EP 279: War Songs
Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here. Playlist here. If this wasn’t enough and you need more war songs, there’s a massive playlist here.
This post is too long for email, so open it in your browser.
In America, a lot of folks from the first and 2nd waves of punk grew up seeing the images of the Vietnam War nightly on network TV. Their family members or other kids from the neighborhood may have been drafted; some maybe didn’t come home. Seeing images of soldiers in body bags, victims of napalm attacks, or events like the execution of the Viet Cong prisoner made people question their instinctual American reaction to rally around the flag. Behind all this was the looming threat of nuclear annihilation in an escalating Cold War. The backbone of the counter-culture in the ‘60s was anti-war, but it went beyond that. It stood in defiance against the systems that produced and profited from war. Sound familiar?
The Vietnam War ended in 1975, just as punk was percolating; it broke the following year. Punk was shooting not only at the establishment, but at previous generations who failed.
"The hippie movement failed. The hippies around now just represent apathy. There's a million reasons why the thing failed. But I'm not interested in why. Because the only thing we've got to live with is that it failed."
Joe Strummer to The Independent in 1977
The birth of hardcore at the end of the ‘70s and into the ‘80s coincided with new wars. In El Salvador, the United States provided training, weapons, and aid to its military government to fight the left wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). At the same time in Nicaragua, the U.S. was funding and arming the right-wing Contras against the left wing Sandinista government. This was all in addition to the United State’s continued support of Guatemala’s massacre of leftist civilians and of the UNITA in Angola, who we backed along with apartheid South Africa (great ally, dickheads.) Britain had its own new war in the Falkland Islands in 1982.
These bullshit wars never stopped. Chicken hawks and ghouls who came of age at the tail end of Vietnam or during the Reagan Years were the architects of the 2nd Iraq War. America continues to fund Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and Trump’s crypto partners in the United Arab Emirates are funding a genocide in Sudan. The war song is as relevant today as it ever was.
I just want to note that the American experience with war pales in comparison to elsewhere in the world where war was waged inside their homelands. I think this is reflected in my list with only two out of the eleven songs being from U.S. bands.
Here are our lists:
Let’s get into mine…
1. U.K. Subs “Warhead” Brand New Age LP (1980)
This true masterpiece of a song plods along building and building, hitting three pre-choruses and a guitar solo before delivering and all-time chorus, over two minutes into the song. I realize this sounds terrible on paper but the payoff is huge and the parts leading to it were pretty great themselves. The verses sound like what The Clash would’ve written if they could’ve mustered a third good song (shoutout “White Riot” and “Rock The Casbah”) and the pre-choruses rule, as does the solo. I wish it went twice as long.
Still, everything pales in comparison to the singalong to come. Warhead, warhead, warhead. C’mon, you know it. Warhead, warhead, warhead. If you ever get a shitty song stuck in your head, “Warhead” and “California Sun” are the two tracks that can always knock it out.
Am I trippin’ or do they sound exactly like the record here? Amazing.
2. Battalion of Saints “Fighting Boys” Fighting Boys 12” (1982)
This is the title track off the first 12” by the best San Diego band there ever was. While BOS was fully embedded in the first wave of hardcore, their sound sometimes serves a precursor to what we’d be hearing several years later with bands like Broken Bones or the English Dogs, as those bands pioneered the UK’s own brand of crossover or metal punk. This is a meaty, mid-tempo tune with George Anthony’s singing almost slipping into melodic territory on the verses before going into a full-on anthemic chorus. Chris Smith’s guitar flourishes are all over this thing which personally I love, but I can get that it’s a wild move considering this was recorded in Oct 1981, years before metal corroded the ‘core.
3. Discharge “Visions of War” Why 12” (1981)
When I think of war songs, I think of Discharge so this might be the war song. When they do that big noise statement to kick off the track, it sounds like an air raid siren and bombs landing simultaneously. Then their signature d-beat kicks in with the most in-the-pocket riff embedded into it.
Cal has the best economy of words out of any vocalist in the history of hardcore. No one can say more with less.
My head is filled with fear of war
fear and threat of war.
Horrific disturbing visions of war
fill my head.
Among the maimed and slaughtered
my body lies.
4. Anti-Cimex “When The Innocent Die” Raped Ass 7” (1983)
This track almost mirrors “Visions of War” with the noise statement out the gate, but Anti-Cimex is actually hitting a drum beat. It’s just so chunky and noisy that it sounds like they’re doing cymbal crashes under the guitar ringouts, but the thing is already moving and the verse riff hits only six seconds in. Cal is #1 with his economy of words, but Jonsson is a disciple.
Was this what you wanted?
All war scientists
When the innocent die
You kill all the innocent
You kill all the pacifists
That’s it. Then of course this song features the greatest guitar solo in the history of punk, hardcore, hardcore punk, and probably guitar music in general. Yes, the 2nd half of “Freebird” and that solo on “Don’t Fear the Reaper” are pretty sick, but cranked to 10, windows down, hauling down the freeway—this is better.
5. The Clay “Middle East Combat Area” Middle East Combat Area 7” (1984)
This 7” won our Best Japanese Hardcore 7” 1981-1985 tournament and this title track was a big reason for that. The recording sounds so thick and that first intro riff sounds like it could’ve been a NYHC intro from 1995. The head-bob doesn’t last long before this track unleashes into a full-throttle hardcore assault. It has everything you could want: big riffs, a memorable chorus, a top notch guitar solo. No doubt this is one of the best ~4 minute hardcore songs there is. Pushead describes it better, of course:
6. Discard “Death From Above” Death From Above 7” (1990)
The original idea for doing my band Subversive Intent was this song. I basically wanted to take this track, cut it in half but make the solo twice as long. That mission was abandoned quickly, as the paranoia of being another Discharge riff thief scared me straight; nonetheless, this was the song that motivated me to pick up a guitar again.
“Death From Above” was originally recorded and came out on Discard’s demo tape in 1986 but didn’t get the vinyl treatment until 1990. The band was made up of Åke, Chrille, and Jögge from Mob 47 along with Per from Agoni, who also wrote lyrics for that first Mob 47 7”. Discard is thought of as being one of the first Dis-bands, aka bands who were fulling apeing Discharge. Sure, the vibe with the logo and art are full-on Discharge worship, but really this 7” sounds more like a continuation of Raped Ass than a complete Discharge clone like Disaster. “Condemned to Oppression” even has a breakdown so there may be a bit of mid-’80s USHC in here too.
Two other songs from this ‘86 demo came out on the Really Fast Vol. 3 compilation the same year and the full demo is available on the Stockholms Mangel CD from 2000.
7. Mob 47 “Karnvapen Attack” S/T EP 7” (1984)
Staying with Åke, Chrille, and Jögge, here’s the blazing first track off the 1984 Mob 47 record. It also appeared on the P.E.A.C.E. comp. Nothing much to say except it kicks ass, and there aren’t many songs that go this hard and have a memorable chorus that sticks with you after a couple listens. Plus, now we all know how to say “nuclear” in Swedish. Shoutout Staffan (and his uncle).
8. Skitslickers “Warsystem” GBG 1982 7” (1982)
The first song off the Mona Lisa of hardcore. Perfect track. The lead is more “138” than “When The Innocent Die” but it’s awesome nonetheless. Cal remains the economy of word king due to sheer volume of tracks, but pound-for-pound, Lasse has gotta be in the conversation.
War system, war system, war system now!
War system, war system, war system now!
(sick ass solo)
War system, war system, war system now!
9. Subhumans “Religious Wars” Religious Wars 7” (1982)
It’s a near-impossible task to choose a favorite Subhumans song off the first few 7”s, but this is in the mix for sure. Classic chorus. The way the bass cuts through in that instrumental part after the 2nd chorus, just before the solo. The solo. That haunting reset before the final chorus.
In the darkness of death
There's no light in your eyes
A cross in your grave
Your time has arrived
Dick goes even harder in the 2nd half of the final chorus. A masterclass in everything great about punk.
10. The Varukers “Another Religion, Another War” Another Religion, Another War 12” (1984)
In all the previous records from The Varukers, they mix ripping ‘80s hardcore with anthemic street tunes. For their 1984 12”, all the melody is gone and they’re just throwing the ball as hard as they can right over the plate. Could it be the addition of future Sacrilege guitarist, Damien Thompson? Maybe. Every song on this record rips and is memorable, but the title track is probably the best one. Don’t believe me? Ask No Security.
11. Crucifix “Annihilation” Dehumanization LP (1983)
It’s shameful that this song was still available in the 11th round cuz it deserved to be in contention for the #1 pick. You know it, you love it. They did it on Not So Quiet On The Western Front and then perfected it for their LP. It’s one of the best songs ever. Now repeat the intro with me:
From dehumanization to arms production
For the benefit of a nation or its destruction
Power is power; it’s the law of the land
Those who live for death would die by their own hands
Life is no ordeal if you can come to terms
Reject the system which dictates the norm
From dehumanization to arms production
For the benefit of a nation or its destruction
It’s your choice: peace or annihilation!
Replace the Pledge of Allegiance with this.
If you enjoy the podcast or this blog, here are the ways you can support:
Spread the word
Like/rate/review the podcast wherever you listen to it
Become a Patreon. The patreons have been keeping this project a live for almost seven years.
Become a paid member on Substack. I get it. You’re loyal to Substack and Patreon feels OnlyFans-adjacent. Supporting on here also gets you access to all the archives (anything over a month old).
Recurring payment-adverse? There’s always this.
Thanks for the support!
I play in a band called SUBVERSIVE INTENT. Jam the demo here, here, or here and buy the tape here.
- ZN
Fuck yeah the massive playlist.