The sound of Broken Bones is the sound of punk at its most primal, the crashing roar
of wild, wild youth taken to limits even the Sex Pistols never dreamed
of. When the band formed in 1983, punk may not
have been dead, but it was certainly dying. Then Broken Bones came
along and the reverberations are still being felt today, in the battle
cries of Bad Religion and the swagger of Rancid, in the white heat of
Slayer and the debauchery of Ministry. Some people have called
Broken Bones one of the biggest Hardcore bands of all time and one of the
most vital, various U.S. mega-bands such as Metallica have acknowledged
them as one of their influences.
Broken Bones was formed by guitarist Bones in early 1983
a few months after he quit Discharge, one of the most
distinctive, and successful bands to emerge from the punk movement in the
early 80's. Bones recruited his twin brother Tezz (also a former
Discharge member) on bass, vocalist Nobby and drummer Baz to the line
up. Bones unveiled his latest juggernaut with a solid year of
gigging, leading to the release in January 1984 of the screaming
"Decapitated"
Fired by the popularity which Broken Bones had
already inspired, the single promptly rocketed into Britain's independent
top ten. The follow up single "Crucifix" was then released in May,
inevitably it scored just as highly as the predecessor, and proved that
Broken Bones meant serious business.
Retaining the services of Discharge
producer Mike Stone the band recorded there first album "Dem Bones" with
which the bands distinctive early sound would stand head and shoulders
over pretty much every punk album of the time, and today is still
regarded as a classic.
Live shows became increasingly riotous
celebrations, the established press was paying attention. Not since
punks heyday in the late 1970's had a band seemed poised for great
things. That chance was lost when over a year elapsed before B/B
third single. A year never the less which saw the band consolidate
its vinyl reputation with never ending touring.
Broken Bones 1983 live album "Live
at the 100 Club" remains the acid test for anyone who claims to
be real punk today, a record which forges and unimagined middle
ground between hardcore, metal and the apocalypse.
The much anticipated third single "Seeing
Through My Eyes" was well worth the wait, with "Never Say Die" following
up, and then came the Bonecrusher album which was released only in
the U.S. and mini album "Trader in Death" which immortalized some of B/B
best loved songs.
Times were changing both in and outside the
group. By 1986 in Britain, punk was officially old hat (if only
briefly, as it turned out). In America where B/B was readily adopted
by the hardcore set, it was still a marginal interest, big enough
to keep a band on the road but that was about it.
The groups line up was changing as well, Tezz
had left after "Crucifix", and replaced by Oddy, then Nobby left and Oddy
took over vocals as well. By 1986 Oddy went on to join Conflict, and
the returning Nobby and Tezz were joined by a second guitarist Karl Morris
(Exploited) for the studio/live album "F.O.A.D". More followed in
F.O.A.D's footsteps, unheralded harbingers of the mayhem which passes for
metal today and in 1989 the band took a more thrash metal direction
and released the album "Losing Control", gone were Nobby, Baz and
Tezz, and Quiv appeared on vocals. Two more were to follow with the
12 inch release "Religion is Responsible" and another album "Stitched Up"
that seemed to be it.
Until in 1998 Broken Bones reformed, Bones on
guitar as ever, Oddy back on bass, the now veteran Quiv resuming vocals
and new drummer Dave solely
to capture the intense uncompromising sound of their early releases. They
started to do a few live shows and a tour of Europe, then April
2001 saw the release of their first full length record for 8 years with
searing metallic hardcore riffs, thunderous bass over frenetic drums, all
topped off by Quiv's growling vocals, they leap out of the speakers
and sucker-punch you around the head with a glorious haze of hardcore
mayhem, Themes tackled include America's questionable gun laws,
relationship breakdown and mental illness, all assaulted with an
old-skool, UK/HC savagery that will put many US 'punk' bands to shame,
which make's Without Conscience on a par with the first album "Dem
Bones"
THE MASTERS OF THE ART ARE BACK,
ARMED AND READY
TO SHOW THE PUPPIES WHAT HC IS REALLY ALL ABOUT.
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