Welcome to Venice
Encyclopedia
Welcome to Venice is a crossover thrash
album that features local Venice Beach, California punk and metal bands. It was released in 1985 on Suicidal Records.
frontman Mike Muir
and bassist Louiche Mayorga
. It was during the first year of the bands four year recording hiatus, Suicidal was currently banned from playing L.A. shows due to an incident at a 1984 Perkins Palace show where their audience tore out the first 10 rows making it impossible for promoters to obtain crowd insurance if Suicidal Tendencies were on the bill. Mike Muir was now interested in producing as well as starting the Suicidal label. The 1985 "Welcome To Venice" had only two sister albums,1986 Beowülf's first self-titled LP and the 1987 debut "No Mercy" album "Widespread Bloodshed, love runs red" which was the first time Mike Muir sang for No Mercy and was Suicidal Records last release till the label was resurrected in 1997. The re-forming record company had it's first release in 10 years with the (split) "Friends & Family." Welcome to Venice was only released on vinyl
and cassette
, never to be digitized to compact disc because the original masters were lost in a fire. To this day it is one of the most sought after recordings of that era and is considered to be a collectors Item.
bands Suicidal Tendencies
, Los Cycos
, Beowülf
, No Mercy and Excel
. It was initially to include Suicidal's homies Neighborhood Watch
, only due to a disagreement over rent at a house Muir shared with band members John Flitcraft and Dave Hutchinson, they were never included on the comp. Mike Muir's vocals can be heard on the Suicidal Tendencies cut "Look Up...(The Boys are Back) and the Los Cycos track "It's Not Easy." In 1989 Suicidal Tendencies re-recorded "It's Not Easy" for their 1989 release "Controlled By Hatred/Feel Like Shit... DejaVu" album. The other Los Cycos track "A Little Each Day" which never made it to the album, was re-recorded for the 1987 Suicidal Tendencies release "Join the Army
" and again on "Still Cyco After All These Years
" released in 93. In 2000 it resurfaced on the FNG compilation and a fourth time on 2008s (split) album "Lights...Camera...Revolution!/Still Cyco After All These Years".
"which included singer-songwriter Dan Clements (Excel
founding member and frontman) and original Suicidal Tendencies/Los Cycos members; Grant Estes, Amery Smith and the former No Mercy vocalist Kevin Guercio. Most of "Welcome 2 Venice" was recorded at Stay Hungry Studios owned and operated by Brian Fortenberry and was released and distributed by Louiche Mayorga's independent label "Built On An Ounce". 2005 also saw the much anticipated release of “Farewell To Venice” a compilation album also released on CD which features old demos from local neighborhood Venice bands No Mercy, Beowulf, Neighborhood Watch, Entropy, Louiche Mayorga’s Horny Toad, Damaged, Evol, The Beer Nuts, Butcher, Chaotic Noise (pre- Excel), Cycotic Youth, Guardian, Disadent, Broadax, No Reaction, Dry Entry , Noxiuos Velosity , Rapid Fire, Jugheads Revenge , Crux Ansata , Toxic Shock Syndrom , Last Round Up, The Runs. The album art work was done by Ric Clayton No Mercy’s bassist who also designed all the shirts on Suicidal Tendencies first album as well as their logo. “Farewell to Venice” is the brainchild of Brian Fortenberry (CD by BDF Records)who played bass for Guardian, Dry Entry, and is the current bass player for the reformed Neighborhood Watch. Double Vinyl of "Farewell to Venice" Produced by Jason McKelvie (www.PUNKRECORDS.com) Vinyl and CD have some different tracks.
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...
album that features local Venice Beach, California punk and metal bands. It was released in 1985 on Suicidal Records.
Album History
Welcome to Venice was the first record released on Suicidal Records in 1985. The record company was started by Suicidal TendenciesSuicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
frontman Mike Muir
Mike Muir
Mike Muir is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves...
and bassist Louiche Mayorga
Louiche Mayorga
Louiche Mayorga is best known for his bass playing in the Venice punk band "Suicidal Tendencies."He co-wrote many of their earlier songs including the punk classic "Institutionalized" from their 1983 debut album on Frontier, as well as" "War Inside My Head," "Possessed To Skate." and the title...
. It was during the first year of the bands four year recording hiatus, Suicidal was currently banned from playing L.A. shows due to an incident at a 1984 Perkins Palace show where their audience tore out the first 10 rows making it impossible for promoters to obtain crowd insurance if Suicidal Tendencies were on the bill. Mike Muir was now interested in producing as well as starting the Suicidal label. The 1985 "Welcome To Venice" had only two sister albums,1986 Beowülf's first self-titled LP and the 1987 debut "No Mercy" album "Widespread Bloodshed, love runs red" which was the first time Mike Muir sang for No Mercy and was Suicidal Records last release till the label was resurrected in 1997. The re-forming record company had it's first release in 10 years with the (split) "Friends & Family." Welcome to Venice was only released on vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and cassette
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...
, never to be digitized to compact disc because the original masters were lost in a fire. To this day it is one of the most sought after recordings of that era and is considered to be a collectors Item.
Bands
Welcome to Venice features local VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
bands Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, Los Cycos
Los Cycos
Los Cycos is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1984 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir. The only recording of the band appears on the rare 1985 release "Welcome to Venice," the debut album and first release from Suicidal Records.-Band biography and...
, Beowülf
Beowülf
This article is about the American heavy metal band. For the epic poem, see Beowulf; for other uses see Beowulf .Beowülf is a crossover thrash metal band formed Venice Beach, California in 1981 by Michael Alvarado, Dale Henderson, Mike Jensen and Paul Yamada...
, No Mercy and Excel
Excel (band)
Excel was a punk/metal fusion band from Venice, California founded in 1983 by singer Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel. They were influenced by famous 70's punk rock musicians like The Police and The Sex Pistols, and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slayer, Corrosion of...
. It was initially to include Suicidal's homies Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood Watch (band)
Neighborhood Watch is a crossover thrash metal and punk band from Palms, Los Angeles, California who defined the "Venice Scene" in the '80's with bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Beowülf, No Mercy and Excel, who all played a mix of skate punk, hardcore, heavy metal and thrash...
, only due to a disagreement over rent at a house Muir shared with band members John Flitcraft and Dave Hutchinson, they were never included on the comp. Mike Muir's vocals can be heard on the Suicidal Tendencies cut "Look Up...(The Boys are Back) and the Los Cycos track "It's Not Easy." In 1989 Suicidal Tendencies re-recorded "It's Not Easy" for their 1989 release "Controlled By Hatred/Feel Like Shit... DejaVu" album. The other Los Cycos track "A Little Each Day" which never made it to the album, was re-recorded for the 1987 Suicidal Tendencies release "Join the Army
Join the Army
* "War Inside My Head", "Human Guinea Pig", and "You Got, I Want" were originally written by previous guitarist Jon Nelson. He traded the rights for "War Inside My Head" for a Flying V guitar after he left the band....
" and again on "Still Cyco After All These Years
Still Cyco After All These Years
Still Cyco After All These Years is a 1993 compilation album by Suicidal Tendencies. It is a re-recording of the band's 1983 debut album, Suicidal Tendencies and also contains 3 additional tracks...
" released in 93. In 2000 it resurfaced on the FNG compilation and a fourth time on 2008s (split) album "Lights...Camera...Revolution!/Still Cyco After All These Years".
Return to Venice / Farewell to Venice / Welcome 2 Venice
In November 2004 Suicidal Tendencies posted on their official website rumors of releasing "Return to Venice" a follow up to 1985s "Welcome to Venice" featuring most of the previous bands. Since "Return to Venice" never materialized and pressure from the fans two year wait started to mount. Bassist Louiche Mayorga decided to put out "Welcome 2 Venice" and played in the band "AgainSTAgainst (American band)
Against is a Crossover thrash band formed in 2006 by singer-songwriter Dan Clements, original Suicidal Tendencies members Grant Estes, Louiche Mayorga and Amery Smith and former No Mercy vocalist Kevin Guercio.-History:...
"which included singer-songwriter Dan Clements (Excel
Excel (band)
Excel was a punk/metal fusion band from Venice, California founded in 1983 by singer Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel. They were influenced by famous 70's punk rock musicians like The Police and The Sex Pistols, and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slayer, Corrosion of...
founding member and frontman) and original Suicidal Tendencies/Los Cycos members; Grant Estes, Amery Smith and the former No Mercy vocalist Kevin Guercio. Most of "Welcome 2 Venice" was recorded at Stay Hungry Studios owned and operated by Brian Fortenberry and was released and distributed by Louiche Mayorga's independent label "Built On An Ounce". 2005 also saw the much anticipated release of “Farewell To Venice” a compilation album also released on CD which features old demos from local neighborhood Venice bands No Mercy, Beowulf, Neighborhood Watch, Entropy, Louiche Mayorga’s Horny Toad, Damaged, Evol, The Beer Nuts, Butcher, Chaotic Noise (pre- Excel), Cycotic Youth, Guardian, Disadent, Broadax, No Reaction, Dry Entry , Noxiuos Velosity , Rapid Fire, Jugheads Revenge , Crux Ansata , Toxic Shock Syndrom , Last Round Up, The Runs. The album art work was done by Ric Clayton No Mercy’s bassist who also designed all the shirts on Suicidal Tendencies first album as well as their logo. “Farewell to Venice” is the brainchild of Brian Fortenberry (CD by BDF Records)who played bass for Guardian, Dry Entry, and is the current bass player for the reformed Neighborhood Watch. Double Vinyl of "Farewell to Venice" Produced by Jason McKelvie (www.PUNKRECORDS.com) Vinyl and CD have some different tracks.
Track listing
| Year | Song | Band |
| 1985 | Look Up...(The Boy's Are Back) | Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"... |
| 1985 | Taste the Steel | Beowülf Beowülf This article is about the American heavy metal band. For the epic poem, see Beowulf; for other uses see Beowulf .Beowülf is a crossover thrash metal band formed Venice Beach, California in 1981 by Michael Alvarado, Dale Henderson, Mike Jensen and Paul Yamada... |
| 1985 | Unicorn | Beowülf Beowülf This article is about the American heavy metal band. For the epic poem, see Beowulf; for other uses see Beowulf .Beowülf is a crossover thrash metal band formed Venice Beach, California in 1981 by Michael Alvarado, Dale Henderson, Mike Jensen and Paul Yamada... |
| 1985 | It's Not Easy | Los Cycos Los Cycos Los Cycos is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1984 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir. The only recording of the band appears on the rare 1985 release "Welcome to Venice," the debut album and first release from Suicidal Records.-Band biography and... |
| 1985 | No Mercy | No Mercy No Mercy (American band) No Mercy are a thrash metal band from Venice, California, the brainchild of guitar player Mike Clark, who later played in Suicidal Tendencies.-History:... |
| 1985 | War Machine | No Mercy No Mercy (American band) No Mercy are a thrash metal band from Venice, California, the brainchild of guitar player Mike Clark, who later played in Suicidal Tendencies.-History:... |
| 1985 | Enforcer | Excel Excel (band) Excel was a punk/metal fusion band from Venice, California founded in 1983 by singer Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel. They were influenced by famous 70's punk rock musicians like The Police and The Sex Pistols, and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slayer, Corrosion of... |
| 1985 | Conclusion | Excel Excel (band) Excel was a punk/metal fusion band from Venice, California founded in 1983 by singer Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel. They were influenced by famous 70's punk rock musicians like The Police and The Sex Pistols, and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slayer, Corrosion of... |
| 1985 | Make Up Your Mind | Excel Excel (band) Excel was a punk/metal fusion band from Venice, California founded in 1983 by singer Dan Clements and guitarist Adam Siegel. They were influenced by famous 70's punk rock musicians like The Police and The Sex Pistols, and heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slayer, Corrosion of... |
- Recorded and mixed by unlisted
- Produced by Mike Muir
- Album cover concept Mike Muir and Michael Seiff