Power violence

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Power violence
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Late 1980s North America
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Underground

Power violence is a subgenre of hardcore punk.

Contents

[edit] History

It was first mentioned by name in the song "Hispanic Small Man Power (H.S.M.P.)" by genre pioneer Man Is the Bastard. Its nascent form was pioneered in the late 1980s in the music of hardcore punk bands Infest which heavily influenced by earlier bands like Siege and Lärm. The microgenre solidified into its most commonly recognized form in the early 1990s, with the sounds of bands such as Man Is the Bastard, Crossed Out, and No Comment.

Spazz vocalist and bassist Chris Dodge's record label Slap-a-Ham Records was a fixture during the rapid rise and decline of power violence, releasing influential records by the likes of Neanderthal, No Comment, Crossed Out, Infest, Spazz, etc. The label's Fiesta Grande was an annual power violence festival held at 924 Gilman from 1992 to 2000. Spazz drummer Max Ward's label 625 Thrashcore has started its own festival, Super Sabado Gigante, in a similar vein. Geographically, power violence was specific to the Bay Area. While power violence grew out of thrashcore[citation needed] (often referred to simply as "thrash"), this style is distinct from the thrash metal groups active in the same place, at the same time. Bands such as Fuck on the Beach helped to bring attention and eventually new scenes to Tokyo and other cities in Japan. Today, Japan is host to many power violence, fastcore and thrash bands.

[edit] Style

Musically, power violence bands focus on speed, brevity, bizarre timing breakdowns, and constant tempo changes, removing the metallic influence that grindcore is generally known for in its songwriting and production techniques. Power violence songs are often very short; it is not uncommon for some to last less than 30 seconds.

[edit] Proto-power Violence

Bands that influenced and/or prefigured power violence:

[edit] Bands associated with power violence

[edit] References

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Hardcore punk
Regional Scenes
Other topics