Concrete Sox
Encyclopedia
Concrete Sox are a British
crust punk
band. They are largely seen as an early crossover thrash
band who incorporated many thrash metal
-like riffs in the style of their earlier recordings.
Starting in 1983 from jam sessions with 'Gabba' (Chaos UK/F.U.K.) and 'Kalv' (Heresy/Geriatric Unit) and various other 'friends', the band was formed by Vic Timoveric (Vic Croll) and his friend Les Duly. Not set on a permanent name, they once gigged as 'Concrete Evidence', but the name 'Concrete Sox' (Vics parody of a Hendrix Dead Boy sub-band, called 'The Steam Roller Gloves') became the bands official name. First release was the LP Your Turn Next in 1985 on COR records followed by —a split LP with Heresy
on Earache Records
in 1986. The band went on to record a further album on Manic Ears records entitled Whoops, Sorry Vicar! (1987) and a fourth album on Big Kiss Records (Cat: KISS 1) entitled Sewerside (1989). They later released a further album entitled No World Order in 1992 on Lost & Found Records (GER).
Concrete Sox were one of the more important of the British hardcore
/ crust punk
influenced thrash bands during the late 1980s. They are also acredited with being one of the forerunners/pioneers of the punk/metal [crossover] music style/movement (along with other bands ie: Sacrilege/Onslaught/Deviated Instinct etc). Their work is mostly out of print on physical media, though some records have been recently repressed on compact disc by Speedstate records, and most of their recordings are available via peer to peer networks and tape trading.
Concrete Sox reformed in 2009 with a new line-up. After an unsuccessful tour in April 2010 (which was cancelled by the band after 3 shows), the current line-up was disbanded. Original/founding member Vic Croll (aka Vic Timoveric) is working with a new line-up & writing new material.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
crust punk
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...
band. They are largely seen as an early crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
band who incorporated many thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
-like riffs in the style of their earlier recordings.
Starting in 1983 from jam sessions with 'Gabba' (Chaos UK/F.U.K.) and 'Kalv' (Heresy/Geriatric Unit) and various other 'friends', the band was formed by Vic Timoveric (Vic Croll) and his friend Les Duly. Not set on a permanent name, they once gigged as 'Concrete Evidence', but the name 'Concrete Sox' (Vics parody of a Hendrix Dead Boy sub-band, called 'The Steam Roller Gloves') became the bands official name. First release was the LP Your Turn Next in 1985 on COR records followed by —a split LP with Heresy
Heresy (band)
Heresy were a hardcore punk band from Nottingham, England, formed in 1985 and active until late 1988. They released three albums and recorded three sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
on Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
in 1986. The band went on to record a further album on Manic Ears records entitled Whoops, Sorry Vicar! (1987) and a fourth album on Big Kiss Records (Cat: KISS 1) entitled Sewerside (1989). They later released a further album entitled No World Order in 1992 on Lost & Found Records (GER).
Concrete Sox were one of the more important of the British hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/ crust punk
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...
influenced thrash bands during the late 1980s. They are also acredited with being one of the forerunners/pioneers of the punk/metal [crossover] music style/movement (along with other bands ie: Sacrilege/Onslaught/Deviated Instinct etc). Their work is mostly out of print on physical media, though some records have been recently repressed on compact disc by Speedstate records, and most of their recordings are available via peer to peer networks and tape trading.
Concrete Sox reformed in 2009 with a new line-up. After an unsuccessful tour in April 2010 (which was cancelled by the band after 3 shows), the current line-up was disbanded. Original/founding member Vic Croll (aka Vic Timoveric) is working with a new line-up & writing new material.
Current line-up
- Vic Croll (guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) - Skwid (bass, vocals)
- Michèle Cameron (additional vocals, artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
) - 2011 (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
)
Former members
- Sean Cook (vocals; 1986–1989, 1992–1996, 1999)
- Loyd Sims (vocals; 1989–1992, 1997–1998)
- John March (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals; 1984–1986; also of HeresyHeresy (band)Heresy were a hardcore punk band from Nottingham, England, formed in 1985 and active until late 1988. They released three albums and recorded three sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
) - Andy Sewell (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
; 1986–1996, 1999; also of City Indians) - Joe 'Pug' Nott (drums; 1997–1998)
- Les Duly (1984–1993, 1997)
- Kalvin Piper (1987; also of Heresy)
- Rich Lamell (bass; 1998–1999)
- Rich Button (guitar; 1987–1989)
- Ian (guitar; 1989–1991)
- Mark Greenwell (guitar; 1991–1996, 1997–1999)
Discography
- Demo 1985
- Your Turn Next LP (C.O.R., 1985; re-released (with bonus tracks) 2003 by Speedstate)
- Split LP with HeresyHeresy (band)Heresy were a hardcore punk band from Nottingham, England, formed in 1985 and active until late 1988. They released three albums and recorded three sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
(Earache, 1987) - Whoops Sorry Vicar! LP (Manic Ears, 1987; re-released 2003 (with bonus tracks) by Speedstate)
- Demo 1988
- Sewerside LP (Big Kiss, 1989)
- Lunched Out 7" EP (Desperate Attempt, 1990)
- Split 7" EP with Nightmare (MCR, 1991)
- Another Time (compilation of Whoops Sorry Vicar! and Your Turn Next; Weasel, 1992)
- Japan Tour '92 live LP (MCR, 1993)
- No World Order LP (Lost & Found, 1993)
- Silence 7" EP (Blind Destruction, 1997)
- The New E.P. 7" EP (Data, 1999)
Compilation appearances
- Anglican Scrape Attic split 7" flexi-disk with HiraxHiraxHirax is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984 under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena , the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with the other new thrash metal bands of the area such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer...
, Execute, Lip Cream and SacrilegeSacrilege (band)Sacrilege were a female-fronted thrash metal band from the Midlands region of England. Despite having played relatively few gigs during their existence, Sacrilege are today recognised as an important band; both as an influence on later heavy metal and doom metal bands, and as an example of the...
(track: "Eminent Scum"; pre-EaracheEarache RecordsEarache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
, 1985) - Smelling Just Another Bad Breath (track: "Wipeout"; Double A Records (GER) 1986)
- Digging in Water (track: "Senile Fools"; COR, 1987)
- The North Atlantic Noise Attack (track: "Eminent Scum"; Manic Ears, 1989)
- Grind Your Mind: A History of Grindcore (track: "Senile Fools"; Mayan, 2007)
External links
- Concrete Sox on Reverbnation New 2011 by Vic 'Sox' Croll
- Concrete Sox on Vics Myspace By Vic 'Sox' Croll
- Concrete Sox Music on Myspace
- Concrete Sox homepage 2009 By Vic 'Sox' Croll
- Concrete Sox pre-2k website by ex-drummer Andy Sewell
- Concrete Sox biography @ Rockdetector