Vegan Reich
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Vegan Reich, formed in 1987, was one of the more controversial bands to emerge from the hardcore punk and metalcore scenes. They were also the first rock band to combine militant animal rights leanings, an extreme conservative stance against drugs, sex and abortion, a desire for anarchy to be preceded by a so-called "vegan dictatorship," a harsh stance against racism and sexism, and an almost religious intolerance of homosexuality.
The group was led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Sean Muttaqi, who, utilizing some friends from the band Naturecore, recorded his first song to place on a compilation intended to benefit the militant Animal Liberation Front. Oi Polloi, who contributed their song "Stop the Bloody Slaughter" for the release, later criticized Muttaqi and Vegan Reich in the liner notes of Pigs For Slaughter: 20 Years of Anarcho-Punk Chaos, calling their plan for a vegan dictatorship "one of the most fuckin ridiculous concepts I've ever heard" and criticizing their homophobia. In 1990, Vegan Reich--now comprised of Muttaqi and drummer Jon Ewing--formulated an ideology called Hardline straight edge and released a 7" by the same name through Hardline Records. The pair was assisted by Sergio, then-bassist for Southern California punk band Amenity, until Dom Ehling joined up in 1991 and shortly after, Florida native Ray Titus relocated to Laguna Beach, CA, to replace Ewing. In 1992, that lineup released a cassette tape-only EP, The Wrath of God, that was as heavily influenced by Iron Maiden as the previous release was inspired by Crass.
The band went on hiatus after that, with the lineup first morphing into the reggae-tinged Captive Nation Rising, and later the back-to-basics punk band Pressure. In 1996, Uprising Records compiled all of Vegan Reich's material and released it as the Anthology CD. Vegan Reich reconvened briefly in 1999 with Muttaqi playing guitar and bass and singing on a new EP, "Jihad", backed by Racetraitor (and future Fall Out Boy) drummer Andy Hurley.
