Ludichrist

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Ludichrist was a New York hardcore punk/speed metal band formed in the 1980s. Their musical style broke from traditional New York Hardcore roots by adding aspects of rock, heavy metal and jazz, like extended guitar solos and musical interludes on their debut album "Immaculate Deception". One track featured guest vocalists from fellow New York bands Agnostic Front, Nuclear Assault, The Crumbsuckers and Leeway. After their second proper album, lead singer Tommy Christ and guitarist Glen Cummings broke up the band and reformed with a new rhythm section as the more humor-oriented, style-jumping Scatterbrain. Cummings would also play with Mucky Pup for a brief time. By the time Ludichrist's second album "Powertrip" was released, the band only retained 2 original members, vocalist Tommy and guitarist Glen which naturally lead to a drastic change in style and sound. The band became far more metal in style, while retaining a range of musical influences and being more overtly humorous, they abandoned the early hardcore style, leaving many of the band's early fans sorely disappointed. But the new style won them many new metal crossover fans and featured stellar muscicianship by Paul Neider (guitar) and Dave Miranda (drums) in particular. The original drummer and founder of Ludichrist (also the guy who named the band), Al Batross, left after the first album "Immaculate Deception" was recorded. Original guitarist Mark Kanabrocki, whom had written most of the first albums songs, left the bands before it was recorded and appears only on the record release issued from CBGB's called "Off the Board." Al Batross ( http://www.digitalsharkstudio.com/albatrossdrums)later played with the band MDC (Millions of Dead Cops) from 2001 through 2003 and formed Big Sniff (with releases on both Mint Tone records and Do iT! Records in Germany) with future members of The Arsons and Kill Your Idols in the 90's. Al Batross is currently (2006) the sole American member in two all Japanese bands, curiously enough, based in NYC called The Spunks and Gelatine. Original bassist Chuck Valle later joined Murphy's Law and had become a talented audio engineer (see Six and Violence "Lettuce Prey") but was tragically stabbed to death in California following an argument with an unknown man. Chuck was also an early enthusiast of rap and hip hop, leading to what has widely been acknowledged as the first clear example of hardcore mixed with rap, the track "Green Eggs and Ham." Incredibly, "Immaculate Deception" was reviewed in the May 11th 1987 issue of PEOPLE magazine between Bryan Adams "Into the Fire" and The Kinks "Think Visual!"Recently, it was announced that a Ludichrist reunion show will take place in NYC in 2007, it is said that every former member will be participating.