Crumbsuckers
Encyclopedia
Crumbsuckers was a 1980s crossover/thrash band that formed in 1982 on Long Island
by bass player Gary Meskil in their home town of Baldwin
.
"The Twist
". It was with this demo that they landed their first CBGBs showcase, and subsequent Hardcore Matinees.
At the time, the line up was boiled down to Dave Brady (vcl), Dave Wynn (g), Gary Meskil (b) and Kevin "Toast" Carroll (d). From the time of their first matinee performance, they prided themselves on all original music, with the occasional homage to the classics, such as Black Sabbath
's "Sweet Leaf" and the theme from "Inspector Gadget".
In early 1985 looking for a newer edge, they added Chuck Lenihan as a second guitarist, and (then) 16 year old Dan Richardson on drums. Lyric and music direction took a notable turn towards a more metal edge with songs such as "Life of Dreams" and "Return to the Womb" written at this time.
In the spring of 1987, guitarist Dave Wynn left the band and after a few guitarists came and went, Robbie Koebler stepped in to record Beast On My Back (coincidentally the acronym "B.O.M.B." was also attached to this opus). One highnote of this recording was the guitar-driven track, "Initial Shock" penned by Matt Cardin shortly after Wynn's departure, a fellow Baldwin naitive and well regarded guitarist, though no credit was ever given.
Some felt that the band was overlooked by mainstream fans because of the limited appeal of this particular genre of music at the time, as well as the dramatic shift in lyrical content between the two albums. Others will argue that they were merely a product of the times, and at the dawning of a new decade, this musical style had run its course.
The band was nominated as the "best hard-core rock band in this year's New York Music Awards" in 1988.
In 1989, the band finally broke up due to musical differences and disagreements as to which direction the band should go.
It wasn't until some of the surviving members formed the band Pro-Pain
, that all was once again righted..
The "band" reunited on August 3, 2006 in New York City
to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the album Life of Dreams with a special appearance by founding members Wynn and Brady on the classic track "Hub Run".
They were one of the first to mix the two genres, hardcore ethos, and heavy metal pathos, in their debut album Life Of Dreams. The songs were written by Gary Meskil, Dave Wynn, Chuck Lenihan, Dave Brady over the course of their formative years, 1983-1985.
Only two songs featured lyrics
by new vocalist Chris Notaro.
Notaro, known for his gruff, almost incomprehensible vocals and high-energy stage antics, was a founding member of the Long Island band Krakdown, contemporaries of the already well established Crumbsuckers. So getting Notaro on board was a natural fit, in keeping the Long Island vibe alive.
The Crumbsuckers were at the forefront of the hardcore and metal crossover movement with bands such as Agnostic Front
, The Cro-Mags, and DRI
, some might even argue they were the trailblazers.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
by bass player Gary Meskil in their home town of Baldwin
Baldwin, Nassau County, New York
Baldwin is a hamlet located in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 24,033 at the 2010 census.Baldwin is also a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road....
.
History
In June 1983, the band recorded a demo unofficially called "The Crumbsucker Cave" at Nino Studio in Baldwin with five songs, including a cover of Chubby Checker'sChubby Checker
Chubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
"The Twist
The Twist (song)
"The Twist" is a twelve bar blues song that gave birth to the Twistdance craze. The song was written and originally released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side but his version was only a moderate 1960 hit, peaking at 28 on the Billboard Hot 100...
". It was with this demo that they landed their first CBGBs showcase, and subsequent Hardcore Matinees.
At the time, the line up was boiled down to Dave Brady (vcl), Dave Wynn (g), Gary Meskil (b) and Kevin "Toast" Carroll (d). From the time of their first matinee performance, they prided themselves on all original music, with the occasional homage to the classics, such as 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...
's "Sweet Leaf" and the theme from "Inspector Gadget".
In early 1985 looking for a newer edge, they added Chuck Lenihan as a second guitarist, and (then) 16 year old Dan Richardson on drums. Lyric and music direction took a notable turn towards a more metal edge with songs such as "Life of Dreams" and "Return to the Womb" written at this time.
In the spring of 1987, guitarist Dave Wynn left the band and after a few guitarists came and went, Robbie Koebler stepped in to record Beast On My Back (coincidentally the acronym "B.O.M.B." was also attached to this opus). One highnote of this recording was the guitar-driven track, "Initial Shock" penned by Matt Cardin shortly after Wynn's departure, a fellow Baldwin naitive and well regarded guitarist, though no credit was ever given.
Some felt that the band was overlooked by mainstream fans because of the limited appeal of this particular genre of music at the time, as well as the dramatic shift in lyrical content between the two albums. Others will argue that they were merely a product of the times, and at the dawning of a new decade, this musical style had run its course.
The band was nominated as the "best hard-core rock band in this year's New York Music Awards" in 1988.
In 1989, the band finally broke up due to musical differences and disagreements as to which direction the band should go.
It wasn't until some of the surviving members formed the band Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain
Pro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
, that all was once again righted..
The "band" reunited on August 3, 2006 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the album Life of Dreams with a special appearance by founding members Wynn and Brady on the classic track "Hub Run".
Style
The combined styles of Meskil's roots in punk and east coast hardcore, coupled with Wynn's classic and hard rock styles, and Lenihan's dive-bomb solos soon earned them respect among the CBGBs matinee crowd. In that same year, they recorded a second demo at CBGB's with the new five piece line up, and began searching for a record deal. It was during this time that vocalist Dave Brady left the band, due to differences in the bands musical direction, and his own taste in extracurricular chemical indulgences.They were one of the first to mix the two genres, hardcore ethos, and heavy metal pathos, in their debut album Life Of Dreams. The songs were written by Gary Meskil, Dave Wynn, Chuck Lenihan, Dave Brady over the course of their formative years, 1983-1985.
Only two songs featured lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by new vocalist Chris Notaro.
Notaro, known for his gruff, almost incomprehensible vocals and high-energy stage antics, was a founding member of the Long Island band Krakdown, contemporaries of the already well established Crumbsuckers. So getting Notaro on board was a natural fit, in keeping the Long Island vibe alive.
The Crumbsuckers were at the forefront of the hardcore and metal crossover movement with bands such as 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...
, The Cro-Mags, and DRI
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
, some might even argue they were the trailblazers.
Discography
- Life Of Dreams , CombatCombat RecordsCombat Records was an independent record label from New York City. The label was home to predominantly metal and punk rock acts including Megadeth, Circle Jerks, Nuclear Assault, Death, Dead Brain Cells, Possessed, Crumbsuckers, Agnostic Front, Agent Steel, Dark Angel, Heathen, Zoetrope and...
1986. - Beast On My Back, Combat 1988.
Last line-up
- Danny Richardson : Drums (Pro-PainPro-PainPro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
, Life of AgonyLife of Agony-Formation and River Runs Red :The band was formed in the summer of 1989 by singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. After playing with several drummers, they enlisted Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato before recording the debut album River Runs Red after they signed to...
, StereomudStereomudStereomud was an alternative metal band from New York/Georgia. They were active from years 2001 to 2003 before breaking up, releasing two albums - Perfect Self and Every Given Moment.-History:...
, MedicationMedication (band)Medication was a group that included Logan Mader , Whitfield Crane , BBlunt , Kyle Sanders , and Roy Mayorga . They released a self-titled EP and an LP called "Prince Valium" through Locomotive Music, and filmed a video for the song "Inside"...
) - Gary Meskil : Bass (Pro-PainPro-PainPro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
, FA-Q) - Chuck Lenihan : Guitar (Vasaria, GenitorturersGenitorturersThe Genitorturers are an industrial metal/industrial rock band from the United States, with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band".-History:...
) - Tom Klimchuck : Guitar (Pro-PainPro-PainPro-Pain is a New York-based hardcore band formed in 1991 by vocalist and bass guitarist Gary Meskil and drummer Dan Richardson, both former members of Crumbsuckers. Debut album Foul Taste of Freedom was released in 1992, displaying hardcore punk and rap metal influences, after which the band...
, M.O.D.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...
) - Chris Notaro : Vocals
Past Members
- Joe Haggerty : Vocals (KnuckleheadKnucklehead (Band)Knucklehead is a Canadian punk rock group formed in Calgary, Alberta in 1994. Influenced by such punk groups as Bad Religion, Stiff Little Fingers, Cocksparrer, Billy Bragg and Social Distortion, Knucklehead is uses fast tempo rhythms and chant choruses...
, Primal ScreamPrimal ScreamPrimal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, Zero HourZero Hour (band)Zero Hour is a progressive metal band formed by twin brothers Jasun Tipton and Troy Tipton in Pleasanton, California in 1993.The band is signed by Sensory Label....
) - Craig Alan : Vocals
- Marc Piovanetti : Guitar (CarnivoreCarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
) - David Wynn : Guitar
- Kevin Caroll : Drums
- Mike Francis : Keyboard (Guest on "Beast On My Back" )
- Robbie Koebler : Guitar
- Dave Brady : Vocals