- SSD (band)
Infobox musical artist 2
Name = SSD
Img_capt = SSD, 1982
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Boston, Massachusetts
Instruments =Guitar ,Vocals , Bass, Drums
Genre =Hardcore punk Thrashcore Crossover thrash Heavy metalStraight Edge
Years_active =1981 –1985
Label =X-Claim ,Modern Method , Homestead
URL =
Current_members =Springa Al Barile Jaime Sciarappa Chris Foley Francois Levesque
Past_members =SSD (Society System Decontrol) were a
straight edge hardcore punk (and later heavy metal) band fromBoston . They released two records as SS Decontrol and then formally changed their name to SSD. As SSD they released two more records, these with a veryheavy metal influenced sound. However the group is often simply referred to, including all its periods, as SSD.History
Formed by songwriter/guitarist Al Barile (then a machinist at the
General Electric plant inLynn, Massachusetts and a student at Northeastern University), SSD started performing at smaller venues throughout the greater Boston metropolitan area in the summer of1981 . The band quickly gained notoriety within the local music scene for intense, charged performances and the provocative antics of their core group of followers, the Boston Crew.The original lineup was Al Barile on guitar,
Springa (David Spring) on vocals,Jaime Sciarappa on bass andChris Foley on drums. They released their debut LP "The Kids Will Have Their Say " on their ownX-Claim label in 1982.Ian MacKaye ofMinor Threat was a friend and supporter and hisDischord label's logo appeared on the back cover.In 1983 they added second guitarist
Francois Levesque and released the EP "Get It Away ". It is widely regarded to be their best record. The X-Claim pressings of it and "The Kids Will Have Their Say" are both highly collectable.Like many hardcore bands - particularly those in the Boston area - SSD, as they were now officially called, were heading in a heavy metal direction. In 1984 they signed to the Boston label Modern Method and released the "
How We Rock " EP which was rooted in the hardcore sound but exhibited overt heavy metal characteristics, such as a relatively high number of lengthyguitar solo s. After signing to Homestead they released the "Break It Up" LP in 1985. It had both feet planted in the metal genre, leaving behind all trappings of punk and hardcore.SSD broke up in 1985.
Jaime Sciarappa went on to play bass with the
Boston hardcore band Slapshot for a short time.After the breakup Springa went on to front the short lived band
Razorcaine and the comedy rock projectsDie Blitzkinder (withThe Slaves ) andSpringa as Tom Jones . His flamboyant persona and lounge lizard lifestyle during this time stood in marked contrast to the straight edge rhetoric of SS Decontrol. In the early 1990s he would move to Chicago to pursue comedy further withThe Second City .In 1991 Al Barile compiled "Power" for
Taang! Records . It spans SSD's entire career and is the only official release in print today. In the early 1990s he took up the bass guitar and he and Levesque formed the rock band Gage.In 1993 the finnish masters of extreme metal controversy
Impaled Nazarene managed to homage SSD in their songSadhu Satana , included in the albumUgra Karma . The song repeated various time the mantra "SS Control", which caused accusations ofnazism from the band, launched by critics unaware of the stylistical debt between the Finns and the u.s. punk band.Chris Foley went on to play drums for Bulkhead,
Jennifer Trynin and Star Ghost Dog. Today he plays withHeavy Stud .In the summer of 2004 Springa was seriously injured in a car accident outside of Boston. A gala benefit featuring
Evan Dando and reunions ofThe Outlets andJerry's Kids raised money for his medical expenses. SSD did not perform.Springa has since experienced a full recovery and is working on a rock opera.
"2008 comeback" controversy
In May 2008 it was an announced that Springa and a new lineup of SS Decontrol would be appearing at Belgium's IEPERFEST in August of that year. In a [http://goingthroughthemotions1.blogspot.com/2008/05/ssd-to-tour-this-summer.html message] circulated in various blogs and internet forums, original guitarist and band leader Alan Barile responded with strong disapproval, stating "there is absolutely no truth to any speculation that SSD will be performing this summer. The fact is original vocalist David Spring 'Springa' is assembling a band of hired guns to tour and rip off the public playing under the name SSD. Due to his actions David Spring has officially been terminated from ALL association with the band SSD."
As of May 19th, no other original member is joining Springa on his - in essence - solo reunion. All other original members back Al Barile's position that this tour would be a farce and an affront to the band's name.
Discography
* "
The Kids Will Have Their Say " (LP, X-Claim, 1982)
* "Get It Away " (EP, X-Claim, 1983)
* "A Boston Rock Christmas " (various artists compilation, Boston Rock, 1983) - "Jolly Old St. Nick"
* "How We Rock " (EP, Modern Method, 1984)
* "Break It Up" (LP, Homestead, 1985)
* "Power" (compilation, Taang!, 1993)ee also
*
Boston hardcore
*Music of Massachusetts External links
* [http://xclaim.com/ssd/ssd.html SSD biography]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1418503396591744594 SSD music video for "Get It Away" on BlankTV.com]
* [http://www.xclaim.com/gage/ Gage]
* [http://ieperfest.com/ IEPERFEST Web Site]
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