Crust punk
Encyclopedia
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. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard
on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo.
Crust is partly defined by its "bassy
" and "dirty" sound. It is often played at a fast tempo
with occasional slow sections. Vocals are usually guttural and may be growled or screamed. Crust punk takes cues from the anarcho-punk
of Crass
and Discharge
and the extreme metal of bands like Venom
and Celtic Frost
. Crust punk has always remained a deeply underground form of music, although fans of the style are found worldwide. While the term was first associated with Hellbastard, Extreme Noise Terror
have been described as the originators of the style.
and anarcho-punk
, mixed with metal riff
s. The tempos are often fast, but just short of thrashcore
or grindcore
, though many groups confine themselves to a crawling, sludgy pace. The overall musical sound has been described as being "stripped down". Drumming is typically done at high speed, with D-beat
s sometimes being used.
, animal rights
, police, personal grievances, oppressive states and fascism
. Amebix were also interested in various forms of mysticism and Gnosticism
. Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, guitarist and vocalist of Hellbastard, describes the distinction between metal and crust punk lyrics:
of Crass
and D-beat
of Discharge
. Swedish D-beat
groups such as Anti Cimex and Mob 47
and the Finnish Rattus
were also early influences. Amebix also brought in influences from various post-punk
bands, including Public Image Ltd.
, Bauhaus
, Joy Division
, and especially Killing Joke
.
and Antisect
, in 1985, with the Arise LP and Out from the Void single, respectively. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard
on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo. As punk historian Ian Glasper puts it,
Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, vocalist and guitarist of the group, commented,
Punk journalist Felix von Havoc contends that Doom, Excrement of War, Electro Hippies
and Extreme Noise Terror
were among the first bands to have the traditional UK "crust" sound. Additional subgenres of this style began to develop. Deviated Instinct
, from Norwich, created "stenchcore", bringing "both the look and sound - dirty and metallic, respectively - to their natural conclusion". Initially an anarcho-punk group, they began to take increasing influence from metal. As vocalist Julian "Leggo" Kilsby comments,
Extreme Noise Terror is credited with developing this style into grindcore
. However, Pete Hurley, the guitarist for the group, declared that he had no interest in being remembered as a pioneer of this style: "'grindcore' was a legendarily stupid term coined by a hyperactive kid from the West Midlands, and it had nothing to do with us whatsoever. ENT were, are, and - I suspect - always will be a hardcore punk band... not a grindcore band, a stenchcore band, a trampcore band, or any other sub-sub-sub-core genre-defining term you can come up with."
American crust punk began in New York City, also in the mid-'80s, with the work of Nausea
. The group emerged from the Lower East Side
squat
scene and New York hardcore
, living with Roger Miret
of Agnostic Front
. The early work of Neurosis
, from San Francisco, also borrowed from Amebix, and inaugurated crust punk on the West Coast. Disrupt (Boston), Antischism
(South Carolina), and Destroy
(Minneapolis) were also significant U.S. crust groups.
. Crust punk also flourished in Minneapolis, shepherded by the Profane Existence
label. In this period, the ethos of crust punk became particularly codified, with vegetarianism
, feminism
, and sometimes straight edge
being prescribed by many of the figures in the scene. The powerviolence
scene associated with Slap-a-Ham Records
was in close proximity to crust punk, particularly in the case of Man Is the Bastard
and Dropdead
. Crust was also prominent in the American South, where Prank Records
and CrimethInc.
acted as focal points of the scene. The most well-known representative of Southern crust was His Hero Is Gone
. Prominent crust punk groups (Driller Killer
, Totalitär
, Skitsystem
, Wolfbrigade
, and Disfear
) also emerged from Sweden, which had always had a strong D-beat scene. Many of these groups developed in parallel with the much more commercial Scandinavian death metal
scene.
, Behind Enemy Lines
, and Tragedy
.
was heavily influenced by Killing Joke
, who are among the founders of industrial rock
, crust punk has always had some relationship to this style. Nausea
also eventually incorporated elements of industrial rock.
. The first grindcore, practiced by the British groups Napalm Death
and Extreme Noise Terror
emerged from the crust punk scene. This style is dubbed "crustgrind".
and powerviolence
genres which emerged from American hardcore punk
are also linked to crust, in the cases of Man Is the Bastard
, Dropdead
and Capitalist Casualties
.
and Celtic Frost
. Similarly, Bathory
was initially inspired by crust punk as well as metal. Crust was affected by a second wave of influence in the 1990s, with some bands emphasizing these black metal elements. Iskra
are probably the most obvious example of second wave black metal-influenced crust punk; Iskra coined their own phrase "blackened crust" to describe this new style. The Japanese group Gallhammer
also blend crust with black metal. In addition, Norwegian
band Darkthrone
have incorporated crust punk traits in their more recent material. As Daniel Ekeroth wrote in 2008,
.
Julian "Leggo" Kilsby of Deviated Instinct describes crust as "a punk-y biker look, more akin to Mad Max. Mad Max 2 is the crustiest film ever made!"
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...
, hardcore punk
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...
and extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard
Hellbastard
Hellbastard are a thrash metal/crust punk band, formed in 1984/5 in the United Kingdom. Members "Scruff Lewty" and "Scotty" met at a Subhumans gig and soon after formed Hellbastard, which was to be a combination of Crass-like politics and the music of Slayer...
on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo.
Crust is partly defined by its "bassy
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
" and "dirty" sound. It is often played at a fast tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
with occasional slow sections. Vocals are usually guttural and may be growled or screamed. Crust punk takes cues from the 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...
of Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
and the extreme metal of bands like Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
and Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
. Crust punk has always remained a deeply underground form of music, although fans of the style are found worldwide. While the term was first associated with Hellbastard, Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror are a British crust punk / grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the...
have been described as the originators of the style.
Instrumentation
Crust punk is a derivative form of hardcore punkHardcore 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...
and 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...
, mixed with metal riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s. The tempos are often fast, but just short of 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...
or 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....
, though many groups confine themselves to a crawling, sludgy pace. The overall musical sound has been described as being "stripped down". Drumming is typically done at high speed, with D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
s sometimes being used.
Vocals and lyrics
Vocals in crust punk are often shrieked or shouted, and may be shared between two or more vocalists. The lyrical content of crust punk tends to be bleak and nihilistic, yet politically engaged. Crust punk songs are often about nuclear war, militarismMilitarism
Militarism is defined as: the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests....
, 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...
, police, personal grievances, oppressive states and fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. Amebix were also interested in various forms of mysticism and Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
. Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, guitarist and vocalist of Hellbastard, describes the distinction between metal and crust punk lyrics:
Precursors
The initial inspiration for the crust punk scene came from the anarcho-punkAnarcho-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...
of Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
of Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
. Swedish D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
groups such as Anti Cimex and Mob 47
Mob 47
Mob 47 is a hardcore punk band which formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1982, originally under the name of "Censur". In 1983 the band members changed the name to what it's now called "Mob 47" when singer Mentis entered the band. During their early years they played with the legendary band Anti Cimex....
and the Finnish Rattus
Rattus (band)
Rattus is a Finnish hardcore punk band that was formed in 1978 in Vilppula. Rattus is one of the best known Finnish hardcore bands. In 1988, they split up, but returned in 2001.-Albums:* WC Räjähtää, 1982...
were also early influences. Amebix also brought in influences from various post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
bands, including Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by vocalist John Lydon , guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes. Lydon is the sole constant member of the band....
, Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, and especially Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
.
1980s
Crust was founded by the bands AmebixAmebix
Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs...
and Antisect
Antisect
Antisect are an English anarcho-punk band, formed in 1982 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, UK. Their debut album, In Darkness There is No Choice, was released in 1983...
, in 1985, with the Arise LP and Out from the Void single, respectively. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard
Hellbastard
Hellbastard are a thrash metal/crust punk band, formed in 1984/5 in the United Kingdom. Members "Scruff Lewty" and "Scotty" met at a Subhumans gig and soon after formed Hellbastard, which was to be a combination of Crass-like politics and the music of Slayer...
on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo. As punk historian Ian Glasper puts it,
Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, vocalist and guitarist of the group, commented,
Punk journalist Felix von Havoc contends that Doom, Excrement of War, Electro Hippies
Electro Hippies
Electro Hippies was a crust punk/thrashcore band formed in St Helens/Wigan, United Kingdom, in 1985.Though they were short-lived and underground through their career, their music influenced many future crust, hardcore punk, and grindcore bands. The band relied heavily on low bass end sounds to...
and Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror are a British crust punk / grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the...
were among the first bands to have the traditional UK "crust" sound. Additional subgenres of this style began to develop. Deviated Instinct
Deviated Instinct
Deviated Instinct, formed in 1984, was a pioneering British crust punk / death metal band. Their first EP, Welcome to the Orgy, was released by Peaceville Records, which released the majority of their albums...
, from Norwich, created "stenchcore", bringing "both the look and sound - dirty and metallic, respectively - to their natural conclusion". Initially an anarcho-punk group, they began to take increasing influence from metal. As vocalist Julian "Leggo" Kilsby comments,
Extreme Noise Terror is credited with developing this style into 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....
. However, Pete Hurley, the guitarist for the group, declared that he had no interest in being remembered as a pioneer of this style: "'grindcore' was a legendarily stupid term coined by a hyperactive kid from the West Midlands, and it had nothing to do with us whatsoever. ENT were, are, and - I suspect - always will be a hardcore punk band... not a grindcore band, a stenchcore band, a trampcore band, or any other sub-sub-sub-core genre-defining term you can come up with."
American crust punk began in New York City, also in the mid-'80s, with the work of Nausea
Nausea (band)
Nausea was an American crust punk band from New York City in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, active from 1985-1992. Nausea is usually cited as being integral in the rise of American crust punk, a fusion of anarcho-punk and thrash metal styles....
. The group emerged from the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
squat
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
scene and New York hardcore
New York hardcore
New York hardcore refers to hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City and to the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Hardcore '81 is an album by the...
, living with Roger Miret
Roger Miret
Roger Miret is the vocalist for New York Hardcore outfit Agnostic Front as well as the street punk group Roger Miret and the Disasters....
of Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
. The early work of Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
, from San Francisco, also borrowed from Amebix, and inaugurated crust punk on the West Coast. Disrupt (Boston), Antischism
Antischism
Antischism was an American crust punk band from Columbia, South Carolina. They are widely popular within the crust and anarcho-punk subcultures. For most of their existence, the band consisted of:*Scott Cooper *Lyz...
(South Carolina), and Destroy
Destroy (band)
Destroy! was an American crust punk band from Minneapolis from 1988 to 1994. Vocalist Felix Havoc founded Havoc Records in 1992 as a vehicle for Destroy!'s Burn this Racist System Down 7" EP.-Members:*Felix Havoc...
(Minneapolis) were also significant U.S. crust groups.
1990s
An important American crust punk band was Aus Rotten from Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Crust punk also flourished in Minneapolis, shepherded by the Profane Existence
Profane Existence
The Profane Existence Collective is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally-known zine , as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust, and grindcore music, and printing and publishing pamphlets and literature...
label. In this period, the ethos of crust punk became particularly codified, with vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
, feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, and sometimes straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
being prescribed by many of the figures in the scene. The powerviolence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
scene associated with 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 in close proximity to crust punk, particularly in the case 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...
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...
. Crust was also prominent in the American South, where Prank Records
Prank Records
Prank Records is a hardcore punk record label based in San Francisco, California. They began in 1995, releasing hardcore punk bands on vinyl and in CD format, with over 90 releases. Started by former Auburn University WEGL 91.1 FM radio DJ, Maximum Rock and Roll columnist and reviewer, former 924...
and CrimethInc.
CrimethInc.
CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s, initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front, and began operating as a collective in 1996...
acted as focal points of the scene. The most well-known representative of Southern crust was 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...
. Prominent crust punk groups (Driller Killer
Driller Killer (band)
Driller Killer is a Swedish D-beat/crust punk band, strongly influenced by the sound of Discharge. They were formed in 1993 in Malmö and are named after the Abel Ferrara movie of the same name...
, Totalitär
Totalitär
Totalitär is a Swedish hardcore punk band formed 1985 in Hudiksvall. The band plays in the style of D-beat and hardcore punk. Its original members were Poffen, Lanchy, Andreas and Lennart...
, Skitsystem
Skitsystem
Skitsystem is a Swedish crust punk band formed in early 1994. Their sound was heavily influenced by death metal and d-beat. In actuality, band members originally came from different death metal bands, bonding over a common interest in d-beat. The band announced in December 2007 that they were on...
, Wolfbrigade
Wolfbrigade
Wolfbrigade are a Swedish D-beat crust punk band, formed in 1995. Their line-up has included members of Asta Kask, To What End?, Today's Overdose, Cosa Nostra, Anti Cimex, Obscure Infinity and Harlequin. Their music was a groundbreaking mix of Swedish hardcore punk and death metal that paved the...
, and Disfear
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring...
) also emerged from Sweden, which had always had a strong D-beat scene. Many of these groups developed in parallel with the much more commercial Scandinavian death metal
Scandinavian death metal
Swedish death metal is a death metal music scene developed in Sweden. Many Swedish death metal bands are associated with the melodic death metal movement, thus giving Swedish death metal a different sound from other variations of death metal. Unlike American death metal groups, the first Swedish...
scene.
2000s
Some notable crust bands in the 2000s include IskraIskra (band)
Iskra is a Canadian anarchist, thrash, and black metal project founded in Victoria, British Columbia in 2002. Their name means "spark" in Russian ....
, Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines (band)
Behind Enemy Lines is an American crust punk band, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in a crossover style of anarchist crust punk and thrash metal. The band features vocalist Dave Trenga and drummer Matt Garabedian, both of Aus-Rotten, and formerly guitarist Bill Chamberlain of The Pist...
, and Tragedy
Tragedy (band)
Tragedy is a melodic crust punk band originally from Memphis, Tennessee and formed in 2000.-Members:*Todd Burdette - Guitar/Vocals - Also of Deathreat, Severed Head of State, Trauma and Warcry, Formerly of Copout, Rueben James, His Hero is Gone, Funeral and Call The Police*Yannick Lorrain - Guitar...
.
Fusion with other genres
Industrial
As AmebixAmebix
Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs...
was heavily influenced by Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
, who are among the founders of industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
, crust punk has always had some relationship to this style. Nausea
Nausea (band)
Nausea was an American crust punk band from New York City in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, active from 1985-1992. Nausea is usually cited as being integral in the rise of American crust punk, a fusion of anarcho-punk and thrash metal styles....
also eventually incorporated elements of industrial rock.
Grindcore
Crust had a major impact on grindcoreGrindcore
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....
. The first grindcore, practiced by the British groups Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
and Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror
Extreme Noise Terror are a British crust punk / grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the...
emerged from the crust punk scene. This style is dubbed "crustgrind".
Thrashcore and powerviolence
The thrashcoreThrashcore
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 powerviolence
Powerviolence
Powerviolence , is a raw and dissonant subgenre of hardcore punk. The style is closely related to thrashcore and grindcore.-History:...
genres which emerged from American hardcore punk
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...
are also linked to crust, in the cases 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...
, 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...
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...
.
Black metal influences
Crust punk groups, such as Amebix, took some influence from the early black metal of VenomVenom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
and Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost was a metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. They are known for their heavy influence on the extreme metal genres. The group was first active from 1984 to 1993, and re-formed in 2001. Following Tom Gabriel Fischer's departure in 2008, Celtic Frost decided to break up again...
. Similarly, Bathory
Bathory (band)
Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by Quorthon in 1983. They are regarded as pioneers of both black metal and viking metal. Quorthon remained the main songwriter and member of Bathory for more than two decades. Bathory was permanently ended after Quorthon's death in 2004...
was initially inspired by crust punk as well as metal. Crust was affected by a second wave of influence in the 1990s, with some bands emphasizing these black metal elements. Iskra
Iskra (band)
Iskra is a Canadian anarchist, thrash, and black metal project founded in Victoria, British Columbia in 2002. Their name means "spark" in Russian ....
are probably the most obvious example of second wave black metal-influenced crust punk; Iskra coined their own phrase "blackened crust" to describe this new style. The Japanese group Gallhammer
Gallhammer
Gallhammer is a Japanese extreme metal group that draws on black metal, doom metal, and crust punk. They formed in Tokyo in 2003. All of the members are female, which is rare in their genre. -Biography:...
also blend crust with black metal. In addition, Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
band Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
have incorporated crust punk traits in their more recent material. As Daniel Ekeroth wrote in 2008,
Clothing
Crust punk also has an associated DIY-oriented branch of punk garb. Similar to anarcho-punk, most clothing is black in color. Denim jackets and hooded sweatshirts with sewn-on patches, or vests covered in studs, spikes and band patches are characteristic elements of the crust punk style of dress. or pants covered in band patches. Crusties sometimes wear dreadlocksDreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing...
.
Julian "Leggo" Kilsby of Deviated Instinct describes crust as "a punk-y biker look, more akin to Mad Max. Mad Max 2 is the crustiest film ever made!"
List of notable crust punk bands
| Band | Country | Formed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amebix Amebix Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs... |
UK | 1978 | |
| Antisect Antisect Antisect are an English anarcho-punk band, formed in 1982 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, UK. Their debut album, In Darkness There is No Choice, was released in 1983... |
UK | 1982 | |
| Behind Enemy Lines Behind Enemy Lines (band) Behind Enemy Lines is an American crust punk band, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in a crossover style of anarchist crust punk and thrash metal. The band features vocalist Dave Trenga and drummer Matt Garabedian, both of Aus-Rotten, and formerly guitarist Bill Chamberlain of The Pist... |
USA | 2000 | |
| Counterblast | Sweden | 1993 | |
| Dirt DIRT (band) DIRT were an anarcho-punk band from the UK. Initially formed in 1980 , the band frequently played with fellow anarchists Crass, before releasing their first EP, Object, Refuse, Reject, Abuse on the Crass Records label... |
UK | 1993 | |
| Disfear Disfear Disfear is a Swedish D-beat band that formed in the early 1990s. They have only recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums Soul Scars in 1995 and Everyday Slaughter in 1997, the group did not release an album until 2003 with a 12 track album, Misanthropic Generation, featuring... |
Sweden | 1992 | |
| Doom Doom (UK band) Doom are an English crust punk band from Birmingham, England, whose first, influential lineup were together from 1987 to 1990. Despite its short existence, the band is considered pivotal in the rise of crust punk, a style within the punk rock subgenre that fuses extreme metal with anarcho-punk... |
UK | 1987 | |
| Driller Killer Driller Killer (band) Driller Killer is a Swedish D-beat/crust punk band, strongly influenced by the sound of Discharge. They were formed in 1993 in Malmö and are named after the Abel Ferrara movie of the same name... |
Sweden | 1993 | |
| Dystopia Dystopia (band) Formed in Orange County, California in 1991, Dystopia was a sludge metal band, popular in both the heavy metal and crust punk scenes, due in large part to their bleak, misanthropic imagery... |
USA | 1991 | |
| Early Graves Early Graves Early Graves is a metal band from San Francisco, California that includes aspects of thrash and hardcore in their music. The band formed in 2007 from the ashes of tech metal band Apiary. They have toured the U.S. extensively with The Handshake Murders, Gaza, The Funeral Pyre and Unearth, amongst... |
USA | 2007 | |
| Fleas and Lice Fleas and Lice Fleas and Lice are a crust punk band from Groningen, Netherlands. Three of the members were originally part of Mushroom Attack, also from Holland. Their records have been released by Skuld Releases in Europe, and Profane Existence Records and Rodent Popsicle Records in the United States... |
The Netherlands | 1993 | |
| Hellbastard Hellbastard Hellbastard are a thrash metal/crust punk band, formed in 1984/5 in the United Kingdom. Members "Scruff Lewty" and "Scotty" met at a Subhumans gig and soon after formed Hellbastard, which was to be a combination of Crass-like politics and the music of Slayer... |
UK | 1986 | |
| 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... |
USA | 1995 | |
| Nausea Nausea (band) Nausea was an American crust punk band from New York City in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, active from 1985-1992. Nausea is usually cited as being integral in the rise of American crust punk, a fusion of anarcho-punk and thrash metal styles.... |
USA | 1985 | |
| Sore Throat Sore Throat Sore Throat were a British crust punk / grindcore band, formed in Yorkshire in 1987. They are known for being one of the earliest exponents of the grindcore subgenre known as "noisecore", as well launching the careers of several prominent members of the British metal community.-Biography:Sore... |
UK | 1987 | |
| Tragedy Tragedy (band) Tragedy is a melodic crust punk band originally from Memphis, Tennessee and formed in 2000.-Members:*Todd Burdette - Guitar/Vocals - Also of Deathreat, Severed Head of State, Trauma and Warcry, Formerly of Copout, Rueben James, His Hero is Gone, Funeral and Call The Police*Yannick Lorrain - Guitar... |
USA | 2000 |
Further reading
- Ekeroth, Daniel (2008). Swedish Death Metal. Bazillion Points Books. ISBN 978-0-9796163-1-0
- Glasper, Ian (2004). Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 1980-1984. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 1-901447-24-3
- Glasper, Ian (2006). The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 1-901447-70-7
- Glasper, Ian (2009). Trapped in a Scene: UK Hardcore 1985-1989. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 9781901447613
- "In Grind We Crust," Terrorizer #181, March 2009, p. 46, 51.
- Mudian, Albert (2000). Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore. Feral House. ISBN 1-932595-04-X
- Profane Existence (1997). Making Punk a Threat Again: Profane Existence: Best Cuts 1989-1993. Loincloth. ASIN: B000J2M8GS