Vio-Lence
- DAY: Warm Up Day
- STAGE: The Shrine Stage
- GENRE: thrash metal
- COUNTRY: USA
Vio-lence of course means violence. We would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting name for one of the most intense thrash bands out there.
Formed in Bay Area, Vio-lence is still considered to be one of the most important thrash metal bands that emerged in the second half of the 1980s. They were fast, aggressive to the core and rabid mad, and in the ass-kicking department, they even held their own against Slayer. Not to mention the vocals of Sean Killian that have been fuelling them from the beginning.
Veteran thrashers will need no convincing to attend their gig, but it’s a spectacle that everyone should witness. Energy levels would shoot through the roof if we had any.
History:
Vio-lence started out in 1985 under the name Death Penalty. The group quickly renamed themselves as Vio-lence and a year later, released two demos. After playing many local gigs and being warmly received on the scene, they released another demo in 1988 and then, in 1989, their debut album, “Eternal Nightmare”.
Rabid, rushing thrash metal from the aforementioned album was very well-received. The record reached number 154 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 30 thousand copies. The band didn’t stop there and in 1990 released their sophomore album, “Oppressing the Masses”, hailed along with the debut as true thrash classics. The band embarked on a year-long tour, with tensions arising on the road. Their third and thus far, latest, full-length album, “Nothing to Gain”, didn’t even get a promotional tour with Vio-lence disbanding in 1993.
The beginning of the 21st century saw a few performances, but the band didn’t return for good until 2019. Other than intensive touring, this comeback resulted in a 2022 EP “Let the World Burn”.
Discography:
Studio albums:
Eternal Nightmare, 1989
Oppressing the Masses, 1990
Nothing to Gain, 1993
EPs:
Torture Tactics, 1991
Demos… They Just Keep Killing, 2003
Let the World Burn, 2022
Demos:
First Demo, 1986
Violence Demo – 1986, 1986
Rough Demo, 1988
Singles:
Eternal Nightmare, 1988
World in a World, 1990
„California über Alles”
Compilations:Kill on Command – The Vio-Lence Demos, 2023
