U.S. Chaos

U.S. Chaos

U.S. Chaos
Background information
Origin New Jersey, United States
Genres Punk rock, street punk
Years active 1981–1987
1995–present
Labels Punk Rock Records
Associated acts The Front Line
The Radicals
The Chosen Few
Fahrenheit 451
Johnny and The Barflys
The Pickles
Blanks 77
The Undead
The Crash Street Kids
and many more.
Website www.uschaos.com
Members Jack Gibson
Rene "U.S. Chaos" Wasted
Glenn "Spikey" Mayer
Allan "Skully" Skolski
Past members English Ron, Brian Daley, Eddie Enzyme, Mark Beers, Gary Reitmeyer, (Frank) Buddy Vern, H.C.,

U.S. Chaos are an American punk rock band from Paterson, New Jersey, formed in 1981 from remnants of first wave punk outfits The Front Line in 1978 and The Radicals in 1979. They were one of the first American bands to play in an Oi!/street punk style. The band was originally based in Passaic and Bergen counties. The band's approach was to play music with lyrics that had an ironic, as well as satirical, overzealous pro-American stance. They often played recordings of military marches, air raid sirens and polyphonic sound assaults before going on stage.

Career

U.S. Chaos wrote songs and rehearsed in a basement for months before they played their first concert. In 1981, when their singer English Ron quit, Jack Gibson recruited Alan "Skully" Skolski. In the winter of 1982/1983, U.S. Chaos rehearsed and wrote several songs. In March 1983, the band performed for the first time at a party at Aldo's Hideaway in Lyndhurst, NJ and many times at CBGB, as well as at City Gardens, in Trenton, New Jersey.[1] The lineup at this time was: Skolski on vocals, Gibson on bass, Spike Glenn Mayer on drums, Gary Reitmeyer on guitar and Brian Daley (HC) on rhythm guitar.[2]

Their first release was We've Got the Weapons, a vinyl EP released in 1983. The production of the EP, including recording and printing by Ross Eliss, cost them $5,000, which was unheard of in the American punk scene at that time. Their second release was the single "Kill The Killers" b/w "Suicide", which cost almost as much. This was later remastered by manager and producer Munsch, from the first pressing disk plates, and re-released by Punk Rock Records and Punk-Core records as a limited co-release in 1996 as well as Several unreleased singles Blame it on Sam and For Being Young were remixed and eventually released.

Reitmeyer's departure from U.S. Chaos meant that the only original member of the band was Skolski. The band changed their name to The Chosen Few and wrote new material. This change coincided with the end of the first wave of US hardcore punk, with many bands changing their sounds or leaving the scene altogether.

In 1992, U.S. Chaos reunited to perform at a party. The band continued this tradition every year until 1995, when they fully brought U.S. Chaos out of hiatus. Munsch, owner of Punk Rock Records became their manager. This led to several more releases and a few movie appearances. From 1996 to 1997, the lineup was: Skolsky on vocals, Reitmeyer on guitar, Gibson on bass and Glenn 'Spikey' Mayer on drums. Mayer was later replaced by Eddie Enzyme (Active Ingredients, Fahrenheit 451, The Pickes). The band continued to play and release new material into 2007, the year Reitmeyer died. Prior to his death, Reitmeyer had recommended Buddy Vern to fill his place. Vern had recently declined a longtime membership, and was replaced by Reitmeyer's younger sister Rene Wasted, who is also an active founding member of Blanks 77. Munsch engineered and produced a U.S. Chaos album in 1999 called "You Can't Hear A Picture", which also led to several videos and four more singles.

U.S. Chaos had resumed their normal performance schedule as of September 15, 2007. The current lineup is Gibson on bass, Skolski on vocals, Mayer on drums and Wasted on guitar.

Discography

Compilation appearances

Filmography

Members

U.S. Chaos Reunited

Others

References

  1. ↑ http://cbgb.com/about.php U.S. Chaos performances cited online December 2012
  2. ↑ uschaos.com, accessed December 3, 2006
  3. ↑ iTunes - Music - Stopping Evolution Dead In It's Tracks - Single by U.S. Chaos
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20070926215306/http://www.btinternet.com/~thisispunkrock/ps/ushc/2/uschaos.htm%5B%5D
  5. ↑ LP (Punk Rock Records/Razorwire E.U., 1997)
  6. ↑ "Blame It On Sam", remixed and mastered by Marty Munsch, released 1999, Punk Rock Records Reviews in RazorCake Fanzine
  7. ↑ "Stopping Evolution Dead In It's Tracks", engineered and mastered by Marty Munsch, released 2011, Punk Rock Records Reviews in RazorCake Fanzine
  8. ↑ Skins & Pins CD Album
  9. ↑ Punk Dwellings CD Album
  10. ↑ Interpunk.com - The Ultimate Punk Music Store!
  11. ↑ Interpunk.com - The Ultimate Punk Music Store!
  12. ↑ http://www.allgrownupthemovie.com
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