Saturday, June 13, 2009

DEATH: 1975 DETROIT BROTHERS OUT PUNK MOST PUNKS.


Who would've guessed that in 1974, in Detroit Michigan a band of three brothers would be writing some of the world's earliest punk rock? I guess weirder things have happened, but this is a pretty special deal that Drag City's unearthed on the For The Whole World To See, an excellent 7-song ep. The story is a wild one, with the label holding the release of these songs against the band, untill the they picked a more market-friendly handle. Like the punks they were, Death refused and the album was buried, with just one single (Politicians In My Eyes) ever released. Until NOW!

Death (not to be confused with the dullish, contemporary Florida metal group) formed in 1974 when the Hackney brothers started writing music. Death's sound definitely has more of a proto punk vibe ala DMZ and MC5 (ca. Back in the USA) but with a keener ear for dynamics, stops, tougher lyrics, more angst and hell, it was '74 when this happened.

Detroit was always a gritty place, and in lots of ways, musically ahead of the curve for aggressive, angry music, even though it wasn't coastal.
Next time some Lydon/Jones etc. ex-Brit punk gets up on his tea box to tell the world that he started everything, the only answer necessary is "Death."

Stay Tuned for Montana's early hardcore contribution with Deranged Diction!

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