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The Freeze | |
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Origin | Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States |
Genres | Hardcore punk, punk rock |
Years active | 1978–present |
Labels | Modern Method, Taang! Records, Lost And Found, Dr Strange Records, Schizophrenic, Gummopunx Records |
Members | Clif "Hanger" Croce Bill Close Dave “DB” Barbee Tom Reardon Kaz McClain Brandon Meunier |
Past members | Numerous (see 'Former members' section below) |
The Freeze is an American punk rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States, formed by a group of teenagers in 1978. [1] [2] They released the first single, "I Hate Tourists" in 1980 and contributed eight songs, including the title track to the 1982 hardcore punk compilation This Is Boston, Not L.A.
The band is known for their dark lyrics, original punk rock melodies, and their longevity. A lot of their early lyrics deal with alienation, drug-use/abuse and paranoia (especially of the church, government and those exercising authority over others in general). A constant theme or thread regarding apathetic observers or people willing to give up their freedoms for fear of losing their "security" is also apparent in their work.
Influenced by The Ramones, The Clash and other early punk bands, Clif "Hanger" Croce put together The Freeze in 1978. A friend scraped up enough cash the next year to make 2,000 copies of the band's debut single, "I Hate Tourists". According to a band history, “A Christian group tried to ban it. The Boston Phoenix voted it one of the top 10 local singles of the year. It was fun."[ citation needed ] "I Hate Tourists" was released in 1980. The Freeze's music was picked by Newbury Comics' in-house label, Modern Method Records, which released several of the Freeze's songs on the Boston hardcore compilation albums Unsafe at Any Speed and This Is Boston, Not L.A. in 1982. [3] The Freeze's title track for that album was used in a television commercial for Newbury Comics on local UHF music video station V66, with the song's penultimate word bleeped out. The band also re-recorded "No One's Ever Coming Home" for Flipside Vinyl Fanzine, Vol. 1, released by Gasatanka Records in 1984. [4]
The 1983 album Land of the Lost and 1985's Rabid Reaction followed before Modern Method folded. The group was picked up by Taang! Records for their 1991 album, Misery Loves Company. The cover of their 1999 album, One False Move, featured fellow Cape Cod artist and author Edward Gorey. [5]
Crawling Blind, an album released in 1994, told tales about people who were slaves to addiction. In 1996, Freak Show, "continued a downhill lyrical theme,” stated frontman Croce. He explored mental illness on songs such as "Creeping Psychosis" and "Suspended Heaven".[ citation needed ]
They released an album, One False Move, in March 1999.
After a twenty-year gap The Freeze released another album called Calling All Creatures on Slope Records, in 2019. [6]
Band founder, songwriter, and vocalist Clif "Hanger" Croce is the only member that has been in every incarnation of the band, which has seen many line-up changes.
Crucifix was an American hardcore punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area, active from 1980 to 1984. They were among the most popular acts of the San Francisco punk scene of the early 1980s. Fronted by Cambodian-born singer Sothira Pheng, Crucifix were distinct among American underground bands for their strong D-beat musical characteristics and anarchist lyrical content and graphic design. The band's debut 1983 full-length album Dehumanization on Crass Records‘ offshoot Corpus Christi Records, is considered by many critics and fans to be a cornerstone of political punk music. After their breakup, Crucifix’s members went on to form the bands Loudspeaker and Proudflesh.
The Unseen is an American punk rock band that was formed in 1993 in Hingham, Massachusetts. One of the more prominent bands to revive street punk, The Unseen was originally called The Extinct.
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Anti Cimex were a Swedish crust punk band, based in Skövde, Gothenburg, Linköping, and Malmö, at different times, that formed in 1981. They were one of the first bands to define Scandinavian hardcore punk. Their second 7-inch is considered to be a subgenre-defining D-beat record. Scene historian Peter Jandreus describes the group as the most famous Swedish punk band of the 1977–1987 era.
Blitzkrieg are an English punk rock band, based in Southport and formed in 1979. They made a distinct contribution to the UK hardcore punk scene and have strong underground following. Despite the Nazi connotations of the name Blitzkrieg, German for "Lightning-War", they took a fiercely anti-Nazi stance.
Deviated Instinct are an English extreme metal band formed in Norwich in 1984. They are considered pioneers of both crust punk and death metal. Their first EP, Welcome to the Orgy, was released by Peaceville Records, which released the majority of their albums. The band disbanded in 1991, but reunited in late 2007.
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Fuel was a short-lived Bay Area post-hardcore musical act that created both personal and political songs, something that was unique during the "first wave" of emo in the 1990s. Fuel had a sound akin to the mostly East Coast bands on Dischord Records, especially Fugazi, with twin guitars and dueling rough post-hardcore vocals. In fact, it is noted that Fuel was often jokingly referred to as "Fuelgazi." Fuel's style resembled the D.C. sound of many Dischord bands.
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