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  • The Mob

    Location: Somerset, England
    Active: 1979-1983, 2011-2015+

    Formed and disbanded during the early UK punk scene, The Mob distinguished themselves with possibly the most emotional, albeit negative, of contemporaries like CRASS, Conflict, and Flux Of Pink Indians. They used dirges and a pessimistic perspective to paint a dim picture of the world with their music. With most of their songs maintaining the slow pace of a dirge, they were one of the bleakest punk bands ever. Even other bands with a morbid streak like UK Decay, Rudimentary Peni and Southern Death Cult could take a non-cynical perspective from time to time. 

    They released one LP, ‘Let The Tribe Increase’, but had a healthy collection of EPs and singles. The ‘No Doves Fly Here’ 7” was released on on Crass Records, but they formed their own label, All The Madmen to release most of their records, also releasing bands like Clair Obscur, Blyth Power, The Astronauts, Part 1, Zos Kia, Flowers In The Dustbin, Poison Girls among others. The label was related to the Kill Your Pet Puppy collective, which also had ties to Blood And Roses and other bands through the squat scene.

    After they split up in 1983, Joseph Porter who had also played in Zounds, formed Blyth Power. In 2011, The Mob reformed and played several gigs through England, Europe and America. They released new material in 2013, ‘Rise Up’.

    Related: Blood And Roses, CRASS, Conflict, Flux Of Pink Indians, UK Decay, Rudimentary Peni, Southern Death Cult, Crass Records, All The Madmen, Clair Obscur, Blyth Power, The Astronauts, Part 1, Zos Kia, Flowers In The Dustbin, Poison Girls, Kill Your Pet Puppy, Somerset, England, 1979

    Links: 

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/261863-The-Mob-3
    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mob_(British_band)

  • Abwärts

    Location: Hamburg, Germany
    Active: 1979–present

    Abwärts formed in West Germany in 1979. Their single ‘Computerstaat’ was very well received by what would become known as Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW), followed by their debut album Amok Koma. These were released on the German label Zick Zack (pre-4AD label of Xmal Deutschland). Members FM Einheit and Mark Chung joined Einstürzende Neubauten, and the band split up for several years, and in 1987 released Normal . They remain active as of 2025.

    Official: http://abwaerts.rodarmy.org/abw_wp/
    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/58780-Abwärts
    Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abwärts

    Related: Xmal Deutschland, Einstürzende Neubauten, Zick Zack, Hamburg, 1979

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  • Phantasm

    Independently made, written and directed by Don Coscarelli in 1979, Phantasm stands out among horror franchises in imagination, creativity, surreal and macabre atmosphere. Set around the events taking place at a cemetery and funeral home, Phantasm incorporates sci-fi and horror with an antagonist from another world transforming corpses into undead labor, pit against cool-dude muscle car musician, his kid brother, and their ice cream truck vendor friend, all as reluctant heroes. Bizarre as it may be, the plot foundation is much more developed than the supernatural slashers like Halloween and Friday the 13th which only ever sought to explain (and so badly you’d rather they didn’t) the origins of their villains as an afterthought.

    Phantasm became a cult classic that introduced The Tall Man, played by Angus Scrimm (*August 19, 1926 – † January 9, 2016), aided by spherical killing machines. These chrome orbs have become instantly recognizable as one of horror’s most innovative devices to date. Several sequels followed, as Regie and Mike follow The Tall Man’s wake of desolated small towns across the US, exploring this weird inter-dimensional horror tale, rife with horror fan service and self awareness that keeps the story in the family.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantasm_(film)

    https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0079714/

  • Blackouts

    The Blackouts formed in Seattle in 1979 with Erich Werner, Mike Davidson, and Bill Rieflin, former members of The Telepaths. They were joined by Roland Barker, and after their first two releases, Davidson was replaced by Roland’s brother Paul Barker in 1981 for the “Exchange of Goods” single on Situation Two. In 1982 they moved to Boston where they played with bands like The Misfits, who toured often. 

    This is when they run into Al Jourgensen of Ministry, who produced the ‘Lost Soul’s Club’ EP for Wax Trax! Records. Not long after, Blackouts disbanded andJourgensen recruited Rieflin, Paul and Roland Barker to the line-up of Ministry, leading to further collaboration between Paul Barker and Jourgensen in Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Lard, etc.

    Related: Seattle, 1979, Erich Werner, Mike Davidson, Bill Rieflin, The Telepaths,  Roland Barker, Paul Barker, Situation Two, Misfits, Al Jourgensen, Wax Trax! Records, Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Lard

    This profile is in development. Contributions?

  • Christian Death 

    Location: USA – Los Angeles, CA

    Active: 1979-1985

    Christian Death formed in 1979 in the Los Angeles area. Along with 45 Grave and related projects, they were instrumental in forming what would become known as ‘deathrock’, a genre most often associated with bands of the southern California scene, but more broadly applies to bands the world over. Rozz Williams formed the original lineup with George Belanger and James McGearty. Rikk Agnew of the Adolescents (also Social Distortion, D.I., many other LA punk bands, an accomplished solo artist, and a later era 45 Grave) joined on guitar, and their debut recording appeared in 1981 on the essential ‘Hell Comes To Your House’ compilation, and released their first LP in 1982, ‘Only Theatre of Pain’ on Frontier Records. Keith Walsh (Der Stab) played keyboards in this era of Christian Death.

    By their second album, ‘Catastrophe Ballet’ in 1984, the lineup had changed significantly, with Rozz Williams the only remaining original member, and Valor Kand (guitar), Gitane Demone (backing vocals) and David Glass (drums), all of whom were previously the band Pompeii 99. This lineup lasted til 1985’s ‘Ashes’. During a European tour, Rozz Williams left the band, however Kand continued using Christian Death against Williams’ wishes, resulting in a severe division amongst fans. Despite Valor’s talent as a musician, which continued to shine over the next few albums, most fans familiar with the distinction between Rozz Williams era and Valor era Christian Death refer to the later as Valor era or Valor’s Christian Death. Valor’s nonconsensual appropriation of the name continues to be bone of contention.  

    Rozz Williams continued with other musical projects including noise / performance art collaborations like Premature Ejaculation, several solo projects and a collaborative album with Gitane Demone. The most relevant progressions from his Christian Death work were Shadow Project, and Daucus Karota which emerged from it. Shadow Project was a collaboration with Eva O of the Super Heroines, as well as Johann Schumann and Barry Galvin of Mephisto Walz, who had also played with and departed post-Rozz Christian Death) David Glass also returned to work with Shadow Project.

    Williams also performed and released further Christian Death material, despite the existence of Valor’s continued use of the name. Legal disputes failed any significant conclusions. In 1990, the original Christian Death reformed with Rozz Williams, Rikk Agnew and Eva O for a rare live performance at the Mason Jar in Phoenix, Arizona supported by Bootbeast. The performance was recorded for an audio and video release entitled Sleepless Nights, one of a very few efforts made by Rozz Williams to perform original Christian Death material during the band’s late era. The Path of Shadows, Rage of Angels, and Skeleton Kiss EP were all released by Christian Death under Rozz’s direction during this time.

    Rozz Williams died in his home in Los Angeles of suicide on April 1, 1998.

    Related: Shadow Project, Der Stab, Adolescents, Social Distortion, D.I., Pompeii 99, Super Heroines, Mephisto Walz, Daucus Karota

    Links


    Official: http://www.rozznet.com/

    Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/94647-Christian-Death

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Death

    Bandcamp: https://frontierrecords-christiandeath.bandcamp.com/


    This profile is in development. Contributions?

  • 45 Grave

    Location: USA – Los Angeles, CA
    Active: 1979 – current

    Hailing from Los Angeles California in 1979, founding members Rob “Graves” Ritter, Don Bolles, and Paul Cutler relocated from Phoenix, AZ (Cutler played in The Consumers, Ritter and Bolles in The Exterminators) added Dinah Cancer (formerly of Los Angeles’ Castration Squad) and emerged as one of that city’s first punk bands with a the dark, tongue in cheek aesthetic that is synonymous with what would become ‘deathrock’. After arriving in LA, Bolles initially played as drummer in LA’s keystone punk band The Germs and also participated in Nervous Gender, while Ritter played with The Bags and The Gun Club. 45 Grave eventually drew Paul Roeseller (formerly of The Screamers) into the fold. 45 Grave was a sort of nexus and galvanization point for those with a taste for more eclectic tastes than strictly hardcore punk, not to mention black dress and gothic humor. Bolles project Vox Pop was formed towards the end of his Germs career; Dinah Cancer would also be involved in Vox Pop which remained active during 45 Grave’s 1980s existence.

    45 Grave’s full length album ‘Sleep In Safety’ is one of the earliest bricks in deathrock’s foundations. Along with their singles, they appeared on the Hell Comes To Your House compilation, firmly cemented next to it in the very same foundation (along with Christian Death) and the equally regarded Return of the Living Dead soundtrack (alongside legends like The Cramps and The Damned, with TSOL, The Flesheaters, Jet Black Berries and Roky Erickson – all of whom have been talked about on this site over the years). In 2004, Dinah Cancer reformed a new 45 Grave after fronting the heavy punk band Penis Flytrap (1997-2001), releasing ‘Pick Your Poison’ in 2012, and as of 2024 are still active.

    Links:
    https://45gravemusic.bandcamp.com/music
    https://www.discogs.com/artist/232625
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45_Grave

    Related: The Consumers, The Exterminators, Castration Squad, The Cramps, The Damned, The Gun Club, The Bags, TSOL, The Screamers, Nervous Gender, The Germs, Penis Flytrap, Return of the Living Dead, Dinah Cancer, Vox Pop

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  • The Gun Club

    Location: Los Angeles
    Active: 1979-1996

    Fusing elements of punk, blues, voodoo, horror comics and a western atmosphere, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid Congo Powers co-founded The Gun Club in Los Angeles in 1979 as Creeping Ritual until adopting the new name by early 1980. Their membership fluctuated on a regular basis around Pierce’s wild behavior, with Kid Congo joining The Cramps later that year. Their early lineups saw Terry Graham, Rob Ritter (45 Grave), both formerly of The Bags and Ward Dotson (Der Stab). Patricia Morrison, also a former Bag, would join in 1982.   

    After touring as support with Siouxsie and the Banshees and another headline tour with support band Sisters of Mercy, The Gun Club split up in 1985, leading Morrisson and Desi Desperate to form the band Fur Bible, while Pierce went on a solo career. They would reform in 1986 with Kid Congo Powers (then with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) back on guitar. Lineup changes continued to occur during their next few albums. Jeffrey Lee Pierce died March 31, 1996 of a brain hemorrhage, leaving behind a legacy that his peers and new generations of musicians continue to revere.

    Related: 45 Grave, The Cramps, Tex & The Horseheads, The Bags, Patricia Morrison

    Links:

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gun_Club
    Discogs.com: https://www.discogs.com/artist/270779-The-Gun-Club

    This profile is in development. Contributions?