Battalion of Saints a.d.
Cuts (Taang!)
by J. Lianna Ness
San Diego’s Battalion of Saints was formed by vocalist George Anthony and guitarist Chris Smith. An integral part of the early ’80s hardcore scene, I remember seeing them in the Summer of 1984 with the original line-up when they blasted through the Paradise in Boston. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to witness their blistering brand of hardcore. After drugs and girl troubles caused several members of the band to quit, and after the loss of all the other original members to the Grim Reaper (Chris Smith slipped in the bathtub and cracked his skull open, Dave Astor shot himself, and Donny Diaz later relocated to San Francisco and died of AIDS), George Anthony laid low for a while before deciding he wanted to perform again.
Ironically, around the same time he was looking for new members, Curtis from Taang! Records was looking for former Bats to release some unreleased master tapes he’d found. He finally got in touch with George, who had hooked up with guitarist Terry Bones (formerly of Ministry, Discharge, Broken Bones, and the UK Subs). They recruited a new drummer and bass player and released the incredible Death – R – Us CD (Taang!) which contains songs from both the Fighting Boys EP and the Second Coming LP, as well as several brand new recordings. Renamed Battalion of Saints A.D. (After Death, how eerily fitting, or as George jokes “After Drugs”), the new CD, Cuts, proves the band has not lost its spunk or its edge. They sound even faster and louder than before; even George’s voice sounds different – more raspy and screeching.
Although the old Bats’ sound was slightly melodic, don’t expect any “melodicore” here. This is rage and fury at its meanest. At times they sound like a hybrid of GBH and Motörhead, especially on the first tune, “My New Low” which features the contagious chorus “Buy my happiness/My new low!” In fact, the guitar line sounds deceptively similar to Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” (which is one of their cover songs). The band is currently on tour with The Business, and with their “Second Coming” of the old-school style, is delighting both new and old-school audiences alike, proving that they are still a force to be reckoned with. Congratulations to George Anthony and his wife Tanya on the birth of their son Adam.
