Amebix
Encyclopedia
Amebix are an English crust punk
/heavy metal
band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs. The group has reunited as of 2008.
By being one of the first bands to blend anarcho-punk
and heavy metal music, Amebix are often cited as one of the key bands that helped to create the crust punk style. Such notable bands as Sepultura
, Neurosis
and Deviated Instinct
have paid homage to the band.
in 1978. Initially referring to themselves as "The Band with No Name" the band played extensively around the local area, during which time they recorded a six-track demo tape. Using his role as part-time columnist in a local paper Rob Miller gave a tape to Crass when they played in Plymouth
. The track "University Challenged" from this demo was then featured on the first Crass Records
Bullshit Detector
compilation LP.
After this the band replaced drummer Andy Billy Jug with Martin, whose parents' manor house in Dartmoor
was then used to practice in. It was around this time that the band began to refer to themselves as 'Amebix'. According to an interview with lead singer and bassist Rob Miller, Amebix refers to the amoeba
. However, Martin was removed by his parents from the band and relocated to London where he suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. The song "Largactyl" was written about Martin's experience.
The band then recruited Norm (Screaming Heads, Phantasmagoria, NormYard) as a synth player and decided to relocate to Bristol
, living in a number of squat
s. They recruited Disorder
drummer Virus to play drums and finally had a semi-stable line-up. This line-up would record the first two 7"s (Who's the Enemy
and Winter
) and the 12" EP No Sanctuary
. A fill-in synth player would appear on No Sanctuary, and in 1984 they would acquire a new synth player, George. While recording No Sanctuary at Southern Studios
they met Jello Biafra
of American punk band Dead Kennedys
and owner of the punk record label Alternative Tentacles
. As a result, they became the label's first UK signing, and subsequently released the Arise!
album in 1985. The final line-up would come together in 1985 with the addition of Spider on drums. They signed to Heavy Metal Records for the release of 1987's Monolith, whose release/distribution difficulties led to the band eventually splitting, although they were to continue touring, their final tour ending in Sarejevo before the collapse of Yugoslavia
.
Spider, George, and Stig went on to perform in Zygote. Vocalist Rob Miller now lives on the Isle of Skye where he works as a self-taught swordsmith.
According to The Baron's myspace page, Amebix have reformed as of February 2008. On March 9, 2008 Amebix reissued their last album Monolith
as a sliding scale download through Moshpit Tragedy Records
. Since reforming, the band have released the Redux
EP, which consists of three rerecorded songs from the band's original incarnation, plus a fourth live track on the downloadable version. A new maxi-single entitled Knights of the Black Sun was released on June 3, 2011 which also featured the band's first ever music video. Sonic Mass, the band's third album and first full-length in 24 years, was released on September 23, 2011 through the band's own label (Amebix Records) and Easy Action Records.
), Black Sabbath
, and combined with an ethos and worldview akin to Crass
. They were also influenced by various post-punk
and gothic rock
bands, including Public Image Ltd.
, Bauhaus
, Joy Division
, and especially Killing Joke
. Many have claimed that Amebix were influenced by proto-black metal band Venom
, however Rob Miller has denied this on numerous occasions.
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
/heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs. The group has reunited as of 2008.
By being one of the first bands to blend anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
and heavy metal music, Amebix are often cited as one of the key bands that helped to create the crust punk style. Such notable bands as Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
, Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
and Deviated Instinct
Deviated Instinct
Deviated Instinct, formed in 1984, was a pioneering British crust punk / death metal band. Their first EP, Welcome to the Orgy, was released by Peaceville Records, which released the majority of their albums...
have paid homage to the band.
History
Amebix was initially formed by Rob Miller (a.k.a. 'The Baron') along with his brother Stig, Andy Billy Jug and Clive while in school in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1978. Initially referring to themselves as "The Band with No Name" the band played extensively around the local area, during which time they recorded a six-track demo tape. Using his role as part-time columnist in a local paper Rob Miller gave a tape to Crass when they played in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. The track "University Challenged" from this demo was then featured on the first Crass Records
Crass Records
Crass Records is an independent record label which was set up by the anarchist punk band Crass.-Overview and history:Prior to the formation of Crass, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher had published their creative works via their own Dial House based Exitstencil Press...
Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector
Bullshit Detector was the name of a series of compilation LPs put together by the anarcho-punk band Crass and released on their Crass Records label. Three editions were released between 1980 and 1984, consisting of demo tapes, rough recordings and artwork that had been sent to the band...
compilation LP.
After this the band replaced drummer Andy Billy Jug with Martin, whose parents' manor house in Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
was then used to practice in. It was around this time that the band began to refer to themselves as 'Amebix'. According to an interview with lead singer and bassist Rob Miller, Amebix refers to the amoeba
Amoeba
Amoeba is a genus of Protozoa.History=The amoeba was first discovered by August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof in 1757. Early naturalists referred to Amoeba as the Proteus animalcule after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his shape...
. However, Martin was removed by his parents from the band and relocated to London where he suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. The song "Largactyl" was written about Martin's experience.
The band then recruited Norm (Screaming Heads, Phantasmagoria, NormYard) as a synth player and decided to relocate to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, living in a number of squat
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
s. They recruited Disorder
Disorder (band)
Disorder are a hardcore punk band that formed in the Bristol area of the United Kingdom in 1980, and has existed with varying line-ups to this day. Faithful to anarcho-punk ethics, Disorder are a band who aligned with politically-charged punk bands like Crass and Conflict.-History:Disorder formed...
drummer Virus to play drums and finally had a semi-stable line-up. This line-up would record the first two 7"s (Who's the Enemy
Who's the Enemy
Who's the Enemy is the first extended play released by the crust punk band Amebix. It was released on Spiderleg Records in 1982.The E.P. was rereleased as part of the compilation No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings in 2008 on Alternative Tentacles....
and Winter
Winter (Amebix song)
"Winter" is the first single released by the crust punk band Amebix, released during their oriignal run. It was released in 1983 on Spiderleg Records, with "Beginning of the End" as the B-side....
) and the 12" EP No Sanctuary
No Sanctuary
No Sanctuary is the second extended play by the crust punk band Amebix. It was released in 1984 on Spiderleg Records.The E.P. was rereleased as part of the compilation No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings in 2008 on Alternative Tentacles....
. A fill-in synth player would appear on No Sanctuary, and in 1984 they would acquire a new synth player, George. While recording No Sanctuary at Southern Studios
Southern Studios
Southern Studios is a recording studio in the Wood Green area of London. It was founded in 1974 by John Loder, and came to be the recording studio of choice for Crass and their record label Crass Records. Southern Studios Ltd. continues to grow its label and provide label management and...
they met Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
of American punk band Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
and owner of the punk record label Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
. As a result, they became the label's first UK signing, and subsequently released the Arise!
Arise!
Arise! is the title of a studio album originally released on vinyl by Amebix in 1985. The album was released on CD in 1995 and in 2000 remastered and re-released on CD/LP as 'Arise +2' with the Right to Ride demo included as two bonus tracks. On the vinyl version these were included as a bonus 7"...
album in 1985. The final line-up would come together in 1985 with the addition of Spider on drums. They signed to Heavy Metal Records for the release of 1987's Monolith, whose release/distribution difficulties led to the band eventually splitting, although they were to continue touring, their final tour ending in Sarejevo before the collapse of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Spider, George, and Stig went on to perform in Zygote. Vocalist Rob Miller now lives on the Isle of Skye where he works as a self-taught swordsmith.
According to The Baron's myspace page, Amebix have reformed as of February 2008. On March 9, 2008 Amebix reissued their last album Monolith
Monolith (Amebix album)
Monolith is Amebix's second studio album, released in 1987. Reissued in 2008 as a sliding scale download by Moshpit Tragedy Records and on CD by Heavy Metal Records.-Track listing:# "Monolith" - 3:27# "Nobody's Driving" - 5:04...
as a sliding scale download through Moshpit Tragedy Records
Moshpit Tragedy Records
Moshpit Tragedy Records is an independent record label from Canada which releases punk, metal and some of their subgenres . In 2007, they became the first record label to abandon physical releases in favour of a fully "sliding-scale" or "pay-what-you-want" download model.- Origin :Moshpit Tragedy...
. Since reforming, the band have released the Redux
Redux (EP)
Redux is an EP by Amebix. It is a 3 track studio release with a bonus downloadable live track. The album was recorded in 2009 after original Amebix members Rob and Stig met with drummer Roy Mayorga to record some songs for a documentary about the band...
EP, which consists of three rerecorded songs from the band's original incarnation, plus a fourth live track on the downloadable version. A new maxi-single entitled Knights of the Black Sun was released on June 3, 2011 which also featured the band's first ever music video. Sonic Mass, the band's third album and first full-length in 24 years, was released on September 23, 2011 through the band's own label (Amebix Records) and Easy Action Records.
Influences
Amebix took inspiration from Motörhead (and to a lesser extent Lemmy-era HawkwindHawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
), Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and combined with an ethos and worldview akin to Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
. They were also influenced by various post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
bands, including Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd.
Public Image Ltd are an English post-punk band formed by vocalist John Lydon , guitarist Keith Levene and bassist Jah Wobble, with frequent subsequent personnel changes. Lydon is the sole constant member of the band....
, Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, and especially Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
. Many have claimed that Amebix were influenced by proto-black metal band Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
, however Rob Miller has denied this on numerous occasions.
Current lineup
- Rob "The Baron" Miller – vocals, bass (1978–1987, 2008–present)
- Stig – guitar, backing vocals (1978–1987, 2008–present)
- Roy MayorgaRoy MayorgaRoy Maurice Mayorga is the drummer for the hard rock band Stone Sour. He is of Ecuadorian and Cuban descent.-Musical history:...
– drums, percussion, keyboards (2008–present)
Past members
- Ric Gadsby – bass (1978–1979)
- Andy Billy Jug – drums (1978–1981)
- Clive – bass (1979)
- Martin – drums (1981)
- Norm – keyboards (1981–1984)
- Virus – drums (1981–1985)
- Jenghiz – keyboards (1984)
- George – keyboards (1984–1987)
- A. Droid – keyboards (1984–1987)
- Spider – drums (1985–1987)
Studio albums
- Arise!Arise!Arise! is the title of a studio album originally released on vinyl by Amebix in 1985. The album was released on CD in 1995 and in 2000 remastered and re-released on CD/LP as 'Arise +2' with the Right to Ride demo included as two bonus tracks. On the vinyl version these were included as a bonus 7"...
(1985, LP/CD, Alternative TentaclesAlternative TentaclesAlternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
) - MonolithMonolith (Amebix album)Monolith is Amebix's second studio album, released in 1987. Reissued in 2008 as a sliding scale download by Moshpit Tragedy Records and on CD by Heavy Metal Records.-Track listing:# "Monolith" - 3:27# "Nobody's Driving" - 5:04...
(1987, LP/CD, Heavy Metal Records) - Sonic Mass (2011, LP/CD, Easy Action & Amebix Records)
EPs
- Who's the EnemyWho's the EnemyWho's the Enemy is the first extended play released by the crust punk band Amebix. It was released on Spiderleg Records in 1982.The E.P. was rereleased as part of the compilation No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings in 2008 on Alternative Tentacles....
(1982, 7", Spiderleg RecordsSpiderleg RecordsSpiderleg Records was an independent record label founded by UK anarcho-punk band Flux Of Pink Indians in 1981.The band set up the label after releasing their first EP on the Crass Records label, which both taught them the skills necessary to run such a project and provided them with the seed cash...
) - No SanctuaryNo SanctuaryNo Sanctuary is the second extended play by the crust punk band Amebix. It was released in 1984 on Spiderleg Records.The E.P. was rereleased as part of the compilation No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings in 2008 on Alternative Tentacles....
(1984, 12", Spiderleg Records) - ReduxRedux (EP)Redux is an EP by Amebix. It is a 3 track studio release with a bonus downloadable live track. The album was recorded in 2009 after original Amebix members Rob and Stig met with drummer Roy Mayorga to record some songs for a documentary about the band...
(2010, 12", CD, DD, Profane Existence)
Compilation albums
- The Power Remains (1993, LP, Skuld Releases)
- No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings (2008, LP+7"/CD, Alternative Tentacles)
Singles
- WinterWinter (Amebix song)"Winter" is the first single released by the crust punk band Amebix, released during their oriignal run. It was released in 1983 on Spiderleg Records, with "Beginning of the End" as the B-side....
(1983, 7", Spiderleg Records) - Knights of the Black Sun (2011)
Demos
- Amebix (1979, self-released)
- Right to Ride (1987, self-released)