Hellbastard
Hellbastard is an English crust punk and thrash metal band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1985 by guitarist/vocalist Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, bassist Ian "Scotty" Scott, and drummer Phil Laidlaw.[1][2] Emerging amid the economic and social upheavals of Thatcherism, the band fused anarcho-punk politics with aggressive metal riffs, pioneering elements of the crust punk subgenre through early demos like the 1986 Ripper Crust and their raw, politically charged sound addressing issues such as class struggle and environmental destruction.[2][3] Signed to Earache Records in their initial active period from 1985 to 1992, they released influential material including the album Heading for Internal Darkness, before disbanding and reforming in 2007 under Lewty's initiative, leading to subsequent tours across Europe and North America and further albums like Feral in 2018.[4][5]History
Formation and Initial Demo (1984–1986)
Hellbastard formed in late 1984 in Gateshead, near Newcastle upon Tyne, England, when guitarist and vocalist Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, formerly of the punk band Apostles, connected with bassist Ian "Scotty" Scott after attending a Subhumans concert.[6][2] The duo recruited drummer Phil Laidlaw to complete the initial lineup, drawing from shared backgrounds in working-class, economically depressed communities to create music blending anarcho-punk political themes akin to Crass with the aggressive riffing of thrash metal acts like Slayer.[7][2] This emerged from an earlier, short-lived project called Sons of Vengeance, active from 1983 to 1985, which featured unstable membership and served as a precursor to Hellbastard's more defined crust-oriented sound.[8] The band rehearsed extensively in makeshift setups, often borrowing equipment due to limited resources, and focused on developing a raw, heavy style despite self-described technical limitations as novice musicians.[7] Early performances and rehearsals centered around local punk and metal scenes at venues like "The Station" in Gateshead, emphasizing a DIY ethos with lyrics addressing underdog struggles, environmentalism, and anti-authoritarian politics.[2] By 1985, Hellbastard had solidified as a three-piece unit, prioritizing visceral energy over polished production. In 1986, after months of preparation, the band self-recorded and released their debut demo, Ripper Crust, on cassette with xeroxed covers, marking a pivotal early output that introduced the term "crust" to describe their gritty punk-thrash hybrid.[8][6] The demo featured tracks such as "Nazi Killed," "Massacre," "Deceiver," "Insanity," "Death from Above," and "Kill or Be Killed," capturing chaotic, riff-driven aggression with shouted vocals critiquing war, deception, and societal insanity.[6] Limited in distribution but influential within underground circuits, it laid the groundwork for the band's reputation in nascent crust punk scenes.[7][2]Breakthrough in Crust Punk and Early Releases (1987–1990)
Following the 1986 Ripper Crust demo, which helped define the emerging crust punk genre through its raw, dual-vocal aggression and metallic riffing, Hellbastard solidified their presence with the 1987 Hate Militia demo tape.[9] Self-released as a cassette, it included tracks like "Conditioned" and "Nazis Killed," emphasizing short, pummeling bursts of punk fury laced with thrash influences and themes of societal decay and resistance.[10] The recording captured the band's evolving dual-guitar attack and cavernous production, traits that resonated in the UK's underground squat and DIY punk circuits, where Hellbastard gigs often drew from the same anarcho-punk crowds as bands like Doom and Deviated Instinct.[11] The pivotal release came in 1988 with the full-length album Heading for Internal Darkness, issued on vinyl by Meantime Records (catalog COX 008).[12] Clocking in at around 40 minutes across 13 tracks, it expanded on prior demos with longer compositions like the title track and "Death Camp," blending grinding mid-tempo grooves, blastbeat-infused sections, and shouted, overlapping vocals that critiqued environmental destruction, war, and institutional oppression.[13] Produced in a lo-fi style typical of the era's independent punk output, the album's metallic edge—drawing from influences like Discharge and early Slayer—distinguished Hellbastard from purely hardcore acts, positioning them as architects of crust's crossover appeal and earning underground acclaim for bridging punk's raw energy with thrash's technicality.[14] By 1989–1990, these efforts contributed to Hellbastard's role in popularizing crust punk beyond Newcastle, with Heading for Internal Darkness circulating via tape trades and fanzines, influencing subsequent waves of stenchcore and grind acts.[15] The band's output during this span, limited primarily to self-produced and small-label efforts amid lineup flux, underscored a DIY ethos uncompromised by commercial pressures, fostering a cult following in Europe's squat scene despite minimal mainstream exposure. No major label pursuits materialized, as Hellbastard prioritized ideological consistency over wider distribution.[2]Style Shifts, Later Albums, and Hiatus (1991–2006)
Following the release of Natural Order in June 1990, Hellbastard began experimenting with a heavier emphasis on thrash metal structures, moving away from the raw stenchcore intensity of their earlier crust punk demos and EPs toward mid-tempo riffs and crossover aggression influenced by bands like Slayer.[8] This evolution was evident in demo recordings made in 1991 and 1992 for a planned follow-up album, which featured tighter songwriting and prominent guitar leads but remained rooted in anti-authoritarian themes.[2] Despite interest from record labels and booking agents, the band disbanded in 1992 amid circumstances beyond their control, including lineup instability and external pressures, halting further original output for over a decade.[2] [16] During the hiatus, founder and guitarist/vocalist Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty maintained activity in side projects, such as Nero Circus (releasing a 1996 demo) and Sidewinder (1997 demo), which echoed Hellbastard's metallic crust leanings but under different banners.[3] Archival compilations of pre-split material surfaced in the late 1990s, including the 1998 In Grind We Crust CD (collecting demo and live tracks from 1986–1988) and Blood, Fire, Hate... CD (early EPs and rarities), preserving the band's foundational sound without new compositions.[16] These releases, handled by indie labels like Bomb Factory, underscored the enduring cult appeal of Hellbastard's early work amid the punk scene's fragmentation. A notable posthumous output was the 2000 vinyl LP The Good Go First, limited to 500 copies on Dirty Crust Records, comprising tracks recorded during the early 1990s sessions and promotional demos that highlighted the band's shift to groove-infused thrash metal with crust breakdowns.[17] Reviews noted its heavier production and riff-driven aggression compared to prior crust-centric efforts, aligning with the mid-period thrash orientation.[8] The band remained inactive for live performances or new recordings until Scruff's reformation efforts in 2007, marking a 15-year effective hiatus during which the punk and metal underground occasionally revisited their catalog via reissues, but no full tours or studio albums emerged.[16]Reformation, Tours, and Recent Output (2007–present)
Hellbastard reformed in 2008, initiated by original vocalist and guitarist Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty following the band's hiatus since 1992.[2] This revival featured a new lineup centered around Lewty, enabling the group to resume activities with updated personnel while retaining core crust punk elements.[8] The reformation spurred initial releases, including the full-length album The Need to Kill in 2009, which addressed themes of societal decay and personal rage through aggressive thrash-infused crust.[8] Shortly after, the EP Eco-War appeared on October 26, 2009, via Selfmadegod Records, expanding on environmental activism with tracks like "Sea Shepherd" and "Massacre."[18] These outputs facilitated extensive touring, with the band embarking on multiple European and North American jaunts, including a co-headlining U.S. fall tour with Resistant Culture in 2009 sponsored by Shaman Records.[19] Subsequent years saw intensified activity, highlighted by a headlining U.S. tour preceding the recording of Feral, released on July 17, 2015, via PATAC Records, featuring tracks such as "In Praise of Bast/Feral" and "Outsider of the Year."[16] [20] A European tour in November 2015 followed, receiving positive reception within DIY punk circuits and yielding the live recording Live Album: Leipzig, Germany, Oct 20th 2015.[21] [22] Into the 2020s, Hellbastard maintained output with the EP To the Dead & Dying in 2021, the live album More Darkness... in 2022, and the single "Rain on Your Parade" in 2022, alongside archival releases like Sons of Bitches (Early Mixes) in 2021.[8] [23] These efforts underscore the band's sustained commitment to live performances and new material, though specific tour dates post-2015 remain sporadic amid ongoing festival appearances in Europe.[24]Musical Style and Evolution
Crust Punk Foundations with Thrash Metal Elements
Hellbastard's early musical style established core elements of crust punk through a raw fusion of anarcho-punk's political urgency and thrash metal's aggressive riffing and velocity, originating in their 1986 demo Ripper Crust. This self-recorded tape, featuring 11 tracks of distorted guitars, pounding bass lines, and dual growled vocals over fast-paced, D-beat-inflected rhythms, exemplified a "bassy" and "dirty" production that became archetypal for the subgenre, with mid-tempo chugs alternating with thrashy blasts evoking proto-death metal intensity.[2][25][26] The band's incorporation of thrash metal elements—such as Slayer-inspired rapid tremolo picking and Metallica-like heaviness—differentiated their sound from pure anarcho-punk predecessors like Crass, while drawing from Amebix's epic scope and Hellhammer's chaotic edge to amplify crust's apocalyptic tone. Formed in 1984 amid Thatcher-era economic decline in Newcastle, vocalist/guitarist "Scruff" Lewty and initial lineup members channeled influences from harder anarchopunk bands into a hybrid too metallic for punk audiences and too punkish for metal ones, as noted in early reviews describing it as "Metallica meets CRASS meets SLAYER."[27][2][2] Subsequent 1987 demo Hate Militia reinforced these foundations with bass-driven aggression and crude, organic drumming that retained thrash's speed bursts amid gruff, shouted lyrics critiquing authority, solidifying Hellbastard's role in defining crust punk's metallic undercurrent before broader genre evolution. This era's output, characterized by lo-fi recording and relentless energy, prioritized visceral impact over polish, influencing subsequent bands by prioritizing punk's DIY ethos with metal's technical ferocity.[27][2]Transition to Groove and Thrash Metal Influences
In the late 1980s, Hellbastard shifted from their foundational crust punk sound toward greater integration of thrash metal influences, as demonstrated in their debut full-length album Heading for Internal Darkness, released in 1988 on Meantime Records. This record introduced faster tempos, intricate guitar riffing, and a rawer metallic edge that diverged from the stenchcore and D-beat-driven crust of earlier demos like Ripper Crust (1986), while still preserving political lyrical intensity and DIY ethos.[14][28] The album's style, classified as thrash metal with stenchcore undertones, reflected growing inspirations from bands like Slayer and Metallica, enabling more technical complexity without abandoning punk aggression.[2] This transition accelerated with the 1990 release of Natural Order on Earache Records, which solidified a crossover thrash metal orientation and represented a marked departure from prior hardcore-punk hybridizations. Tracks like "Justly Executed" and "Enslavers" featured prototypical British thrash characteristics, including mid-paced aggression, precise breakdowns, and enhanced production that prioritized metallic clarity over crust's lo-fi murk.[29][30] Critics noted the album's surprising metal-forward approach, attributing it to lineup stability and deliberate stylistic refinement amid the band's evolving influences.[31] The shift drew from thrash's emphasis on speed and riff craftsmanship, positioning Hellbastard as early adopters of crossover dynamics in the UK scene. Subsequent developments, particularly in the mid-period leading to their 1991 hiatus and post-2007 reformation, incorporated groove metal elements such as downtuned, rhythmic riff grooves and heavier tonal palettes, hybridizing thrash's velocity with pendulum-like swings akin to proto-groove pioneers.[8] Albums like Feral (2015) exemplified this, with tracks employing "groove-machine" structures that echoed the band's earlier thrash foundations but added mid-tempo heft for broader appeal.[32] This evolution, driven by core member Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty's vision, avoided genre pigeonholing while advancing from crust's rawness to a more versatile metal-punk synthesis.[2]Band Members
Core and Current Lineup
Hellbastard's core member and driving force is Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, who founded the band in 1985 and has handled vocals and guitar continuously through its original run until 1992 and subsequent reformation in 2007.[8] Lewty remains the sole constant presence, serving as primary songwriter and frontman.[2] The original and most stable lineup featured Lewty alongside bassist Ian "Scotty" Scott and drummer Phil Laidlow, which recorded key early releases like the 1986 Ripper Crust demo and debut album Heading for Internal Darkness (1988).[33] This trio defined the band's crust punk sound during its initial active period.[2] Post-reformation, the lineup has incorporated additional musicians for live shows and recordings, including second guitarist Tom McCombe, bassist Paul O'Shea, and drummers such as Josh "Buda" in the early 2010s and Josh Davies from 2022 to 2024.[34] [8] As of 2024, the band sought a permanent drummer, indicating ongoing fluidity in the rhythm section while Lewty anchors the project.[35]Former Members and Lineup Changes
Hellbastard underwent multiple lineup changes during its original run from 1984 to 1992, primarily involving the departure of early rhythm section members, before disbanding. The band reformed in 2007 under founder Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, who remained the sole constant, with subsequent shifts driven by personal commitments and internal disputes.[2][1] The initial lineup featured Lewty on guitar and vocals, Ian "Scotty" Scott on bass, and Phil Laidlow on drums, assembled from members of prior acts including Sons of Vengeance and The Apostles.[2][1] Scott exited early on to form the crust punk band Hellkrusher, while Laidlow's tenure aligned with the group's debut recordings before the 1992 split.[2] In 1988, the band augmented its lineup with additional drummer Bry to handle more complex arrangements on technical material.[2] Post-reformation, Lewty recruited new personnel, including bassist Dave, who departed amid tensions and later died by suicide following a 2016 festival booking dispute involving the band.[2] Other former members credited across releases include guitarist Nick Parsons and additional contributors such as Ali Lee, Brian Newton, Grant Taylor-Kane, and Sean Harrison, though specific tenures vary by era and lack precise documentation beyond recording credits.[1] A drummer quit in 2022 citing personal reasons, prompting further adjustments with additions like Josh and Konrad.[2]| Former Member | Instrument | Notable Period/Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Ian "Scotty" Scott | Bass | Original lineup (1984–late 1980s); later formed Hellkrusher[2] |
| Phil Laidlow | Drums | Original lineup (1984–1992)[1] |
| Bry | Drums | Added 1988 for technical recordings[2] |
| Dave | Bass | Post-reformation; departed pre-2016[2] |
| Nick Parsons | Guitar | Early to mid-period contributions[1] |