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Pure Hell | |
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Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Genres | Punk rock |
Years active | 1974–1979, 2012,2024 |
Past members |
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Pure Hell is an American punk rock band, established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1974, [1] during the high point of punk culture in New York City, London and Los Angeles. [2] [3] It has been cited by Bad Brains "as an early influence".
Among the pioneers of the post-garage rock, post-acid rock, glam-theater era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Pure Hell was among the first of its kind, comparable to the MC5, Sex Pistols, and Dead Boys. Commercially, the band had little success and only released one single, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" backed with "No Rules") [4] and one album, Noise Addiction, which was unreleased for 28 years. [1] Founding member writer/vocalist Kenny Gordon and drummer Spider of Pure Hell also have an unreleased album produced in the mid-1990s by former members of L.A. Guns, Nine Inch Nails and Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, entitled The Black Box. This album has Kilmister singing background vocals in a rare song titled "The Call". In 2012, Pure Hell reformed to play their first gig since 1979 at the Rebellion Festival at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool alongside Rancid, Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd and Social Distortion.
One of the first African-American proto-punk bands, Pure Hell formed in Philadelphia in 1974 and spent time playing in New York City too, eventually becoming friendly with the New York Dolls and even playing with Sid Vicious in 1978 when he moved to New York City. Curtis Knight, former R&B singer in the Squires, which also featured a young Jimi Hendrix on guitar, became their manager and oversaw their career. In addition to managing the band, he also produced one of the two sessions the band made – the other at the end of 1978 in London was amazingly recorded by the Groundhogs main man Tony McPhee. This London jaunt turned out to be the last hurrah for Pure Hell as Knight fell out badly with them and refused to release their album. Even a well-received UK tour and an appearance alongside the ascendant Subs at the Lyceum couldn't stop them splitting on their return stateside.
All they left behind was one single, a cover of the Nancy Sinatra song “These Boots Are Made For Walking”/”No Rules”,. [5] They played a high power, energy-driven punk rock with more than a slight Hendrix-influenced guitar at some points. Some of their tracks, particularly “The Girl With The Hungry Eyes”, (about Nancy Spungen, who charismatic lead singer Kenny Gordon knew from his schooldays) verge on proto-hardcore punk. The band proved influential on the emerging CBGB-based New York punk scene.
In 2016, an acetate record with two of their songs, "Wild One" and "Courageous Cat" went for sale on eBay, where it was purchased by Henry Rollins and released on his label. [6]
Kenny has since stated that he doesn't want to be "remembered just because we were black,” and sees the band as being a part of the first tier of punk in the '70s. Most recent live performances include select venues and events on the East Coast, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music Festival, WFMU radio in Jersey City, New Jersey and the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, New Jersey. Pure Hell will be performing their first West Coast show in 30 years at the Mosswood Meltdown Festival, in Oakland California on July 7, 2024.
Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C., and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics".
Black Flag is an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. Initially called Panic, the band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band. They are widely considered to be one of the first hardcore punk bands, as well as one of the pioneers of post-hardcore. After breaking up in 1986, Black Flag reunited in 2003 and again in 2013. The second reunion lasted well over a year, during which they released their first studio album in nearly three decades, What The... (2013). The band announced their third reunion in January 2019.
The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.
MDC is an American punk rock band formed in 1979 in Austin, Texas, subsequently based in San Francisco, and currently Portland, Oregon. Among the first wave of bands to define the sound and style of American hardcore punk, MDC originally formed as The Stains; they have periodically changed the meaning of "MDC", the most frequent being Millions of Dead Cops. The band's lyrical content expresses radical left political views and has proven influential within the punk subculture.
The Explosion is an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. On February 13, 2007, the band announced that they had left Virgin Records, and on April 30, 2007, that they were to split up. On September 4, 2007, the band played their final show in New York though they have subsequently played multiple reunion shows.
Senses Fail is an American rock band formed in Ridgewood, New Jersey, in 2001. Founded by vocalist Buddy Nielsen, drummer Dan Trapp, guitarists Garrett Zablocki and Dave Miller, and bassist James Gill ; the band has seen many lineup changes, with Nielsen being the only consistent member. The band has released eight studio albums, two EPs, and one live album.
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.
Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 2 November 1979 by Chiswick Records.
Lifetime is an American melodic hardcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was formed in 1990 and disbanded in 1997. In late 2005, they announced their reunion.
The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts, often shortened to The Shape of Punk to Come, is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records.
This Is Hell is an American hardcore punk band from Long Island, New York. The band is known for extensive touring and high energy concerts. They have released five studio albums and five EPs.
"Iron Fist" is a song by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl.
Fake Train is the debut studio album by the American post-hardcore band Unwound, released on July 7, 1993, by Kill Rock Stars.
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Houston Calls was an American rock band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey, United States. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Rushmore Records. On June 9, 2009, they announced their official breakup.
Smoke Signals is an album by the hardcore punk band MDC. The original vinyl release appeared on the band's own Radical Records label in 1986.
Victor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in reggae, blues, ska and rocksteady bands since the early 1990s, including The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers. He has also performed with punk rock band Rancid, both live and in the studio. He has released four solo acoustic albums and continues to tour and record worldwide. Ruggiero is known primarily as a singer and organist, although he also plays piano, bass, banjo, cigar box guitar, guitar, harmonica and percussion.
Black Rose are an English heavy metal band from Teesside in the north east of England. They formed in 1976 under the name Ice but changed it to Black Rose in 1980. Black Rose was one of the many British bands considered part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. The original line-up was Steve Bardsley, Kenny Nicholson (guitar), Marty Rajn (bass) and Mark Eason (drums). Over the next nine years the band went through various line-up changes and released quite a few records including two albums: Boys Will Be Boys (1984) and Walk It How You Talk It (1986) before splitting up in 1989. The band then re-formed in 2006 and released their third album Cure for Your Disease in 2010. In 2022 they released their fourth studio album WTF on Pure Steel Records.
Drug Church is an American post-hardcore band from Albany, New York, United States. The band has released four albums, as well as several EPs.
The Stimulators were an American punk rock band from New York City. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene and New York hardcore, and for being the musical entry point for future Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan.