| Amebix | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Band with No Name |
| Origin | England |
| Genres | Anarcho-punk, heavy metal, crust punk, post-punk |
| Years active | 1978–1987 2008–present |
| Labels | Spiderleg Records Heavy Metal Records Alternative Tentacles Moshpit Tragedy Records |
| Associated acts | Zygote, Nausea |
| Website | amebix.net |
| Members | |
| Rob "The Baron" Miller Stig Roy Mayorga |
|
| Past members | |
| Andy Billy Jug Martin Virus Ric Gadsby Norman Clive George Jenghiz A. Droid Spider |
|
Amebix are an English crust punk/heavy metal band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs. The group has reunited as of 2008.
By being one of the first bands to blend anarcho-punk and heavy metal music, Amebix are often cited as one of the key bands that helped to create the crust punk style.[1][2] Such notable bands as Sepultura, Neurosis and Deviated Instinct have paid homage to the band.[3]
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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.[4]
After this the band replaced drummer Andy Billy Jug with Martin, whose parents' manor house in Dartmoor was then used to practice in. It was around this time that the band began to refer to themselves as 'Amebix'. According to an interview with lead singer and bassist Rob Miller, Amebix refers to the amoeba. 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.[5]
The band then recruited Norm (Screaming Heads, Phantasmagoria, NormYard) as a synth player and decided to relocate to Bristol, living in a number of squats. They recruited Disorder drummer Virus to play drums and finally had a semi-stable line-up.[6] This line-up would record the first two 7"s (Who's the Enemy and Winter) and the 12" EP No Sanctuary. A fill-in synth player would appear on No Sanctuary, and in 1984 they would acquire a new synth player, George.[7] While recording No Sanctuary at Southern Studios they met Jello Biafra of American punk band Dead Kennedys and owner of the punk record label Alternative Tentacles. As a result, they became the label's first UK signing, and subsequently released the Arise! album in 1985. The final line-up would come together in 1985 with the addition of Spider on drums.[7] 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.[6] Vocalist Rob Miller now lives on the Isle of Skye where he works as a self-taught swordsmith.
According to The Baron's myspace page, Amebix have reformed as of February 2008. On March 9, 2008 Amebix reissued their last album Monolith as a sliding scale download through Moshpit Tragedy Records. Since reforming, the band have released the Redux EP, which consists of three rerecorded songs from the band's original incarnation, plus a fourth live track on the downloadable version. A new maxi-single entitled Knights of the Black Sun was released on June 3, 2011 which also featured the band's first ever music video. Sonic Mass, the band's third album and first full-length in 24 years, was released on September 23, 2011 through the band's own label (Amebix Records) and Easy Action Records.
Amebix took inspiration from Motörhead (and to a lesser extent Lemmy-era Hawkwind), Black Sabbath, and combined with an ethos and worldview akin to Crass. They were also influenced by various post-punk and gothic rock bands, including Public Image Ltd., Bauhaus, Joy Division, and especially Killing Joke. Many have claimed that Amebix were influenced by proto-black metal band Venom, however Rob Miller has denied this on numerous occasions.[5]