Necros

Necros
Origin Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres Hardcore punk, post-hardcore
Years active 1979–1987
Labels Touch and Go, Dischord, Gastanka, Restless. Enigma, Rykodisc
Associated acts Laughing Hyenas, Big Chief, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Negative Approach, Misfits, The Meatmen, The Beastie Boys, Megadeth, Circle Jerks
Past members
Barry Henssler
Andy Wendler
Todd Swalla
Corey Rusk
Brian Pollack
Ron Sakowski

Necros was an early American hardcore punk band from Maumee, Ohio, although they are usually identified with the Detroit music scene.[1] They are the first band to record for Touch and Go Records.

History

The Necros were formed in 1980 by then-teenagers Barry Henssler (vocals), Andy Wendler (guitar), and Todd Swalla (drums). After going through a handful of bassists (including Donny Brook, Jeff Allsop, David Cooke, Brian Hyland, Jeff Lake, and Brian Pollack), Corey Rusk joined the band. Barry Henssler had struck up a friendship with Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson of Touch and Go magazine after sending them a copy of his own 'zine, Smegma Journal.[1] Vee and Stimson became fans of the Necros and put the Necros' first record, a self-titled 4-song 7" EP (recorded prior to Rusk's entry into the band) most commonly known as "Sex Drive". This was Touch and Go Records' (then spelled "Rekords") first release and was limited to only 100 copies.[2]

Andy Wendler left the band in 1981 (although he continued to write for them) and Brian Pollack joined on guitar. Later that year, the band recorded and released another self-titled 7" record known as "IQ32", produced by Minor Threat vocalist Ian MacKaye. This 9-song was jointly released by Touch and Go (which Rusk now had a hand in running) and MacKaye's own Dischord Records. Wendler rejoined on guitar in late 1982 and in 1983 the band recorded and released two more records, a 7" and LP both titled Conquest For Death.

Early on, the Necros played with many prominent punk bands, including Black Flag, Bad Brains, Sonic Youth, Minor Threat, and Tesco Vee's group The Meatmen. The Necros also toured as openers for horror punk band the Misfits, including at the Misfits' last show in which Todd Swalla stepped in to play drums when Brian Damage became too drunk to perform.[3]

In 1983 Corey Rusk quit the group to concentrate on Touch and Go, after assuming full control of the label and bassist Ron Sakowski stepped in.[4] Despite the group's steady output at their onset, the Necros did not release another record for two years. In an interview with One Solution zine, vocalist Barry Henssler blamed the delay between releases on Rusk's refusal to give the band a definite answer as to whether or not they were still on Touch and Go. The label has since deleted their Necros releases from their catalogue.

The next Necros release came in 1985 as a split LP with White Flag entitled Jail Jello, on Gasatanka Records. Now featuring a more distinctly post-hardcore sound, the band followed up the split with 1986's Tangled Up LP on Restless Records along with a single of the same name on Gasatanka. After spending 1987 touring with first Megadeth and then later the Circle Jerks, the group called it quits. A live album, Live or Else, appeared posthumously in 1989.

Post break up

Barry Henssler went on to form the band Big Chief, who recorded for the Sub Pop label. Ron Sakowski and Todd Swalla reunited in the mid 1990s as part of the final line up of Touch And Go artists Laughing Hyenas. Andy Wendler played in a group called Gone In Sixty Seconds (also known as G.I.S.S.).

In 2002, a limited (only 450 copies pressed) split 10" with Authority Abuse was released by Wise Hoodlum Records featuring live Necros recordings from 1981–1983. The band's first demo was reissued as the "Ambionic Sound" 7" in 2012, named for the studio where it was recorded.

In 2005 Rykodisc reissued Tangled Up and Live or Else together on one CD, currently the only Necros material available on CD.

Former members

Discography

Studio albums

EPs and singles

Compilation and live albums

References

  1. 1 2 The Detroit hardcore scene - SWINDLE Magazine
  2. ↑ Fuzzlogic.com
  3. ↑ Nardwuar
  4. ↑ Corey Rusk | Pitchfork
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