Amebix

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Amebix

Background information
Origin England
Genre(s) Crust punk
Thrash metal
Years active 1978 - 1987
Label(s) Spiderleg Records
Heavymetal Records
Alternative Tentacles
Associated
acts		 Zygote
Members
Rob "The Baron" Miller
Stig
Spider
Former members
Andy Billy Jug
Martin
Virus
Norman
Clive
George

Amebix, formed in England in 1978 as "The Band with No Name", were a band that many consider to have started the sub genre crust punk. Their music, heavily influenced by Motörhead (and to a lesser extent Lemmy-era Hawkwind), Black Sabbath, and early Killing Joke, combined with an ethos and worldview akin to Crass, represented their non-traditional lifestyles.

Their music blended hardcore punk and heavy metal into a form of early thrash metal. They were the forerunners of crust punk and a thrash metal pioneer. Such notable bands as Sepultura, Neurosis, Napalm Death, and Deviated Instinct have paid homage to the band.

Contents

[edit] History

Amebix was initially formed by Rob Miller (a.k.a. 'The Baron') along with his brother Stig, Andy Billy Jug and Clive while in school in Devon in 1978. Initially referring to themselves as "The Band with No Name" the band played extensively around the local area, during which time they recorded a six-track demo tape. Using his role as part-time columnist in a local paper Rob Miller gave a tape to Crass when they played in Plymouth. The track 'University Challenged' from this demo was then featured on the first Crass Records Bullshit Detector compilation LP.[1]

After this the band replaced drummer Andy Billy Jug with Martin, whose parents manor house in Dartmoor was then used to practice. It was around this time that the band began to refer to themselves as 'Amebix', however Martin was removed by his parents from the band and relocated to London where he suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed as a Paranoid Schizophrenic. The song "Largactyl" was written about Martin's experience.[2]

The band then recruited Norman as a synth player and decided to relocate to Bristol, living in a number of squats. They recruited Disorder guitarist Virus to play drums and finally had a semi-stable line-up.[3] This line-up would record the first 2 7"s (Who's the Enemy EP and "Winter"). A fill-in synth player would appear on the 12" EP No Sanctuary, and in 1984 they would acquire a new synth player, George.[4] While recording the 'No Sanctuary' EP at Southern Studios they met Jello Biafra of American punk band Dead Kennedys and punk label Alternative Tentacles. They became Tentacles' first UK signing with the Arise! album in 1985. The final line-up would come together in 1985 with the addition of Spider on drums.[4] They signed to Heavy Metal Records for the release of 1987's Monolith, whose release/distribution difficulties led to the band eventually splitting, although they were to continue touring, their final tour ending in Sarejevo before the collapse of Yugoslavia.

Spider, George, and Stig went on to perform in Zygote.[3] Vocalist Rob Miller now lives on the Isle of Skye speaking Gaelic and making ceremonial swords.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles/EPs

[edit] Live

  • No Gods Live LP, 1985
  • V Zivo - Live in Ljubljana Slovenia Live Cassette, 1986
  • No Masters Live LP, 1986
  • Make Some Fucking Noise! (reissue of V Zivo) LP (The Only Good Dealer is a Dead One Records), 1997
  • Make Some Fucking Noise! CD (Arson Records), 2003

[edit] Demo

  • Demo, 1979
  • Right to Ride Demo, 1987

[edit] Compilation/Reissue

  • Monolith CD (Heavy Metal Records) 1996
  • Beginning of the End bootleg LP (contains all 3 Spiderleg releases) 1998
  • Arise! +2 (Original Arise! album, re-mastered, with the Right to Ride demo tracks) CD/LP+7" (Alternative Tentacles), 2000

[edit] References

  1. ^ Metal Archives
  2. ^ Metal Archives
  3. ^ a b Rock Detector
  4. ^ a b Yahoo! Music

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/m/e/Amebix.html"