Broken Bones
The sound of Broken Bones is the sound of punk at its most primal, the crashing roar of wild, wild youth taken to limits even the Sex Pistols never dreamed of. When the band formed in 1983, punk may not have been dead, but it was certainly dying. Then Broken Bones came along and the reverberations are still being felt today, in the battle cries of Bad Religion and the swagger of Rancid, in the white heat of Slayer and the debauchery of Ministry. Some people have called Broken Bones one of the biggest Hardcore bands of all time and one of the most vital, various U.S. mega-bands such as Metallica have acknowledged them as one of their influences.
Broken Bones was formed by guitarist Bones in early 1983 a few months after he quit Discharge, one of the most distinctive, and successful bands to emerge from the punk movement in the early 80’s. Bones recruited his twin brother Tezz (also a former Discharge member) on bass, vocalist Nobby and drummer Baz to the line up. Bones unveiled his latest juggernaut with a solid year of gigging, leading to the release in January 1984 of the screaming “Decapitated”.
Fired by the popularity which Broken Bones had already inspired, the single promptly rocketed into Britain’s independent top ten. The follow up single “Crucifix” was then released in May, inevitably it scored just as highly as the predecessor, and proved that Broken Bones meant serious business.
Retaining the services of Discharge producer Mike Stone the band recorded there first album “Dem Bones” with which the bands distinctive early sound would stand head and shoulders over pretty much every punk album of the time, and today is still regarded as a classic.
Live shows became increasingly riotous celebrations, the established press was paying attention. Not since punks heyday in the late 1970’s had a band seemed poised for great things. That chance was lost when over a year elapsed before B/B third single. A year never the less which saw the band consolidate its vinyl reputation with never ending touring.
Broken Bones 1983 live album “Live at the 100 Club” remains the acid test for anyone who claims to be real punk today, a record which forges and unimagined middle ground between hardcore, metal and the apocalypse. The much anticipated third single “Seeing Through My Eyes” was well worth the wait, with “Never Say Die” following up, and then came the Bonecrusher album which was released only in the U.S. and mini album “Trader in Death” which immortalized some of B/B best loved songs.
Times were changing both in and outside the group. By 1986 in Britain, punk was officially old hat (if only briefly, as it turned out). In America where B/B was readily adopted by the hardcore set, it was still a marginal interest, big enough to keep a band on the road but that was about it.
The groups line up was changing as well, Tezz had left after “Crucifix”, and replaced by Oddy, then Nobby left and Oddy took over vocals as well. By 1986 Oddy went on to join Conflict, and the returning Nobby and Tezz were joined by a second guitarist Karl Morris (Exploited) for the studio/live album “F.O.A.D”. More followed in F.O.A.D‘s footsteps, unheralded harbingers of the mayhem which passes for metal today and in 1989 the band took a more thrash metal direction and released the album “Losing Control”, gone were Nobby, Baz and Tezz, and Quiv appeared on vocals. Two more were to follow with the 12 inch release “Religion is Responsible” and another album “Stitched Up” that seemed to be it.
Until in 1998 Broken Bones reformed, Bones on guitar as ever, Oddy back on bass, the now veteran Quiv resuming vocals and new drummer Dave solely to capture the intense uncompromising sound of their early releases.
