Rancid Hell Spawn
Encyclopedia
Rancid Hell Spawn was a punk rock
band
, active between 1988 and 1995.
Discovered in London
the band released five album
s and three extended play
s. Rancid Hell Spawn also provided two song
s for the soundtrack
of Dennis Worden
's "Stickboy" music video
in 1993. Their music
was characterized by a distinctive noisy and distorted
sound, featuring a Casio
organ
and large amounts of feedback
. The majority of Rancid Hell Spawn songs are short, high-speed punk burnouts with melodies hidden beneath the feedback. Steven Wells of New Musical Express
described it as "listening to Eddie Cochran
while wearing an astronaut's suit full of angry wasps."
The band was fronted by Charlie Chainsaw, former editor of Chainsaw
which started in 1977 and continued until 1984. Charlie Chainsaw remains active in the London punk scene, running the Wrench Records record label
and mailorder company.
Rancid Hell Spawn have reformed, and have announced that they will be releasing a new EP.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, active between 1988 and 1995.
Discovered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
the band released five album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and three extended play
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
s. Rancid Hell Spawn also provided two song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s for the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of Dennis Worden
Dennis Worden
Dennis Worden's alternative comics caught the public's attention in the early '80s, via Robert Crumb's Weirdo anthology. He created the comic book Stickboy, detailing the existential adventures of a stick figure. There were eight issues. Other comic books by Worden were, Slur, Bongo Dick,...
's "Stickboy" music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
in 1993. Their music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
was characterized by a distinctive noisy and distorted
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
sound, featuring a Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
and large amounts of feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
. The majority of Rancid Hell Spawn songs are short, high-speed punk burnouts with melodies hidden beneath the feedback. Steven Wells of New Musical Express
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
described it as "listening to Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
while wearing an astronaut's suit full of angry wasps."
The band was fronted by Charlie Chainsaw, former editor of Chainsaw
Chainsaw (punk zine)
Chainsaw, a punk zine edited by "Charlie Chainsaw" was published in suburban Croydon in 1977 and ran to fourteen issues before ceasing publication in 1984. A hand-lettered 'n' became a stylised trademark in articles after the 'n' key broke on the editor's typewriter...
which started in 1977 and continued until 1984. Charlie Chainsaw remains active in the London punk scene, running the Wrench Records record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and mailorder company.
Rancid Hell Spawn have reformed, and have announced that they will be releasing a new EP.
Discography
- "Festering Pus" EP, Wrench Records, 1988
- Jumpin Jack Flesh LP, Wrench Records, 1989
- Gas Mask Love mini-LPMini-LPA Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
, Wrench Records, 1990 - Chainsaw Masochist LP, Wrench Records, 1990
- Split EP with The Fells, Toxic Shock Records, 1991
- "Gastro Boy" EP, Wrench Records, 1992
- "Axe Hero" CD, Wrench Records, 1993
- "Teenage Lard" EP, Wrench Records, 1995
- Scalpel Party Retrospective CD, Wrench Records, 2000