Killed by Death (series) | |
---|---|
Compilation album seriesby Various Artists | |
Released | 1988–2018 |
Recorded | 1970s–1990s |
Studio | Various |
Genre | |
Label | Various |
Producer | Various |
Killed by Death is a series of bootleg albums compiling rare punk rock songs primarily from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first four of these compilations, (Killed By Death #1-#4), were issued in 1989 by the Swedish label Redrum Records and featured tracks by obscure North American and European punk groups, as well as a few more well-known acts such as Wipers, Zero Boys, Subhumans and Beastie Boys. [1] In the years since the release of these first compilations, more than 50 other albums have been added to the series by various anonymous publishers.
The curators of the Killed by Death series followed a tradition of other album series that compiled tracks from rare punk 45s onto LP. In the early 1970s, musician Lenny Kaye had codified the term "punk" in reference to a genre of music with his compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 . The album highlighted minor 1960s hits by groups like the Standells, the Seeds, the Count Five and Electric Prunes mixed with similar-sounding tracks by lesser-known bands. Kaye's original Nuggets compilation sparked a wave of similar records, notably the Pebbles series of LPs, that sought to unearth rare music from the 1960s. Tim Warren's Crypt Records followed up with even rarer and rawer 60s punk rock recordings on its Back from the Grave albums released during the mid-1980s, as did many other small labels the world over. [2]
Meanwhile, a new generation of musicians had picked up on this music and, unlike their 1960s rolemodels, were conscientiously self-describing their music as "punk rock." For many, this went hand-in-hand with a do-it-yourself aesthetic of recording one's own music and releasing one's own records, resulting in low budget productions and limited pressings. Not long after their release, the records were rare and as sought-after as many vinyl releases from punk's progenitors of the 1960s. Taking a cue from Nuggets, Pebbles and especially Back from the Grave, Killed By Death filled a niche for those desiring to hear this music at time when it could not be otherwise heard. [3]
The Killed By Death series was started by Swedish record collector Johan Kugelberg with the first volume's release in 1988, its name borrowed from a song by the British band Motörhead. Inspired by Tim Warren's Back from the Grave series, Kugelberg was encouraged by Warren to start his own series documenting early punk rock. Among the more obscure tracks by non-mainstream bands was the entire first EP by the Beastie Boys who had since switched from punk to hip-hop. When this first KBD record came out, the Beasties were topping the charts with their album Licensed to Ill while their hardcore punk catalog was out-of-print and selling for large sums on the collectors market, prompting Kugelberg to write in his KBD liner notes, "What do you do when a record becomes filthy expensive? Stick it on a comp." [2]
By the end of 1989 Kugelberg's Redrum Records' had released the first four volumes of Killed By Death, after which a fifth and sixth Killed By Death emerged in 1993, issued by an Australian record collector. [4] Over 30 subsequent volumes of Killed By Death were released during the 1990s, all assembled by various anonymous compilers and released independently of one another. This resulted in the records' diversion from any strict numbering system as no one could predict where and when a particular volume of Killed By Death would hit the streets.
Many volumes of Killed By Death were limited to as few as 500 copies, resulting in these compilations of hard-to-find records becoming collectors' items in and of themselves. Many volumes of Killed By Death resembled mixtapes of assorted singles from people's personal collections seemingly with no particular rhyme or reason connecting them. Other volumes focused on bands from particular countries, such as France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Scotland or New Zealand. Several Killed By Death album sleeves boasted "All American punk, no foreign junk," while others homed in on punk rock from a specific U.S. state, such as punk singles from Florida or demo tapes by Californian punk bands. [5]
With no consistency to their production nor regulation of their release, some volumes of Killed By Death were critiqued as being of low quality or dubious origin. [6] All the music on Killed By Death #16 is purported to be traceable back to early recordings made by Phantom Surfers bassist Mike Lucas performing cover versions of 1960s rock and protopunk bands such as The Kingsmen, The Sonics, Steppenwolf, Velvet Underground and The Stooges. [7] Killed By Death #11 boasted tracks by 10 unheard-of punk acts who had names constructed from an adjective and a plural noun (such as Sexy Fits, Curly Fries, and Grumpy Winos), complete with sleeve art reputed to be from the bands' original singles shoddily pasted (as was tradition on all Killed By Death releases) on the album's back cover. However, only one of these groups was real—the then contemporary Frothy Shakes from Nashville, Tennessee—and all the music on the record was theirs. [8] [9]
As the series grew, several spin-off albums and series emerged borrowing the recognizable "Killed by" moniker and logo but replacing "Death" with another signifier. The ultra-rare (200 copies) Killed by Dentistry featured many tracks that appeared on previous Killed By Death collections. It came in a blood-spattered sleeve and is rumored to have been put out by an actual dentist. [10] In the early 2000s an American enthusiast of Scottish punk and DIY music issued three CDs compiling tracks from rare Scottish singles under the name Kilt By Death. [11] Further afield, other albums emerged with tiles like Killed by Synth, Killed by Glam, Killed by Hardcore, Killed by Meth, and Killed by Deathrock, all veering away from what had then become known as "KBD punk" instead highlighting a number of other punk/rock subgenres. [2]
Albums are listed in chronological order of release. Additional information about label, country of origin, and actual artist appear in parentheses.
1993
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2012
2014
2016
2018
Deathrock is a rock music subgenre incorporating horror elements and gothic theatrics. It emerged from punk rock on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1980s and overlaps with the gothic rock and horror punk genres. Notable deathrock acts include Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave, and Super Heroines.
Punk-O-Rama was the title given to a series of ten compilation albums published by Epitaph Records. The first volume was released in 1994, the second in 1996, and the rest annually from 1998 to 2005. The albums included artists from Epitaph's roster as well as from its subsidiary label ANTI- and its partnership labels Hellcat Records and Burning Heart Records. In total the series included 257 songs contributed by 88 different artists.
The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1978 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981, and their debut EP, Army Life, and debut album, Punks Not Dead, were both released that year. The band maintained a large cult following in the 1980s among a hardcore working class punk and skinhead audience. Originally a street punk band, the Exploited eventually became a crossover thrash band with the release of their album Death Before Dishonour in 1987.
Discharge are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The band is known for influencing several sub-genres of extreme music and their songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in heavy metal and other genres. The musical sub-genre of D-beat is named after Discharge and the band's distinctive drumbeat.
Subhumans were a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1978.
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Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by bands such as Bigwig and Dynamite Boy; and later Sugarcult; Plain White T's; The Aquabats; Amely; and post-hardcore releases by At the Drive-In and Anatomy of a Ghost. However, the label has experimented with different styles in recent years. Acts such as Blessthefall, The Word Alive, Ice Nine Kills, Mayday Parade, Pierce The Veil, Starset, The Pretty Reckless, Underoath and The Color Morale have showcased post-hardcore, metalcore, hard rock and alternative rock bands that have emerged in recent years. Fearless Records' releases were distributed in the US by RED Distribution, but after Concord Music Group's purchase of the label in 2015, it is now distributed by Universal Music Group worldwide.
Deathpunk may refer to:
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation albums in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record labels, though mostly by AIP. Together with the companion Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, the Pebbles series made available over 800 obscure, mostly American "Original Punk Rock" songs recorded in the mid-1960s — primarily known today as the garage rock and psychedelic rock genres — that were previously known only to a handful of collectors. In 2007, the release of the Pebbles, Volume 11: Northern California CD marked the final album in the Pebbles series. The following year, Bomp! marked the 30th anniversary of the original Pebbles album with a spartan, limited-edition, clear-vinyl reissue complete with the original pink cover insert.
The Zero Boys are an American hardcore punk quartet from Indianapolis, Indiana fronted by Paul Mahern that debuted in 1980. Other members include bassist Scott Kellogg, drummer Mark Cutsinger and guitarist Dave Lawson. The band was known as one of the few popular hardcore bands from the Midwest, as the scene was mostly dominated by bands from the coasts.
Really Red was one of Houston, Texas' first punk bands and existed from 1978 through 1985.
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Raw Power is an Italian hardcore punk band from Reggio Emilia, formed in 1981 and still active.
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Yotam Ben Horin is an Israeli musician best known for his work as the lead singer and bassist for Israeli punk rock band Useless ID, as well as a solo artist releasing music closer to the indie/alternative rock scene. Most recently, he is also known for his work as an additional guitarist and backing vocalist for Israeli classic rock band Kaveret on their 2013 reunion performances.
The first punk rock bands in Canada emerged during the late 1970s, in the wake of the US bands Ramones, The New York Dolls, and Blondie, and the UK band Sex Pistols. The Viletones, the Diodes and the Demics were among the pioneers, together with the Skulls from Vancouver, and Hamilton's Teenage Head, whose records and live shows earned them the nickname "Canada's Ramones". Vibrant local punk scenes sprung up in Toronto and Vancouver and other Canadian cities.
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Toxic Shock Records was an American independent record label based first in Pomona, California, then in Tucson, Arizona. The label was spawned from the record store of the same name, by its founders Bill Sassenberger and Julianna Towns in 1983, when they released the first of the Noise from Nowhere series of 7-inch EP compilations. For the next decade they released singles, compilations and albums by many notable and influential bands of the hardcore, noise rock and post-hardcore scenes.
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The past has seen a glut of LPs with the Killed y Death title... l've run into a number of people who are understandably confused about which, if any, volumes to pick up. Allow me to get you started on the rignt foot.... the series began around 1988 at the hands of a crazed Swedish transplant to the States. Imagine one Swede with one Mo- torhead song title doing so much for you. Killed By Death #1 documented and exac- erbated an obsession with punk singles from '77-' 82 that continues to become more compulsive, and that's the way I like it. Uh huh. Since then, no less than eight parties have used the name for compilations that are sometimes as good or better than the originals, sometimes not worth the plastic they're pressed on. The volume numbers were sequential for awhile but have recent- ly become intentionally ridiculous. Incred- ibly, no volume number overlap has oc- curred despite multiple parties releasing the LPs over the years.
Hysteric Esoterics is an extended conversation between Michael C. Vazquez, senior editor at Bidoun, and Michael Train, compiler of a triple-disc anthology of Scottish DIY music called Kilt By Death.