Retro Raunch Revisit

Happy 35th Anniversary to the band's 5th album and the last with singer Joey until his brief return in 2005 and then permanent re-joining in 2010. POT's recording got off to an ominous start when their first rehearsal studio was gutted by a fire resulting in the loss of over $100,000 worth of gear. Once completed, the album's theme saw a departure from the cartoonish humor & comic book layering on the previous 2 albums for more of a mature emphasis on condemning societal ills and a need for fighting ignorance & intolerance. As well, their approach was more progressive and while the sound was still tight, fast & aggressive, a lot of the familiar relentless standard thrash was complimented by a denser & much darker tempo. Along with the album's 3 videos (including an excellent cover of JOE JACKSON) in heavy rotation, came a guest appearance on 'Married... With Children' followed by the 1991 Attack of the Killer B's EP compilation of covers, b-sides & rarities; the collaboration with fellow New Yorkers PUBLIC ENEMY on their track 'Bring the Noise' as the rap metal genre started up; and Joey's split in 1992 that brought the band's new era of John Bush from ARMORED SAINT taking over on vocals.


And Happy 35th Anniversary also to AIC's debut with it's hard-charging moody & brooding tone that garned critical success and saw the band as important up-and-comers in the grunge scene already moving to a forefront as the alternative Seattle audience was merging beside metal. After positive word-of-mouth spread about their demo, the album's recording in WA state was one that began on unusual circumstances as the day before they were scheduled to arrive, their studio was shut down by police in the biggest marijuana raid in the state's history(!) With it's dual harmony vocals and excellent menacing guitar work, the album saw 2 hit singles with both videos receiving heavy play on MTV (as 'Man in the Box' would be nominated for a 1992 Hard Rock Grammy and also causing controversy with religious groups who complained about the lyric "Jesus Christ, deny your maker" and graphic imagery). The cover art was a distorted multi-exposed photo of bassist Mike Starr with the original image concept meant to be all 4 band members' faces superimposed into one expression. The album was the first grunge release to be certified gold (surprise, not NIRVANA's 'Nevermind') and would be certified 3x platinum selling 3 million copies in the USA. From initial hostility with some metal fans (1991's Clash of the Titans tour opening for SLAYER, ANTHRAX & MEGADETH) the exposure gradually saw growing acceptance. Singer Layne would release 2 more studio albums, 2 more EP's, and 2 live albums with AIC. In 1994, he fronted the side project MAD SEASON featuring members of PEARL JAM & SCREAMING TREES and after years of ongoing drug addiction from severe prolonged heroin abuse, he died of a speedball overdose in Apr 2002. Having also struggled with substance issues, Starr died from a prescription drug overdose in Mar 2011. R.I.P. to both.