Crab Society North
Encyclopedia
Crab Society North is a demo by American
Crossover thrash
band Stormtroopers of Death
. It was recorded on July 1, 1985 with a walkman
put into a speaker.
The demo was recorded in the kitchen of Pyramid Sound studios and contains mostly improvised material.
piece it is important, however, since it ultimately lead to more widespread notoriety of the ultra-short "blipcore", as the longest 'song' on the demo -- "Papa Benjamin" -- is merely 57 seconds long.
Some of the songs found their way to subsequent releases by various bands. Stormtroopers of Death re-recorded the song "Diamonds & Rust" for their debut album Speak English Or Die
; Billy Milano's band Method of Destruction
recorded and released "Jim Gordon", "Bubble Butt" and "Bushwackateas" on their debut album U.S.A. For M.O.D.
. Stormtroopers Of Death also incorporated a Crab Society North medley into their live shows; a short 7-second potpourri consisting of "Not!", "Momo", "Taint", "The Camel Boy" and "Diamonds & Rust". Included in the medley was the Stormtroopers of Death original "Anti-procrastination Song". They also performed "Vitality" on various occasions. Further, the track "Taint" was recorded and released by Anthrax
as a B-side on their 1987 Indians EP
.
Note that this is the first recording ever by Stormtroopers of Death. The name of the unit had, according to Scott Ian, been conceived the same day.
players Dan Lilker
, known from Anthrax and Nuclear Assault
, and Craig Setari, known from Agnostic Front
, NYC Mayhem and Straight Ahead. Crab Society had recorded a similar demo on a cheap C-tape
deck, with short bursts of improvised noise, purposefully overdriven and distorted. When the other members of Stormtroopers of Death heard the tape, they wanted to record a similarly structured demo. To differentiate the two projects the demo was called Crab Society North, since the studio was located upstate New York
, geographically north of the original setting
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
. It was recorded on July 1, 1985 with a walkman
Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones...
put into a speaker.
The demo was recorded in the kitchen of Pyramid Sound studios and contains mostly improvised material.
Historical curio
The audio quality of the recording is substandard by any meter. As a historical hardcoreHardcore 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...
piece it is important, however, since it ultimately lead to more widespread notoriety of the ultra-short "blipcore", as the longest 'song' on the demo -- "Papa Benjamin" -- is merely 57 seconds long.
Some of the songs found their way to subsequent releases by various bands. Stormtroopers of Death re-recorded the song "Diamonds & Rust" for their debut album Speak English Or Die
Speak English or Die
Speak English or Die is the first studio album by the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death .After Anthrax finished recording Spreading the Disease, there was still some studio time left, so Scott Ian and Charlie Benante called some friends, practiced some songs, and recorded it all within...
; Billy Milano's band Method of Destruction
M.O.D.
M.O.D. was a crossover thrash band from New York City, fronted by former Anthrax roadie and Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano. The band existed from 1986 to 1997, and again from 2001 to 2008...
recorded and released "Jim Gordon", "Bubble Butt" and "Bushwackateas" on their debut album U.S.A. For M.O.D.
U.S.A. for M.O.D.
U.S.A. for M.O.D. is the debut full-length studio album from American crossover thrash band, M.O.D.. It was released in 1987 on Megaforce Records. In 1988, the band subsequently released the EP, Surfin' M.O.D..-Album name:...
. Stormtroopers Of Death also incorporated a Crab Society North medley into their live shows; a short 7-second potpourri consisting of "Not!", "Momo", "Taint", "The Camel Boy" and "Diamonds & Rust". Included in the medley was the Stormtroopers of Death original "Anti-procrastination Song". They also performed "Vitality" on various occasions. Further, the track "Taint" was recorded and released by Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
as a B-side on their 1987 Indians EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Note that this is the first recording ever by Stormtroopers of Death. The name of the unit had, according to Scott Ian, been conceived the same day.
Origins of the name
The original Crab Society consisted of bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
players Dan Lilker
Dan Lilker
Dan Lilker is a musician from the United States, most known as a bass player, but also guitarist, pianist, drummer and vocalist...
, known from Anthrax and Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault
Nuclear Assault is an American thrash metal/crossover thrash band formed in 1984.-History:After the release of Anthrax's debut album Fistful of Metal, bass player Danny Lilker, a founding member of the group, was fired by the band...
, and Craig Setari, known from Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
, NYC Mayhem and Straight Ahead. Crab Society had recorded a similar demo on a cheap C-tape
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
deck, with short bursts of improvised noise, purposefully overdriven and distorted. When the other members of Stormtroopers of Death heard the tape, they wanted to record a similarly structured demo. To differentiate the two projects the demo was called Crab Society North, since the studio was located upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, geographically north of the original setting
.
Track listing
- Jim Gordon
- Your Kung Fu Stinks
- ARRGH!
- You N...
- House of My Head
- Momo
- Bogunsbomp
- Steve Wright Rules
- Hammer before Knife
- You Bastard
- I've Been in a Cave For 25 Years
- Mano's
- Lou Kamada's
- The Leopard Killer
- The Bat Lived
- By the Way
- Dan
- Let Me Say One Thing
- This Doesn't Leave the Room
- Not To Talk About Anthrax But ...
- Shit's Suck
- I'm Incredible
- Diamonds and Rust
- Hey John
- Laughing, Happy, Happy, Joy As Glad, Decapitation
- Don't Do Anything Foolish
- We Are The Sock
- MDC Hang Out In Gay Bars
- E-Brake
- Listen Lady
- Leisuresuit
- Papa Benjamin
- 1
- 2 & 1
- 2
- DFP
- IHO
- BDFP
- Taint
- Vitality
- Tom Brown
- Loud Bell
- Bubble Butt
- Danny Spitz Will Fuck Anything
- Jogging With Fall
- Tony Two
- The Camel Boy
- July 1st
- Fluoride and the Captivity Creeps
- The Poisonous Midget
- BOLN
- Lardass Hogan
- EMOW
- DSL
- Mely Cow
- Bushwackateas
- Cowfucking Renee
- Rooster Fucker
- Neck to Neck
- The Drunk Guy
- Happy Tooth Paste Bug
- (!)
- Food-Dog-Golf!!!
Line-up
- Billy MilanoBilly MilanoBilly Milano is a Bronx-born heavy metal musician now based in Austin, Texas. He was the singer, guitarist, and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D., and the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death....
– Vocals - Scott IanScott IanScott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
– Guitars - Dan LilkerDan LilkerDan Lilker is a musician from the United States, most known as a bass player, but also guitarist, pianist, drummer and vocalist...
– Bass - Charlie BenanteCharlie BenanteCharlie Benante is the drummer for the heavy metal bands Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death .- Career :...
– Drums