dark, Uk Subs, Danse Society, Ausgang, The Solicitors, Sex Gang Children, In Excelsis, Bone Orchard, Brigandage, Erazerhead, Actifed, David Rogers, Tony James, Generation X, Jungle Records, London, England, 1981

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/277656-Actifed

    Actifed interviewed for The Sky-Fi Music Show by Pat Sharp, 1983: http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=St-LWy8tQ1Q

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  • Amebix

    Location: England
    Active: 1978-1987 (+)

    Beginning in Devon, England as the Band with No Name by brothers Rob “the Baron” Miller (vocals, bass) and Chris “Stig” Miller (guitar) in 1978, Amebix established a sound all their own. They dealt with dark, apocalyptic motifs with a sound to match, much more foreboding than peers like those in the CRASS records camp or Killing Joke, though not as bizarre as Rudimentary Peni. Most fans of the genre known as crust punk claim Amebix as a formative influence.

    Their first album Arise was released on Alternative Tentacles (Dead Kennedys) though the rest of their EPs and singles were on Spiderleg Records (Flux Of Pink Indians). The band relocated several times during their existence including Cornwall, Bristol, some time cohabitating with CRASS, much of which was squatting. After the bands initial split, Tim Crow of The Smartpils joined sans Baron to form Zygote. Some activity in 2008-20012 resulted in additional releases, though another official split up was announced.

    Related: Band With No Name, CRASS, Killing Joke, Rudimentary Peni, Alternative Tentacles, Dead Kennedys, Spiderleg Records, Flux Of Pink Indians, The Smartpils, Zygote, Nausea, Cornwall, Bristol, CRASS Records, Tim Crow, Rob “The Baron” Miller, Chris “Stig” Miller, crust punk, England, 1978, Devon

    Bandcamp: https://amebix1.bandcamp.com/music
    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/73168-Amebix
    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amebix

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  • ADS

    Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
    Active: 1980-1984

    Known for their blistering anthem ‘Waiting For The War’, which was also their only officially released recorded output. Søren Johnsen and Karsten Hjarsø went on to UCR, Lars Top-Galia was in Sods/Sort Sol and Stig Pedersen formed Disneyland After Dark aka D.A.D.

    Related: UCR, Sods, Sort Sol, Disneyland After Dark, D.A.D., Copenhagen, Denmark, 1980, Punk

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1021379-ADS-3

  • Asmodi Bizarr

    Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
    Active: 1980-1991 (+)

    Asmodi Bizarr, gothic rock from Düsseldorf, Germany, 1980

    One of the best offerings of the early gothic scene of Germany. After a brief duration as punk band Aspirin in 1980, with Monique Maasen on vocals, drums by Katharina Müller-Elmau, and bassist Andy Wahl reformed the band as Asmodi Bizarr. During the 1980s they supported Sex Gang Children, The Southern Death Cult, and Christian Death on tours. Sunsierra was their first album, released in 1986 on the label Ata-Tak (a sub-label of Das Büro) produced by Pyrolator (D.A.F. Der Plan, Fehlfarben), but the second album ‘Gotta Move On’ in 1991 failed to match it’s power. After they split up in 1992, they made some reformation performances after 2001.

    Related: Pyrolator, D.A.F., Der Plan, Fehlfarben, Sex Gang Children, The Southern Death Cult, and Christian Death, Xmal Deutschland, Germany, Düsseldorf, 1980

    Links

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/330088-Asmodi-Bizarr
    Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmodi_Bizarr

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  • ADS

    Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
    Active: 1980-1984

    Known for their blistering anthem ‘Waiting For The War’, also their only officially released recorded output. Søren Johnsen and Karsten Hjarsø went on to UCR, Lars Top-Galia was in Sods/Sort Sol and Stig Pedersen formed Disneyland After Dark aka D.A.D. 

    Related: UCR, Sods, Sort Sol, Disneyland After Dark, D.A.D., Copenhagen, Denmark, 1980

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1021379-ADS-3

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  • Blyth Power

    Location: Somerset, England
    Active: 1983-present

    Formed in Somerset, England by Joseph Porter and Curtis Youé, both formerly of The Mob, and Porter began in Zounds. The songs focus on historical figures, war and mythology. The name, Blyth Power is originates from the name of a locomotive engine (Porter is reportedly a trainspotter). Porter remains the only founding member over various lineup changes and is still active with the band as of 2025.

    Related: The Mob, Zounds, 1983, Somerset, England, Joseph Porter, Curtis Youé, All The Madmen

    Official: http://www.blythpower.co.uk/
    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blyth_Power
    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/306184-Blyth-Power

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  • Blood And Roses

    Location: London
    Active: 1982-1985

    Emerging from the positive punk movement in London alongside Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, influenced by the bleaker sound cultivated by UK Decay. Their songs were shrouded in the dark haze illuminated by the glow of horror films (Blood and Roses, 1960) and touching on occult writings. This was evident in not only the subject matter of I Spit on your Grave (I Spit On Your Grave, 1978) but cover versions of John Capenter soundtracks. They performed for the first time in January 1982 at the Anarchy Centre, London. There had been a few prior iterations of the band around founders Bob Short and Lisa Kirby. 

    Blood & Roses attracted the attention of radio host and producer John Peel for a session on his BBC program in 1983 and featured in the South of Watford ‘Positive Punk’ special by Michael Moorcock. They were involved with the anarcho/anti-vivisection zine collective Kill Your Pet Puppy (along with Dave Roberts of Sex Gang Children) and included on The Whip compilation.

    Links:

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/353038-Blood-And-Roses
    John Peel: https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Blood_And_Roses

    Related: Brigandage, Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, UK Decay, Blood And Roses, I Spit On Your Grave, Bob Short, Lisa Kirby, John Peel, Positive Punk, Kill Your Pet Puppy, The Whip, London, 1982, Anarcho

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